From: Julian Assange <proff@suburbia.net>
Date: Wed, 11 Sep 1996 20:26:04 +0800
To: fconley@astro.ocis.temple.edu (fconley)
Subject: Re: LACC: Bernie S. attacked in prison
In-Reply-To: <199609101648.MAA06069@astro.ocis.temple.edu>
Message-ID: <199609110936.TAA15567@suburbia.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text


> >Of course. Surprising or shocking? Not in the least.
> >
> >				Nico Garcia
> >				raoul@tiac.net
> 
> Every day that I wake up, I'm amazed at how far this country has 
> devolved. When rational people sit quietly and accept the abuses of the 
> police and other authorities, it is a sign that society has truly turned 
> belly-up.

I was shocked.

I've had some dealings with the SS. Their behavior in court, painting Ed
as a "terrorist" was to be expected, NOT condoned. What happened to Ed in
prison is shocking. If Ed was a killer of little children, then I could
understand. He wasn't. At his worst Ed's crime was no more than petty
white collar fraud. Ed would not have been imprisoned in Australia.

I've reviewed many US computer crime / toll fraud cases, including
sentencing decisions. I found myself very unimpressed with US sentencing
guidelines, which are extremely rigid and compartmentalised, leaving
a sentencing judge with almost no disgression or ability to impose
a sentence that fits the crime as a whole or the defendant as a whole.

Whether Nico or anyone else found the violence against Cummings
"shocking" or "to be expected" or not, is of no import. No one is
surprised to hear that a pretty girl walking alone through central park
in the middle of the night has been brutally raped. This makes the
crime, and its effects on the victim no less hideous. Those that abuse
their power and inflict grave violence on others must be held
accountable and their crimes deplored and punished in the strongest
manner. Failure to do so merely creates an environment where such
behavior becomes predominant. This is not acceptable.

--
"Of all tyrannies a tyranny sincerely  exercised for the good of its victims  
 may be the most  oppressive.  It may be better to live under  robber barons  
 than  under  omnipotent  moral busybodies,  The robber baron's  cruelty may  
 sometimes sleep,  his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who  
 torment us for own good  will torment us  without end,  for they do so with 
 the approval of their own conscience."    -   C.S. Lewis, _God in the Dock_ 
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