Flag burning vote TOMORROW and government-imposed ratings

[Declan McCullagh <declan@well.com>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 11 Jun 1997 13:32:35 -0700 (PDT)
From: Declan McCullagh <declan@well.com>
To: fight-censorship-announce@vorlon.mit.edu
Subject: Flag burning vote TOMORROW and government-imposed ratings

I don't often forward along non-Net issues, but these are too important to
ignore. First, from my colleagues at AllPolitics:

	http://www.allpolitics.com/1997/gen/analysis/counterpoint/

        Counterpoint: Ban Flag Burning?

        It's baaaack.....! The House is set to vote June 12 on
	a proposed amendment to the Constitution that would
	ban flag desecration. Democratic Rep. William
	Lipinksi, a lead sponsor, says the flag is too
	important a symbol not to be protected, while ACLU
	executive director Ira Glasser warns against
	weakening the First Amendment.

Read on for a note from Chris Finan. Also check out Cato's web site for a
related paper on mandatory "voluntary" ratings by f-c subscriber Bob
Corn-Revere:

  http://www.cato.org/pubs/briefs/v_chipes.html

-Declan

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 10 Jun 1997 12:43:54 -0400
From: Chris Finan <mediacoalition@sprintmail.com>
To: Declan McCullagh <declan@well.com>
Subject: Government ratings of TV

Declan,

	The opponents of government-mandated TV ratings need help.  The FCC is
under heavy pressure to appoint a panel to devise a system of ratings to
replace the ratings that the networks have voluntarily adopted.  More than
300 of the 355 e-mail comments received by the FCC have been from
individuals and groups urging greater censorship of TV.

	Would you post this message on the Fight Censorship list to let people
know that they can e-mail their views to the FCC?  Their messages, which
needn't be long or formal, should be sent to vchip@fcc.gov as soon as
possible. 

	The Free Expression Network has jumped in with both feet to the fight
against a government-mandated TV rating system.  Its website, the Free
Expression Clearing House, www.freeexpression.org, has a lot of current
information on the TV ratings fight.

	Thanks.