From: michael@albert.bu.edu (Michael Chaplin)
Newsgroups: rec.humor,soc.culture.polish,alt.censorship
Subject: Re: Polack joke
Date: 21 Aug 92 20:22:40 GMT
	<1992Aug20.220742.5917@lmpsbbs.comm.mot.com>
	<1992Aug21.042107.2790@athena.mit.edu>
	<1992Aug21.151703.11576@lmpsbbs.comm.mot.com>
Followup-To: rec.humor
Organization: Boston University
In-reply-to: marios@ecs.comm.mot.com's message of 21 Aug 92 15:17:03 GMT

In article <1992Aug21.151703.11576@lmpsbbs.comm.mot.com> marios@ecs.comm.mot.com (mario smarduch) writes:

  =First of all who are you ?

  =Secondly is this the great Democracy pitch, the good old first ammandment?
  =The only thing is that people allover the world subscribe to this group,
  =not everyone is American and for that matter does not give a shit about
  =YOUR FIRST AMMENDMENT. This is an international community, and I don't
  =want some infintile (BRETT who ever you are) to spread such sarcastic
  =and insulting jokes, THIS KIND OF BEHAVIOR MUST BE DEALT WITH, or tell
  =him to mover over to the German group, Itallian group - whatever as
  =long as he stops bashing Polish culture.

  =Thanks,
  =mario s.

 
While you may not give a shit about American politics, or American
situations, it would behoove you to realize that, in the context of
the topic of censorship, the first amendment to the U.S. Constitution
was one of the earliest ensconcements of the right to free expression
within a political system in the modern era. While many of us who are
from the U.S. tend to debate censorship with reference to the first 
amendment, the abhorrence of the political limitation of expression
is not necessarily derived from it. It is, however, a convienient
way, a shorthand, if you will, of registering an opinion concerning
any newly arising situation which may deal with censorship.
I will not deny that there are U.S. citizens who are afficted 
with a political/geographic chauvinism. Not all of us are, though,
and I do not think it irrational to argue a point using terms
with which we are familiar. This, as you said, is an international
group- I do see Canadians posting their opposition to censorship
based on terms posited on their constitution. I would not mind hearing
how other governments have dealt with the issue within their
constitutions either.

As for offensive speech, just as one cannot successfully
legislate morality, one cannot succesfully legislate good taste.
Peer pressure, such as what you have exerted, does help to keep
excesses of stupidity in check, regardless of one's nationality.
In this country (The U.S.A.), however, stupid and offensive speech
IS protected from governmental censorship by means of the 1st
amendment. Is anyone willing to investigate how concerns of censorship
is dealt with in internationally accesible media?

I must ask you about your last comment, though.

=or tell
=him to mover over to the German group, Itallian group - whatever as
=long as he stops bashing Polish culture.

Are we to take this as meaning that you support free expression
only as long as it doesn't insult yor particular ethnic group?
I'm not trying to be insulting, I just want to clarify for myself
the position you're taking. 

Furthermore, in the interest of exploring this international
community, would you care to share with us how the concerns
of censorship are dealt with in your country? I, for one,
would like to know.

-Chaplin.
--
===========================================================================
Michael Chaplin                    Language is a virus from outer space.
michael@albert.bu.edu                     - William S. Burroughs

The Einstein Papers Project        The opinions contained herein reflect
Boston University                      neither those of the project, 
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.          nor those of Albert Einstein.
Newsgroups: rec.humor