From: daw@cs.berkeley.edu (David Wagner)
Date: Fri, 9 Aug 1996 18:07:19 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: Oregon License Plate Site in the News Tonight!
In-Reply-To: <2.2.32.19960808154452.00c70514@vertexgroup.com>
Message-ID: <4uep7t$tkp@joseph.cs.berkeley.edu>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


In article <Pine.GUL.3.95.960808151724.6575A-100000@Networking.Stanford.EDU>,
Rich Graves  <rich@c2.org> wrote:
> I agree that this project needed to be done to educate the public, but I
> must say I'm glad my name isn't attached to it. 
> 
> To answer legitimate concerns about abuse, perhaps version 2 could make the
> relevant http logs publicly available?

I'd be most proud to have my name associated with such a project.

I say, what we need is a little more abuse.  I say, a well-publicized
incident of abuse of the driver's license database can do more to
help the cause of privacy than any amount of intellectually compelling
debate.  Perhaps one horrible incident of abuse would ignite enough
public backlash to stop states from selling their databases at the
drop of a hat.

I say this in all seriousness.  Look at how much furor has been
raised from one little incident (the TWA flight, the Atlanta bombing)
which caused an absolutely insignificant loss of life (in the grand
picture).  Look at how much folks want to curb our freedom in response.

We have been shown all too many times how much a highly-publicized
case of abuse can be used to trample on our civil liberties.  It's
about time for us to wise up.  It's time to fight fire with fire.

No regrets,
-- Dave Wagner