From: nobody@neva.org (Neva Remailer)
Date: Thu, 13 Nov 1997 08:58:11 +0800
To: cypherpunks@cyberpass.net
Subject: Re: Br'er Tim and the Bug Hole
Message-ID: <199711130046.SAA02417@dfw-ix6.ix.netcom.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain




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Robert Hettinga wrote:
>I mean, Tim, I have to admit I'm just as nervous as the next guy
>about being next to soft targets these days, but I almost find myself
>agreeing with other people, people you would respect otherwise, who
>are saying that you're making yourself the greatest friend that Reno
>and Freeh ever had. A vertiable poster boy for statism if there ever
>was one. And so on.

As Michel Foucault used to say, "The only guarantee of freedom is
freedom itself."  Put another way, "rights which are not exercised are
lost."  We don't see Freeh and Reno backing off so they don't become
poster children for cryptoanarchy, do we?

Just because free speech is a right guaranteed under the Constitution
does not mean that is necessarily a safe right to exercise.  Let us
hope that Tim does not come to harm.  But, let us also give him the
credit he deserves for having the courage to speak his mind.

I've been reading about a newspaper called the "Aurora" which operated
in the 1790s from Philadelphia.  It made itself very unpopular with
Washington by claiming he was not the "Father of the Country".  It
made itself doubly unpopular with Adams for other less than
respectful, but astute, observations.

People said exactly the same things that Hettinga is saying here.  If
they would only behave (i.e., go along with anything), then they
wouldn't have to be censored.

Even though the editors were attacked and beaten, imprisoned, and
charged with Federal crimes, they persevered.  It would not be
unreasonable to say that Jefferson owed his Presidency to their
efforts.  Indeed, it would not be too much to say that the
Constitution (which failed to protect them) might not have survived
without their efforts.

A few courageous people doing the right thing at the right time make a
big difference.  This does not happen by kowtowing to whichever
malfeasant tyrant happens to be in power.  When you are asked to wear
a yellow star, you can be pretty sure that doing so will not save you.

Also, let us not pretend that Tim's gun collection is much protection.
It may delay capture or raise the price of execution of a no-knock
warrant, but if the Powers That Be don't want Tim around, then he's
gone.  It could be a "lone nut" with a sniper rifle, it could be a
"heart attack", it could be a rock star's plane "accidently" hitting
the house: there are many ways to take care of troublemakers.

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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