Re: Censorship, the Internet, and Brian Levy, J.D.

[Stark <astark@suffolk.lib.ny.us>]

Well Marc I dont know about anybody else but I am going to tune in some
good internet porn. and my old man wants to join me, that and a bottle of
OLD CROW heck it dont get any better then that. Marc your right we must
all grow up in the real world and the tougher the better, I have three
girls 39/45/48 and they went through it all and turned out fine great
husbands great kids. The way I see it I want to see/read what I want and
every one else has the RIGHT to do the same...           T.S.

On Thu, 20 Feb 1997, Marc James Small wrote:

> Brian
> 
> I dissent from your view, as I AM a supporter of Free Speech.  I have never
> attempted to limit what my son watches, reads, or listens to, as my own
> parents did not, and I cannot imagine a time when I would do so.  It is a
> TOUGH universe out here in Reality Land, and the quicker kids develop thick
> hides and an understanding of how yucky some folks can be, the better off
> they will be in the great competition of life.  Trying to shield folks from
> what goes on is counter-productive and ultimately produces incompetents
> incapable of resisting the harshness of the world we all inhabit.
> 
> There are several issues here.  First, I don't WANT the gummit intruding
> into my decisions as to what to watch or read, nor do I trust them to do so
> in my 'best interests'.  Rather, I will be responsible for my own son's
> moral development, and want the government to keep its Big Hands out of it.
> It sounds, Brian, like you have done what a responsible citizen ought to do
> -- take charge of their own child's life, in your case by blocking the
> Newsgroup he has access to. It doesn't take the Government to do this!  We
> tend to want Big Brother to do all sorts of things which, ultimately, are
> best done through self-help and individual responsibility.
> 
> Second, "porn" is something which is offensive to the watcher, not
> "offensive in general" as no such thing exists.  There is a LOT out there in
> Cyberland that I do not choose to look at or to read, but I do not wish it
> limited, in any way.
> 
> Third, the Internet is international by its structure and scope, and your
> suggestion, Brian, that it can be controlled by local law is sadly out of
> touch with how International Law functions.  Look at the German fiasco for a
> prime example of this.
> 
> Fourth, I shudder at the thought of any single government, or any group of
> governments, trying to censor the 'Net.  I want the individual
> responsibility of being in charge of my life.  Period.  Censorship is evil.
> Period.
> 
> Marc
> 
> 
> 
> msmall@roanoke.infi.net  FAX:  +540/343-7315
> Cha robh bas fir gun ghras fir!
>