🚀 go-pugleaf

>To: stop314@panix.com
>From: shabbir@vtw.org (Shabbir J. Safdar, VTW)
>Reply-To: shabbir@vtw.org (Shabbir J. Safdar, VTW)
>Subject: (UPDATE) More you can do to stop the Religious Right from
censorsing online speech
>Date: Thu, 09 Nov 1995 01:10:03 -0500
>Sender: shabbir@panix.com
>
>
>========================================================================
>     CAMPAIGN TO STOP THE NET CENSORSHIP LEGISLATION IN CONGRESS
>     (INCLUDING THE COMMUNICATIONS DECENCY ACT AND THE MGRS AMDT)
>
>	Short Update: Calls are coming in, but not enough!
>
>	What You Can Do Now: Call Congress, directions below!
>
>	SYSOPS AND ISPS: Please place a short version of this alert
>	in your welcome message! (directions below)
>
>	WEBMASTERS: Please place a link to this alert in your page!
>	(directions below)
>
>        CAMPAIGN TO STOP THE UNCONSTITUTIONAL COMMUNICATIONS DECENCY ACT
>			   Nov 8, 1995
>
>      PLEASE WIDELY REDISTRIBUTE THIS DOCUMENT WITH THIS BANNER INTACT
>		REDISTRIBUTE ONLY UNTIL December 1, 1995
>	       REPRODUCE THIS ALERT ONLY IN RELEVANT FORUMS
>
>________________________________________________________________________
>CONTENTS
>	The Latest News
>	What You Can Do Now
>
>________________________________________________________________________
>THE LATEST NEWS
>
>The Religious Right is attempting to push legislation the Telecommunications
>Deregulation Conference Committee that would shut down most forms of
>speech online.
>
>Their proposal would:
>
>-Make internet providers, online services, and libraries criminally liable
> for expression online.
>-Create a standard for criminalizing "indecency" online, dumbing down
> every Web page, newsgroups, discussion forum, and chat system.
>-Give the FCC jurisdiction over speech in cyberspace and software that
> might be used to filter children's access to the net.
> 
>For a full analysis of the Religious Right's proposal, and a copy of their
>proposed legislation and their letter to the Conference Committee, see
>the alert at URL:http://www.vtw.org/.
>
>Earlier this week the coalition started a phone campaign to let Dole and
>Gingrich know how important this is to us.  Calls have been coming in
>strong, but not enough have come in to sway their opinion.
>
>Please call now.
>
>________________________________________________________________________
>WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW
>
>1. If you run any sort of system that allows a welcome message for all
>   users, please add the following:
>
>       The Religious Right is attempting to shutdown the net by passing
>       legislation that would make services like this one liable
>       for what you say and read on the Internet.  Please call Congress
>       now; for more info URL:http://www.vtw.org/ or send mail to
>       files@vtw.org with "send alert" in the subject line. (11/8/95)
> 
>   If you have a Web page that gets a lot of traffic, please add the
>   following link:
>
>        <a href="http://www.vtw.org/">
>	Stop the Religious Right from shutting down online free
>	speech! (11/8/95)</a>
>
>
>2. The proposals from the Religious Right will literally destroy online
>   speech as we know it.  The odds of stopping this are not certain.
>
>   There is a very real chance that this legislation will pass, and
>   we will experience a period of uncertainty and chilling of speech
>   while an appropriate test case attempts to reach the Supreme Court
>   (should it even get there!)
>
>   The Religious Right has a strong grass-roots network.  We need to
>   counter their energy and ensure cyberspace is not lost due to them.
>
>   IMMEDIATELY CALL House Speaker Gingrich (R-GA) and Senate Leader
>   Dole (R-KS) and urge them to oppose the Christian Coalition's
>   proposal. (fax numbers have been corrected)
>
>   Name, Address, and Party     Phone            Fax
>   ========================     ==============   ==============
>   R GA Gingrich, Newt 		1-202-225-4501   1-202-225-4656
>   R KS Dole, Robert            1-202-224-6521   1-202-228-1245
>
>   If you're at a loss for words, try one of the following:
>
>	Please oppose the recent proposal from the Religious Right to
>	censor the Internet.  The only effective way to address children's
>	access to the Internet is through parental control tools outlined
>	by the Cox/White/Wyden approach.
>   or
>	As a religious person and a parent, I oppose the Religious Right's
>	attempts to censor the Internet.  I am the best person to monitor
> 	my child's access to the Internet using parental control tools
>	as outlined in the Cox/White/Wyden approach.
>  
>3. Join the online fight by becoming a volunteer for your district!
>
>   Check to see if you're legislator is in the list below.  If they are
>   not, consult the free ZIPPER service that matches Zip Codes to
>   Congressional districts with about 85% accuracy at:
>
>	URL:http://www.stardot.com/~lukeseem/zip.html
>
>   The conference committee legislators are:
>   House: Barr (R-GA), Barton (R-TX), Berman (R-CA), Bliley (R-VA),
>	Boucher (D-VA), Brown (D-OH), Bryant (D-TX), Buyer (R-IN),
>	Conyers (D-MI), Dingell (D-MI), Eshoo (D-CA), Fields (R-TX),
>	Flanagan (R-IL), Frisa (R-NY), Gallegly (R-CA), Goodlatte (R-VA),
>	Gordon (D-TN), Hastert (R-IL), Hoke (R-OH), Hyde (R-IL),
>	Jackson-Lee (D-TX), Klug (R-WI), Lincoln (D-AR), Markey (D-MA),
>	Moorhead (R-CA), Oxley (R-OH), Paxon (R-NY), Rush (D-IL),
>	Schaefer (R-CO), Schroeder (D-CO), Scott (D-VA), Stearns (R-FL),
>	White (R-WA)
>   Senate: Burns (R-MT), Exon (D-NE), Ford (D-KY), Gorton (R-WA),
>	Hollings (D-SC), Inouye (D-HI), Lott (R-MS), McCain (R-AZ),
>	Pressler (R-SD), Rockefeller (D-WV), Stevens (R-AK)
>
>   If your legislator is on the conference committee, you have a chance
>   to influence their vote on this issue with your power as a constituent.
>   Volunteer to help educate your legislator by sending mail to
>   volunteer@vtw.org.  A coalition volunteer will be in touch with you.
>
>   You can starting working to help spread the word in your district by
>   sending this letter to five friends.  Ask them to call Dole and Gingrich
>   as well.
>
>4. The People for the American Way (PFAW) and the American Civil Liberties
>   Union (ACLU) are organizing a letter from ORGANIZATIONS to the Conference
>   Committee to oppose the censorship provisions.
>
>   If you are a representative of an organization that would like to
>   signon to this letter, you should contact jlesser@pfaw.org IMMEDIATELY. 
>
>5. We can't suggest relaxing at this point.  The stakes are too high, and
>   the risk is too great.  Everything now hangs in the balance.
>
>________________________________________________________________________
>	End Alert
>========================================================================
>
David Smith                 * "We truly believe that even though we live in
an evil 
bladex@bga.com              *  world, if you can stand up with a stronger
will, then you
President, EFF-Austin       *  can't be beaten down. This is the true spirit
of the
Board of Directors, CTCLU   *  EFF-Austin member"  -- John Woo