Re: Laws, Feds, & the Internet

[abostick@netcom.com (Alan Bostick)]

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In article <m0rdBe4-000k50C@mailbox.mcs.com>, 
dls@mcs.com (David Sallach) wrote:

[Rich Dutcher wrote:]

> >"Free" speech has always been a balancing act.  The founders
> >certainly didn't intend to provide "free" speech for blacks and
> >women.  
> 
>         The Founders created a larger space for free speech than had ever
> existed.  Slaves were deprived of many freedoms including speech, of course,
> but women and free blacks were included in the Bill of Rights and exercised
> free speech, frequently compellingly.  

And hard on the heels of the ratification of the Bill of Rights came the
Alien and Sedition Acts.  The Founders were so distressed by the size of
the space for free expresion they had allowed to be created that they
took immediate steps to limit it.

It is well to remember that the Bill of Rights was a bone thrown by the
Founders (that is, the Federalists) to sweeten the bitter pill of the
process of centralizing government power.  An afterthought, actually.

> > . . . "They" have never liked "free" speech ... :-(
> 
>         Invoking poitically 'correct' stereotypes does not strengthen your
> argument.

Arguing _ad_hominem_ doesn't strengthen yours.

   Alan Bostick           | The nice thing about quotes is that they give   
   abostick@netcom.com    | a nodding acquaintance with the originator
finger for PGP public key | which is often socially impressive.
Key fingerprint:          |         Kenneth Williams
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