From: "LYLE, DAVID R." <lyled@pentagon-emh9.army.mil>
Date: Fri, 25 Feb 94 13:23:55 PST
To: Mike Godwin <mnemonic@eff.org>
Subject: Re: Clipper Death Threat
Message-ID: <2D6E9708@Pentagon-EMH9.army.mil>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain




 -->> Actually, voting is not a "right" as such.  It can be revoked by the
 -->> government, and is revoked for all convicted felons.
 -->
 -->Does this mean your right to freedom of speech is not a "right," since
 -->the government can limit the free speech of convicted felons? The
 -->government is even more restrictive of the 4th Amendment rights
 -->of convicted felons, so are you saying that the 4th Amendment is not
 -->a "right as such"?
 -->

Good question... what exactly is a "right"?  To me, a right is something 
that cannot be removed from any citizen.  I would like to see privacy as a 
right.  However, at what point do you draw the line?  When does privacy 
interfere with someone else's rights?

Freedom of speech has never been a right.  A lot of people think it is.  But 
go out on a street corner and try to incite a riot.  See what happens.  Or 
threaten someone.  Or commit treason.  Speech is not a right.

I don't pretend to have all the answers.  But I see a lot of folks very 
mis-informed about the difference between a right and a benefit of 
citizenship.


               lyled@pentagon-emh9.army.mil