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From: bobw@hpsad.HP.COM (Bob Waltenspiel)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: opinion about posted 'game'
Message-ID: <750105@hpsad.HP.COM>
Date: 9 Feb 91 17:09:50 GMT
References: <1991Feb7.123612.1@simvax.labmed.umn.edu>
Organization: HP Signal Analysis Div - Rohnert Park, CA
Lines: 54

David Paschall-Zimbel writes:
>>I, personally, find such a concept disgusting.  It promotes a bigotted
>>racial stereotype of Arabs.  It's on the same level as video games
>>such as the infamous 'Custer's Last Stand', where the objective was to
>>rape as many Indian women as possible.

Although I agree with David that this 'game' file is objectionable
because it promotes racial bigotry, I don't think he is advocating
censoring the file.  It appears to me that he's trying point out how
such a file can be offensive to some people in much the same manner as
the 'Custer's Last Stand' file is.

Glorifying violence against an 'undefinable man riding a camel' can be
seen by some as lumping all Arabs into a group that should be shot at.
Some people in the USA are acting this way, as can be shown by the
violence being perpetrating against non-Iragi Arabs during this very
stressful time.  And yet, Americans are losing their lives in an
effort to save the lives of Arabs from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
That's the only reason can I see why we're fighting.  By promoting and
distributing such a 'game', race hatred might continue.  This is what
David is objecting to.  Thanks for being sensitive, David.

I hope that most people will realize this and ignore the file.

Jeff Weiner writes:
>I respect your opinion David, and encourage others to voice theirs in the 
>appropriate arenas.  However, the file will stay in the archive.  
>I would view anything else as blatent censorship, and I will have no part
>of that whatsoever.

I appreciate this, Jeff, as your position is to allow access to all
Atari software, not to choose what to limit.  The person doing the
uploading can censor what they upload, just as a book publisher can
censor what it publishes.  We do it now because what is available on
the archive now is far less than the total available Atari software.

Jeff, is there a limit to the amount of space available for the Atari
archive?  It seems that at sometime we will have to choose what is
stored there.  Will we have to someday 'censor' what is kept at the
archive in the name of 'disk space'?

-Bob 

P.S. Yes, I know, there are appropriate groups for political
discussions, and this isn't one of them.

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| Bob Waltenspiel                   | AT&T: (707) 794-3091 (Telnet: 794-3091) |
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