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Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!tektronix!uw-beaver!ssc-vax!sts
From: sts@ssc-vax.UUCP (Stanley T Shebs)
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Re: 55mph and tailgateing
Message-ID: <395@ssc-vax.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 10-Aug-83 15:21:49 EDT
Article-I.D.: ssc-vax.395
Posted: Wed Aug 10 15:21:49 1983
Date-Received: Thu, 11-Aug-83 17:52:20 EDT
References: <118@ccieng5.UUCP>, <974@rlgvax.UUCP>, <831@utcsstat.UUCP>
Organization: Boeing Aerospace, Seattle
Lines: 21

Personal moralities are great.  I have one myself, and it is probably
quite similar to laura's.  In truth, however, we are probably the
exception rather than the rule ('we' meaning hackers and other technical
people; despite arguments, we *do* have a lot in common).  Other
groups tend to have personal moralities quite different.  For instance,
I have noticed that managers tend to have a personal morality that
does not distinguish between truth and fiction;  most don't have any
problem with telling the most stupendous lies.  In the same way,
people living in ghettos,  born-again Christians, WASPS from Dixie,
and other such groups have personal moralities that are *considerably*
different from ours.  Mind you, I'm making gross over-generalizations,
but counting on "personal moralities" to hold civilization together,
in this age of pluralism and single-issue groups, is somewhat naive.
There are *plenty* of people in this country whose personal morality
allows murdering someone who insults Momma, or denying a black person
a job just because he/she is black.  My point?  The laws are a very
fragile cement keeping this country together - we should be *very*
careful about advocating substantial reductions in them.

					stan the lep hacker
					ssc-vax!sts (soon utah-cs)