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From: campbell@maynard.BSW.COM (Larry Campbell)
Newsgroups: talk.politics.misc,news.admin
Subject: Re: Fascism Lives (Courtesy and counterproductive lack of it)
Message-ID: <1081@maynard.BSW.COM>
Date: 4 May 88 03:27:45 GMT
References: <1048@ut-emx.UUCP> <2475@c3pe.UUCP> <328@nvuxk.UUCP> <3343@drivax.UUCP> <567@vsi.UUCP> <3354@drivax.UUCP> <4163@dasys1.UUCP> <70@dcs.UUCP>
Reply-To: campbell@maynard.UUCP (Larry Campbell)
Distribution: na
Organization: The Boston Software Works, Inc.
Lines: 25

All this talk about First Amendment rights and the Federalist Papers
is interesting but utterly irrelevant.

The First Amendment prohibits the _government_ from restricting freedom
of speech, and of the press.  It does not prohibit _individuals_ from
doing so.

Thus, the government can not prohibit you from distributing, say, Nazi
propaganda on my property.  However, I can certainly prohibit you from
doing so.

The government can not prohibit you from storing Nazi propaganda on my
computer.  But I can certainly do so.

The government can not prohibit you from using my telephone lines to
transmit Nazi propaganda around the country.  But I can.

The First Amendment restrains only governments, not individuals.  And
this is as it should be.

Now, replace "Nazi propaganda" above with "stupid Usenet flames and
drivel".  The truth value of the preceding statements is unchanged.
-- 
Larry Campbell                                The Boston Software Works, Inc.
Internet: campbell@maynard.bsw.com          120 Fulton Street, Boston MA 02109
uucp: {husc6,mirror,think}!maynard!campbell         +1 617 367 6846