From: nobody@neva.org (Neva Remailer)
Date: Tue, 4 Nov 1997 07:26:31 +0800
To: cypherpunks@cyberpass.net
Subject: Re: Why porn must be stopped at all costs, by Jodi Hoffman
Message-ID: <199711032308.RAA15514@multi26.netcomi.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain




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Declan "Socrates" McCullagh wrote:
>[Wow. First time I've ever been personally accused of being "a major
>reason for the downward spiral of society." --Declan]
>
>
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>Date: Mon, 03 Nov 1997 11:53:27 -0500
>From: Jodi Hoffman <jlhoffm@ibm.net>
>To: fight-censorship@vorlon.mit.edu
>Subject: Why porn must be stopped at all costs.....
>
>ALL:
>I've forgotten how long I've been on this email list.  Maybe too long.
>
>Try as I might, I cannot forget standing on the steps of the Supreme
>Court building with my husband and 10 year old daughter in the
>freezing drizzle.  I really thought we could make a difference,
>standing there with our banner and signs, one of which read, "DON'T
>SACRIFICE MY CHILD ON THE ALTAR OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT."  Stupid me.
>As the saying goes...we've come a long way, baby.
>
>As I wander back through all the posts on this list, it finally dawns
>on me what this is all about, this 'fight censorship' rhetoric.  It's
>nothing more and nothing less than a lot of egotistical, self-serving
>brats who absolutely refuse to grow up, including you, Declan.  Don't
>you realize that YOU are a major reason for the downward spiral of
>society?  Instead of trying to protect children, you want to empower
>them.  Even a moron knows that when you do so, that power has to be
>taken from someone.  Unfortunately, that someone is the parent.  I
>have to ask myself just how many on this list have children.  Not
>many, I would say.

Hoffman's claim that she is unable to control what her child sees is
weak.  It's easy enough keep kids off the Net.  It's easy to buy
software that only reveals approved parts of the Net.

So what is it about our Constitution that Hoffman finds so offensive?
It certainly doesn't harm her own child.

If we were to be charitable, we would say that she is concerned about
other people's children seeing pornography.  The only problem is, that
the parents of these children are just as able as she is to control
their involvement with the Net.  Yet, apparently, she is unhappy with
the choices these parents are making and wishes to overrule them.  At
best, this is inconsistent with her claim that she believes parents
should decide what their own children see.

If we were to be accurate, instead of charitable, we would observe
that it is most likely that Hoffman is offended by pornography in
general, no matter who sees it.  For instance, this statement refers
to an adult, not a child: "So, keep protecting your porn-induced
orgasms."

Rather than stating her beliefs openly and honestly, she is hiding
behind children, particularly her own child, to put promote her
outrageous, unconstitutional, and un-American totalitarian policies.
(Hoffman may not even be completely conscious of her own motivations.
Often, this sort of person begins with an agenda, and then works him
or herself up into a rage using other reasons for the justification,
somewhat reminiscent of the "Two Minute Hate" sessions described in
Orwell's "1984".)

I said a few days ago that people who would use the excuse of
protecting children to promote their own twisted agenda are the lowest
of the low.  Hoffman is, I believe, a perfect example.  I pity her
child.

This is also a good example of why the use of remailers is advisable.
It lowers the odds that some whacko will come after you with an axe.

Monty Cantsin
Editor in Chief
Smile Magazine
http://www.neoism.org/squares/smile_index.html
http://www.neoism.org/squares/cantsin_10.htm

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