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1996-03-11
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CDA and Censorship
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[Image]
Support the Cause
[Image]
Dave asked us to contribute, although not personally.
[About Dave Winer]
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My Essay
Censorship. That's what the Communcations Decency Act is about. The
"authors" of this work will tell you that they are attempting to protect
members of our society that are not capable of understanding why what they
might see is "bad" for them. Hogwash, or in the language of the street,
bullshit.
What this misguided legislation is about is making sure that viewpoints
that are not those of the "authors" will not be allowed to be sent across
the fastest two-way mass communication medium yet developed.
Why not?
Because free speech leads to chaos?
Because ugly, depraved, specious talk will warp the young minds of America?
NO! It's because of the FEAR that such talk will promote ideas which are
not acceptable to the "authors." That's it, plain and simple.
Okay, now, why is removing the aforementioned ugly, depraved, specious talk
which may promote unacceptable ideas bad for all of us?
(Thanks for asking.)
I have three children. A daughter, and two sons. (Ask me about my
soon-to-be grandchild!) They are headstrong, opinionated, and incredibly
naive about the world. Do I really want them looking at "naughty pictures"
or reading about strange sexual fetishes, or God forbid, become involved
with a pederast? As a parent, do I really need to answer this question? So,
let's say they DO stumble upon the odd .gif or .jpg or Web page that is
patently offensive, using community standards. What happens?
Not Much.
"But, Rick, that's bad stuff, man. They could be warped for LIFE!"
Possibly.
But not likely.
I believe that, within reason, they have developed a sense of what is
hurtful, and what is not hurtful, and they did that through my, and others'
guidance OFFLINE, in the Real World(tm). Now, had they missed out on this
guidance, I admit that what they could find could certainly encourage some
things I would not find acceptable. But, if I provided no guidance, I
probably wouldn't care about this, either.
The bottom line is that I don't want other people deciding what I should
allow my children to see. Let me decide if they are mature enough to be
exposed to the seamy side of this world. Let me have a say in what, when,
and how they become as corrupt and biased and jaded as the rest of us are.
Don't screw with my family values!!!
Thanks, Dave, for getting me off dead center.
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Rick Piper<rpiper@sky.net>