From: "Timothy C. May" <tcmay@got.net>
Date: Mon, 7 Apr 1997 17:37:19 -0700 (PDT)
To: Toto <hallam@ai.mit.edu>
Subject: Re: Helping Prof. Jim Bell
In-Reply-To: <5i0smu$75o@life.ai.mit.edu>
Message-ID: <v03007801af6f4f6a3198@[207.167.93.63]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


At 5:01 PM -0600 4/7/97, Toto wrote:

>  Hallam-Baker is apparently incapable of understanding his own
>trail of logic.
>  He tells us that freedom of speech is not the issue, and then
>proceeds to tell us that Jim Bell was dealt with differently than
>others for exercising his freedom of speech.

Look, we know Jim Bell the writer. (Some people have met him and know him
as Jim Bell the loon, according to their assessments here, but that's a
different, though possibly relevant, point.)

An error many are making here is to assume that Bell was searched because
of his "Bell the writer" personna. This is clearly incorrect. The search
warrants dealt with many issues, as have been detailed in several posts
here, and in the stuff Greg Broiles put up in scanned format.

Assuming that his writings here were the cause of the actions against him
is just plain incorrect. His writings may have affected the assessment of
"likelihood" and "intent," given the various other things, but how else
should it be? One's spoken or written words may indeed be protected by the
First, against prior restraint and censorship, but they can generally be
used, if available.

In my posts I've carefully avoided evaluating whether Bell will be found
guilty of any actual crime...I don't know the evidence, or the legal code,
well enough. I _have_ said that I don't find it _surprising" that the Feds
would think him a plausible threat, at least worthy of a search.

They may read his rants and ultimately decide his threats were not
plausible. They may decide the chances of conviction aren't good. Who
knows?

Bell himself said he was not surprised.

--Tim May

Just say "No" to "Big Brother Inside"
We got computers, we're tapping phone lines, I know that that ain't allowed.
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