Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ukma!rutgers!cmcl2!rocky8!cucard!aecom!strahs
From: strahs@aecom.YU.EDU (Dan Strahs)
Newsgroups: news.admin
Subject: Re: Is alt.sex about to be legislated away?
Message-ID: <2048@aecom.YU.EDU>
Date: 10 Oct 88 16:00:07 GMT
References: <9644@cup.portal.com> <312@misadel.oz>
Organization: Albert Einstein College of Medicine, NY
Lines: 71

In article <312@misadel.oz>, jeremy@misadel.oz (Jeremy Begg) writes:
>In article <9644@cup.portal.com>, Ringworld-Engineer@cup.portal.com writes:
>> Ok, all you alt.sex-ers. Time to call your congressman, or we may have to
>> kiss alt.sex goodbye.
>>
>>>->->->->->->->->->
>>>   A NETWORKER'S JOURNAL
>>>
>>>    [much deleted here]
>>
>> Other than the fact that certain parts of this seem to be in violation of the
>> first ammendment, I'm very worried that it passed 97-0, which implies it is
>> not a partisan issue.
> 
>        Although this won't have much affect on me (because 1. I live in
>Australia, and 2. I'm not a porno fan anyway) the article did cause a few
>questions to spring to mind:
> 
>a)  Does the new law relate to all pornography or only to child pornography? (I
>think most would agree that child pornography is particularly nasty, as the
>majority of "subjects" would have little understanding of the matter, and even
>less say in its production.)
> 
>b)  What is the definition of a "bulletin board" under the new law?  Would this
>include mailing lists?

	If I'm right about what bill this is attached to, I believe that
	we really do have reason to worry (at least Americans do... 8~).

	Currently slouching it's way through the 99th Congress is something
	called "the Omnibus Drug Act".  Part of the current "Get Tough on
	Drugs" mentality, this bill has quite a few anti-First, Fourth, Fifth
	and Fourteenth amendment provisions, such as:

		1) removing darn near all rights of those convicted
			or found guilty of drug offenses

		2) suspending all labor-management collective bargaining
			agreements that prohibit drug testing

		3) allowing the Attorney General to fine anyone $10,000
			for any drug offense, regardless of the magnitude
			of the offense.

	This bill passed the House 375-30 last month; it was slated for
	a Senate vote (probably) last week (maybe this week if they're
	being slow or their consciences are catching up with them or their
	doctors are prescribing higher doses of anti-psychotic medication).

	There is NO chance of it not passing the Senate , or Reagan not
	signing it.

	Frankly, I'm more than a little worried.  It may be years before
	America comes to its senses over this McCarthy-ist attitude.

	But enough of this depressing news... Smile... 8~)

	I'm really not sure that this anti-pornography rider is attached
	to this bill.  It makes sense that it is though, or that (at the
	very least) it will be interpreted in a similar anti-Freedom stance
	as the Omnibus Drug Act has been explicitly designed for.

	As to the future of alt.sex ...??  I'll consult my Ouija board...

	"... what rough beast is this that slouches towards Washington
		to be born..." - with apologies to W.B. Yeats
-- 
 Dan Strahs                           ARPANET: aecom!strahs@uxc.cso.uiuc.edu
 Albert Einstein College of Medicine  UUCP: {uiucuxc,cucard,philabs, etc.}!
 WORK: 212-430-3180 HOME: 212-863-4061              !aecom!strahs
	     Disclaimer:  "just a sunshine daydream"