more on New Website: John Gilmore vs. 'Papers, Please'

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Many have asked why I give Mr Bray distribution. While I most of the 
time disagree with him, knowing what the other side thinks is part of 
being aware. djf


Begin forwarded message:

From: Hiawatha Bray <watha () monitortan com>
Date: August 16, 2004 2:10:27 PM EDT
To: dave () farber net, Ip <ip () v2 listbox com>
Subject: RE: [IP] New Website: John Gilmore vs. 'Papers, Please'

By all means, keep us informed.  Let the word go forth bar and wide, 
that
there's some guy named Gilmore with time on his hands and a severe 
deficit
of common sense.

One more time, people--you do NOT have a right to travel on an airplane
without identifying yourself.  There is NO SUCH RIGHT.  The airlines are
perfectly free to set reasonable requirements for its passengers.  For
instance, if you're disabled or obese, you can't sit in the emergency 
exit
row, for fear of trapping people on the plane during an accident.  You 
don't
like it, stay on the ground.

Same principle here.  With gibbering maniacs seeking to kill helpless 
people
on airplanes, the airlines have decided to make a few half-hearted 
stabs at
keeping us safe.  Among other things, they expect to know the 
identities of
those who fly.  My only complaint is that it's still too easy to defeat 
such
security systems.  I can't imagine the folly of demanding that all such
security efforts be abandoned, because they give offense to Mr. Gilmore.

Ah well, crazy as our courts are, I doubt they're crazy enough to waste 
much
time on this case.

Hiawatha Bray
Boston Globe

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