Re: Congress and the Internet

["Tom, Zarrilli" <yeshiva@AMERICA.NET>]

Date:          Wed, 13 Dec 1995 21:55:08 -0500
Reply-to:      karen denise williams <krndnswm@WAM.UMD.EDU>
From:          karen denise williams <krndnswm@WAM.UMD.EDU>
Subject:       Re: Congress and the Internet
X-To:          Angus Saunders <saunders@NORTHNET.ORG>
To:            Multiple recipients of list LM_NET <LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>

Am I the only one who knows that children have access to computers at
other people's homes, at school, and at the public library.  How then,
can parents always know what their children have access to.  If it is
illegal to sell to minors, why is it not illegal to serve it to minors?
So who in actually, is responsible?

The aim of the bill is to hold someone accountable.  I don't know who
should be responsible for information on the internet.  Speech is not
"free."  You are responsible for what you say.  If you threaten to harm
the President of the United States, you will be held accountable.  If
you accuse someone of a deed, you can be held libel for your action.  As I
understand it, it is illegal to yell fire in a crowded theatre.  If you
harass someone over the telephone, you can be held accountable.


I find that there is a misunderstanding  of the internet as media.
You mentioned the telephone which I find to be closest analogy to the
internet.  Any child can call the worst possible businesses and
services from a telphone. Yes you can cut out 976 services but I have
seen preteens getting a thrill calling the recording at an adult
theatre.  There is no law to my understanding that says you can not
leave what ever message you want on your phone machine. A  Home page
are just a visual form of a recorded telephone announcement except
that there is no restiction of location and no additional cost to
access remote locations.  If the goverment started coming into
peoples homes and editing tapes or jailing people for what was on their
machices of voice mail there would be an uproar.
  The bottom line is that to see porn on the net you have to go to
that site.
  If some one Emails an attachment that contains nudity or something
worse all you have to do is delete it.  The same thing yo would do
with simular snail mail.  From the way people are
reacting you think Larry Flynt was installing lewd screen savers on
PC's in grade schools.

Tom Zarrilli

I ask again, who will be responsible for material sent over the
internet?

Unfortunately, I know only too well of the reality of the effects of
pornography.  The repercussions are real.


Karen Williams
Krndnswm@wam.umd.edu