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From: spaf@cs.purdue.EDU (Gene Spafford)
Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk
Subject: Re: Sarcasm? (was: Re: Musing on Constitutionality)
Message-ID: <11647@medusa.cs.purdue.edu>
Date: 10 Sep 90 22:32:13 GMT
References: <11503@medusa.cs.purdue.edu> <82778@aerospace.AERO.ORG> <9009091604.AA23599@mindcrf.mindcraft.com>
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Organization: Department of Computer Science, Purdue University
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In article <9009091604.AA23599@mindcrf.mindcraft.com>, karish@mindcrf.UUCP (Chuck Karish) writes:
> His comparison was a good one in the
> context of Gene's earlier comments to the effect that low-budget
> publications are less deserving of First Amendment protection.

Prove it.  Where did I ever say that anything was "less deserving" of
First Amendment protection?  If you are going to accuse me of things
in public, better have proof to back it up.

I said that I *perceived* a difference between two kinds of
publication.  That said nothing about my views on legal protection or
status--whether related to budget or not.  I asked if there was, in
case or statute law, a definition of what a publication is and
therefore what is protected by the "free press" part of the First
Amendment.  I also tried to point out that the First Amendment does
not protect any arbitrary behavior just because it appears in print.
That is not a statement about what deserves protection, anymore than
saying that perceiving a difference between male and female means that
you thus feel they deserve different rights.  

Until we know how "the press" is defined in law, it doesn't make much
sense to say that the First Amendment has been violated by the
confiscation of a computer system...unless you claim it violates your
religious views.  It is critical that early on we find out why a
newspaper is part of the "press" and a radio station isn't, and apply
that understanding to computers and computer networks.

And please, unless you actually bother to read my postings with your
brain in gear, could you followup to alt.flame next time?
-- 
Gene Spafford
NSF/Purdue/U of Florida  Software Engineering Research Center,
Dept. of Computer Sciences, Purdue University, W. Lafayette IN 47907-2004
Internet:  spaf@cs.purdue.edu	uucp:	...!{decwrl,gatech,ucbvax}!purdue!spaf