IP: a comment from that well known person -- anonymous re the

[Dave Farber <farber () central cis upenn edu>]

Date: Sun, 4 Feb 1996 13:41:23 -0500
To: Dave Farber <farber () central cis upenn edu>
From: anonymous


At 9:39 AM 2/04/96, Dave Farber wrote:


> any other paths!!


No. I don't see any. I am beginning to understand all the students -- and
my two sons --we have who are the most cynical, pissed off generation I
have ever seen. (& I grew up inthe McCarthy era.) Not a word in the Times
these past two days.


I am attaching a letter my wife just wrote to Clinton, not that it will do
any good.


On the bright side, here is a quote from the good old days. Maybe Jefferson
is right, we need a revolution every 50 years to keep people on their toes:


"These are the times that try men's souls: The summer soldier and the
sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his
country; but he that stands it NOW, deserves the love and thanks of man and
woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this
consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the
triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: 'Tis dearness
only that gives everything its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper
price upon its goods; and it would strange indeed, if so celestial an
article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated...."


Thomas Paine, "The Crisis," Dec. 23, 1776.


You can put that in IP. Say it is from Anonymous, a very popular person
these days.


Sam Anonymous




=====


Subject: my letter to Clinton


Here is what I wrote to Clinton, cc to that list & Gore.




Dear President Clinton,


Before you sign the telecommunication bill passed last week, give some
thought to the serious impact its violations of our first amendment rights
will have on every American citizen. I am a 55 year old mother of two sons,
with whom I regularly communicate via email. I also write to my brothers,
my sisters and sometimes my mother on email. Now, I understand that there
will be a huge list of words I will no longer be able to use!!!


I don't really care what those words are, or why these particular words
were selected. What I do care about is the fact that America has always
supported freedom of expression, and now I am going to have to worry about
what I say to my own children, my brothers and sisters, even my mother, for
fear of being arrested!!!  That is outrageous.


What's more, I understand that this bill was passed by Congress without
being full examined first!! My God, what is this world coming to?  I
sincerely hope none of these words violates that law. I worry that saying
"My God" might now be illegal. If it isn't now, maybe it will be, who
knows? Once you have a list like this, anybody can start adding to it.


Please, I strongly recommend that you veto this bill, and give our Congress
a chance to fully consider the devastation they will wreak by throwing the
first amendment into the trash heap.


Sincerely,


signed with real name