Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!looking!brad
From: brad@looking.on.ca (Brad Templeton)
Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk
Subject: Re: Repost from Telecom
Message-ID: <1991Jun25.005151.27279@looking.on.ca>
Date: 25 Jun 91 00:51:51 GMT
References: <91174.131736ELE@psuvm.psu.edu> <1991Jun24.194821.5299@agate.berkeley.edu>
Organization: Looking Glass Software Ltd.
Lines: 16

I suspect what Bill is trying to say is "we have cops (and thus inevitably
law-abusive cops) because there are lawbreakers."   The more lawbreaking
there is, the more call there is for enforcement and the more trouble
this enforcement will cause for innocent people, because of the fact
that the enforcers are far from perfect.

So in this sense, those who do screw around (and I make no judgement in
particular on the Rose case, I don't know the details) are indeed a *cause*
of the rights abuses suffered by the innocent.

However, the fact that there are lawbreakers out there is not an excuse
for absuse of the law, and we should not let it be an excuse, so saying
that Rose, assuming he was indeed a nasty guilty party, is to *blame* for
increased enforcement is a trap into which would should not fall.
-- 
Brad Templeton, ClariNet Communications Corp. -- Waterloo, Ontario 519/884-7473