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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!houxm!hogpc!houti!ariel!hou5f!hou5e!hou5d!mat
From: mat@hou5d.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.followup
Subject: Re: Censorship: A Case History (part 1, 11 Jan 84 to 23 Jan 84)
Message-ID: <962@hou5d.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 17-May-84 14:52:48 EDT
Article-I.D.: hou5d.962
Posted: Thu May 17 14:52:48 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 18-May-84 06:17:08 EDT
References: <1841@mit-eddie.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Information Systems Laboratories, Holmdel, NJ
Lines: 40

Im Maroney (unc!tim) has presented us with an unpleasant scene.  Some of
the arguments I have heard against him:

1)	Tim has no RIGHT to the net.
			Admitted

2)	Tim has violated an agreement with his employer.
			Initially there could have been misunderstanding
			about what ``work--related'' meant.  Afterward --
			see below.

3)	Tim's employers have been very patient with a disgruntled employee.
			Patient with respect to WHAT?  Does Tim have a valid
			complaint?  If so, then all the patience in the world
			on the part of the aggriever is irrelevant.

The real question here is this:  was Tim denied access for economic reasons
(cost) or was he denied access because what he posted offended
``sensibilities'' that themselves violate Tim's basic rights?  If Tim had
posted the infamous BLKTRAN, not many of us would rush to his defense, least
of all me.  BLKTRAN is in conflict with the digniy of a group of human beings,
and that conflict is along racial lines.  But what did Tim say?  Tim said,
if I recall, something like ``the god of the Jewish and Christian scriptures
is a cruelm, sadistic sonofabitch and I would rather go to hell (if hell there
is) proudly than worship the monster.''  Now I think that Tim hasn't quite
got the right understanding of things, but that's besides the point.

It's Tim's right to believe this, and it's Tim's right to say it.  And if
Tim's employer lets Tim and Tim's peers onto the net for general shooting of
the bull, then Tim should be allowed to say what Tim likes, short of slander
or misrepresentation of the views of others.

Now, I am not speaking on matters as they ARE, but only on matters as they
ARE PRESENTED to me.
-- 

					from Mole End
					Mark Terribile
		     (scrape..dig)	hou5d!mat
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