Freedom of Speech - Abortion

[Ronnie Morgan]

** Reply to note from Robert Wagers <rwagers at wahoo.sjsu.edu> 02/12/96 10:18am  
-0800

>      I'm not too stressed about the decency patrols arresting people for  
> talking about abortion, but the law does prohibit any" _communication_  
> that describes, in terms patently offensive as measured by contemporary  
> community standards, sexual...activites or organs."   
>    

I don't believe this is true at all.  There are several forms of communication  
that could be used to talk about whatever it is you want.  The critera is wether  
or not the person recieving the communication has asked for such  
information/discussion of the issue at hand.  This bill doesn't say anything  
about that.  It does say something to the people sending out unsolicated mail,  
however.  

All topics such as rape, abortion, aids, etc. can still be discussed and talked  
about, it may have to private discussions, but the bill certainly doesn't make  
it illegal.  

It is unlikely that a rape support group would be standing in the parking lot of  
Walmart, or some other public place.  Chances are, they will be behind closed  
doors.  And those doors may be open for anyone to come in, but, the main  
discussion is still behind closed doors.  

I think this is what the bill is after.  

Everyone keeps saying that one person think "this" (can be anything) is  
indecent, but someone else doesn't.  If the people talking about something that  
someone else feels is indecent, then they probably should take it behind "closed  
doors".  A private IRC chat room is a good example of this...  A private usenet  
news server is yet another.  

Whatever the subject is, people will need to come up with creative ways to  
restrict access to such materials.  The technology IS there for responsible  
information providers to restrict access to what ever it is they are providing.   
It does NOT have to be solely client-end software.



Ronnie Morgan
Team OS/2
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