Next EFF-Austin meeting : Rally Against Online Censorship
David Smith
RALLY AGAINST ONLINE CENSORSHIP
EFF-Austin General Meeting
Tuesday, December 19, 1995, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
La Madalein Inn, 3418 North Lamar
Speakers
Ann Beeson, ACLU
David Smith, EFF-Austin
By now you've heard the news -- the House Conference Committee voted to
reduce the legally acceptable discourse on the Internet down to the
level of television.
Voters Telecommunications Watch immediately launched an Internet
National Day of Protest, asking people to call and fax the Senators and
voice their opposition to the bill. At least 20,000 sent e-mail
confirmations that they did.
The bottom line is this : there is no such thing as the "First Amendment
in Cyberspace". There is only the First Amendment. You either honor
and respect the Bill of Rights as the cornerstone of American political
life or you don't.
And judging from the debate over access of minors to material some
people find objectionable, many in Congress don't.
This will be the fourth meeting EFF-Austin has sponsored this year
tracking and providing updates on the various censorship bills as they
snake their way through the legislative process. Please note that we
our regular meeting date, Monday, as it falls on Hanukah.
Speakers for this event include Ann Beeson from the American Civil
Liberties Union, and David Smith, President of EFF-Austin.
Topics for debate and discussion --
* What is indecency? What is harmful to minors? Are these
fundamental differences or merely semantics?
* What defenses are provided to shield service providers,
sysops, and sysadmins from liability? What is the burden of
proof that they are required to bear?
* What is the probability of *this* bill passing into law?
President Clinton has promised to veto the bill, but for other
reasons not-relating to censorship. Is this the opportunity for
action?
* The ACLU has promised to fight the bill in court, no matter
*which* version passes into law. What are the Constitutional
arguments against the bill?
* How is the censorship issue likely to "change the landscape"
for the online world? What changes will service providers make
in providing access to information?
* Not a big secret : EFF-Austin does not like this bill. What
actions and further steps can individuals and institutions take
to persuade Congress against implementing the path of
censorship?
Don't wait till Tuesday to educate and empower yourself. Check out
these sites frequently for information and updates:
EFF-Austin home page http://www.io.com/~efaustin.html
-- lists links to other info sites
-- provides updates for the local rally
Voters Telecommunications Watch http://www.vtw.org
-- leading the Coalition of 60+ groups in opposition
If you haven't participated in the Internet National Day of Protest,
there is till time to do so! Check out the VTW web page for details and
up-to-date information.
For more information, contact President David Smith via e-mail at
bla...@bga.com or leave a message on our voice mail box at 304-6308.