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From: levy@ttrdc.UUCP (Daniel R. Levy)
Newsgroups: net.taxes,net.legal,net.politics
Subject: Silly us
Message-ID: <750@ttrdc.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 17-Feb-86 00:15:23 EST
Article-I.D.: ttrdc.750
Posted: Mon Feb 17 00:15:23 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 18-Feb-86 03:33:35 EST
References: <513@kontron.UUCP>
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Organization: AT&T, Computer Systems Division, Skokie, IL
Lines: 47
Xref: watmath net.taxes:1000 net.legal:2928 net.politics:13462

<Oh oh here it comes.  Watch out boy, it'll chew you up! \
Oh oh here it comes.  The LINE EATER!  [Line eater]>

In article <513@kontron.UUCP>, cramer@kontron.UUCP (Clayton Cramer) writes:
>[Long article speaking of civil liberties abuses related to IRS and taxes]
>I've gone on a long time beating this dead horse -- but those of you
>who are so sure that our civil liberties are intact have got your heads
>inserted into Fantasyland.

**BEGIN RHETORIC**
Silly us.
I cannot help but notice however that all these very alarmist postings
(regardless of whether they are speaking of unprovoked abuses, which some are,
or of cases where the victim was substantially guilty and/or VERY foolish,
which others are) propose nothing as to what they expect the "gentle reader"
to do, if he or she is concerned about these abuses.  I kind of expected that
there would be material on who in Congress and what politicians likely to run
for Federal offices of all kinds support (or fail to oppose) this kind of
abuse and who opposes it, what other legitimate (seek to achieve results within
the law, including revisions to it, not like Posse Comitatus) political move-
ments exist which seek to curb such abuses, and the like.  As these postings
stand, they seek to provoke consternation and righteous indignation in the read-
ers, but do not suggest constructive action.  May I observe that this kind of
provokation can have quite dangerous results.  Witness the bad luck of those
who in a severe case of bullheadedness rather than reason defied the
government in an amateur, obviously foolish manner rather than seeking skilled
help.  Remember that it is our GOVERNment we are dealing with, and if
we blindly bonk our heads into its brick wall, we are likely to smash our
heads and soften the wall not a bit.  (And then, in a true reflection of our
attitudes, act VERY alarmed and surprised.) However, to continue the analogy, we
still have a say, however indirect it be, in the actions of the masons that are
constantly rebuilding and remodeling that wall.  How many of us who look at
these abuses with consternation don't even bother to vote at every election
that we are eligible to vote in, much less become active in a legitimate
political interest body?  After all, who is it that passes the legislation and
then appoints the court judges who arbitrate this kind of thing, other than our
elected officials?  And then we lament our losses of civil rights.
Silly us.
**END RHETORIC**
-- 
 -------------------------------    Disclaimer:  The views contained herein are
|       dan levy | yvel nad      |  my own and are not at all those of my em-
|         an engihacker @        |  ployer or the administrator of any computer
| at&t computer systems division |  upon which I may hack.
|        skokie, illinois        |
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