Senator Kerry proposes Web censorship of dogfighting

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Lauren Weinstein <lauren () vortex com>
Date: July 20, 2007 5:17:02 PM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Cc: lauren () vortex com
Subject: Senator Kerry proposes Web censorship of dogfighting


Dave,

I can't tell from this press release:

http://kerry.senate.gov/cfm/record.cfm?id=279464

whether Senator Kerry is really serious about:

"... making it illegal to transmit images of dog fighting, [or] to run
 websites that cater to dog fighting ..."

... or whether this is some sort of posturing.  But I find the
concept expressed alarming nonetheless.

Let me be clear.  I'm as distressed as anyone else by the recent
dogfighting stories.  I hope that the law comes down fast and hard
on anyone proven to have participated in such horrible acts.  As
someone in the process right now of raising a young, rambunctious
puppy, the thought of what has been done to these dogs makes me feel
physically ill.

Nonetheless. when I start to see calls that amount to raising this
particular evil seemingly to the Internet level of child
pornography, it's impossible not to ring the "slippery slope"
warning bell.

There are innumerable horrors in the world, many of which are
unfortunately even much worse than dogfighting.  If politicians
are going to start down the path of Internet censorship as the
"solution" to such evils, we are in big, big trouble.

Not only will such prohibitions simply push related Internet sites
offshore or into encrypted underground channels, but the "censorship
as solution" mindset that is created will be incredibly damaging to
the Internet and society in the long run.

I would hope that Senator Kerry is simply reacting emotionally to
this very bad situation and has not fully thought out the
ramifications of his proposal.  Trying to restrict information
almost never makes things better, and usually makes matters worse.
There is no practical way to effectively censor the Internet.  To
even try is to do even more harm in a multitude of ways.

--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein
lauren () vortex com or lauren () pfir org
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800
http://www.pfir.org/lauren
Co-Founder, PFIR
   - People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org
Co-Founder, IOIC
   - International Open Internet Coalition - http://www.ioic.net
Founder, CIFIP
   - California Initiative For Internet Privacy - http://www.cifip.org
Founder, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com
Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com





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