Re: Coalition forms to oppose Exon "decency" bill, S314/HR1004

[Public Affairs Office <knoxpao () ftknox-amedd army mil>]

>      Distributed by the Voters Telecommunications Watch (vtw () vtw org)
>          and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (ask () eff org)
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
> [In order to use the net more effectively, the following organizations have
> joined forces on a single Congressional net campaign to stop the
> Communications Decency Act, S. 314 & H.R. 1004 (in alphabetical order):
>
>    the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU),
>    the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT),
>    the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF),
>    the Electronic Frontier Foundation-Austin (EFF-Austin),
>    (Note that EFF-Austin is not a chapter of the DC-based EFF)
>    the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC),
>    the Hands Off! the Net petition drive,
>    the People for the American Way (PFAW),
>    the Society for Electronic Access (SEA), and
>    the Voters Telecommunications Watch (VTW)
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> CONTENTS
 (most deleted)
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> INTRODUCTION
>
> Dear Net Citizens:
>
> Legislation has been introduced before the Senate which would severely
> restrict your freedom of speech, halt the free flow of information on
> the net, and require all telecommunications carriers to censor your
> public and private communications.
>
> The "Communications Decency Act of 1995" (S. 314), introduced in early
> February by Senators Exon (D-NE) and Gorton (R-WA), would place
> substantial criminal liability on telecommunications carriers (including
> traditional telephone networks, Internet service providers, commercial
> online services such as America Online and Compuserve, and independent
> BBS's) whenever their networks are used to transmit any material
> which is deemed indecent or harassing.  In order to avoid these penalties,
> carriers would be forced to restrict the activities of their subscribers
> and censor all public and private communications.
>
> We must act quickly to stop the progress of S. 314.
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> CURRENT LIST OF PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS
>
> At this time, the following organizations have signed onto this
> campaign and are receiving the legislative feedback that VTW is compiling:
>
> American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), infoaclu () aclu org
> Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT), ask () cdt org
> Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), ask () eff org
> Electronic Frontier Foundation-Austin (EFF-Austin), eff-austin () tic com
> (Note that EFF-Austin is not a chapter of the DC-based EFF)
> Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), info () epic org
> Hands Off! the Net petition drive, slowdog () wookie net
> People for the American Way (PFAW), jlessern () reach com
> Society for Electronic Access (SEA), sea () sea org
> Voters Telecommunications Watch (VTW), vtw () vtw org
>
> Note that the Voters Telecommunications Watch does not speak for these
> organizations.  Any opinions contained herein are those of the author,
> and not necessarily endorsed by participating organizations.
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
It seems to me that if the various telephone and net providers, plus 
Compuserve, AOL and Prodigy, et al, were being affected by this bill, which VTW 
is saying is so nefarious, then they also would be listed as participating in 
this effort.


The list, above, of participants, to me, is an unlikely group.  Or, perhaps
I've missed something within the last several years, about some of these 
organizations.


My comments are my own and do not reflect those of anybody else nor any other
entity.




>