Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/03/26

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Subject: [Leica] Free Speech, M6 Glory, and Improper Posting
From: Marc James Small <msmall@roanoke.infi.net>
Date: Thu, 26 Mar 1998 17:58:19 -0500

This has turned into a Free Speech discussion.  I am totally, utterly,
thoroughly, absolutely committed to unbridled Free Speech, and am appalled
that the United States Supreme Court believes it can be made a crime to
shout "FIRE!" in a crowded theatre.  That is not the issue here.

The issue here is the appropriateness of the posting of the crude picture.
It was inappropriate because:

	a)	It was grotesquely off-topic, even further than I generally dare to tread
	b)	Many folks here have "family values" and do not wish such stuff on
their computers
	c)	We do not know that some of the LUG'ers aren't of juvenile years, with
all that this entails.  (That is, I have a non-censorship arrangement with
my own 16-year-old son, precisely as my parents had with me -- but others
feel differently, and I will NOT substitute my judgement for that of other
parents.  Each parent should be the judge of his or her own family situation).

Hence, I do not believe that this posting should have been "illegal" or
"subject to censorship", on the very grounds which led Voltaire to posit
that 'I may not agree with what you say, but I shall defend to the death
your right to say it'.  But I feel this poster should have used more
judgement in posting.

Marc


msmall@roanoke.infi.net  FAX:  +540/343-7315
Cha robh bas fir gun ghras fir!