From: jim@tadusa.uucp (Jim Thompson)
Subject: Re: Clinton campaign statement
Originator: riddle@aahsa.tic.com
X-Submissions: eff-austin@tic.com
Organization: Texas Internet Consulting
Submitted-By: jim@tadusa.uucp (Jim Thompson)
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1992 00:08:48 GMT

To be fair, Tipper wanted voluntary labeling by the record industry,
and once she got that, she in large-part shut-up.  There was a lot of
FUD spread by various musicians, other-media artists, and other
concerned individuals that the labeling would only be the first step
along the path toward banning certain forms of musical expression, but
it has not come to that, so far.

When members of the populace have been busted for selling music to
minors, it has been due to the actions of local politicians and law
enforcement.  These instances can not be directly attributed to Tipper
Gore's campain for labeling, though certainly the circus surrounding
same enflamed both sides.

If the film industry were subject to Tipper's rules, each studio would
apply ratings to its own films, this is certainly not the case, so it
is argueable that the cinema is a more restricted domain for artistic
expression.

The labels never influenced my purchasing decision.  My 14, (now 16)
year old sister-in-law, who lives in the bible belt can certainly get
ahold of albums that have the labels in question on them.  In my
opinion, it is not a big deal to have lyrics containing what many
consider pornographic verse sold to anyone who has the money to
purchase same.  (or the wherewithall to copy the bits, for that
matter.)

And the press has certainly alleged that Bill knows how to celebrate
'family values'... or perhaps 'Flower's values'.  :-)

Re: 'family values'.  This is really a non-issue.  The republican party
is throwing a lot of smoke while facing the first real threat to having
an incumbent president in 12 years.

For the past few elections, we've had all the heat and light about:

a) the war on drugs
b) 1,000 points of light
c) "no new taxes"
d) "trickle-down (voodoo) economics"
e) ...

All of them either lies, or non-issues.  (What candidate was going to
come out against the "war on drugs"?)  Family values is just another
smoke screen for the politicians to hide behind while attempting to
keep the status quo.  If you really buy into the family values line,
aren't you buying into a return to a pre woman's-movement
establishment, where womyn were supposed to have babies, and stay at
home, cooking meals for 'her' man?

The thing that concerns me most about the Clinton statement is that it
isn't very specific about how the "door-to-door fiber optics system"
will be built.  I see a good arguement that some organization be
granted a monopoly (and subjected to the same controls as other
monopolies) in order to provide 1Gb fiber to "every home, lab,
classroom and business in America."  Its either that, or subject
ourselves to a contining wait while MaBell and the RBOCs attempt to
figure out how to make money by doing so.

I would much rather see Bill sign-up to 'national ISDN now' (or by EOY
'93.) by funding it with those same dollars, and then start down the
fiber road.  This would allow many service-providers to start now,
which should ensure a marketplace ready (and hungry) for the bitrates
that fiber can bring.

(Some of you will argue that you're already hungry for fiber, but how
many of us could really utilize all of a T1, or even basic-rate ISDN
now?)

All I'm really attempting to say is that when these issues become
freedom-threatening, they will very likely be a states-rights issues,
instead of hitting the federal level, where the president operates.  As
states-rights issues, it is up to the local constituency to lobby and
vote for what they really want.  This is where EFF-austin, (and EFF-*,
if that ever happens), come into play.  Educate your neighbor, get him
or her involved in the movement.  Make sure your neighborhood schools
have real computers, and teachers able to teach computer skills, and
answer computer-related questions. Suggest that your local school have
a network connection to other schools, (if not the world-at-large).
Write your congress-person and have it act against the current digital
signature standard.  

Hell, start a company that sells inexpensive, low-bandwidth Internet
connectivity (cyberspace).   Lots of issues here, but if anyone would
like to take this particular idea off-line for discussion, please write
back.  :-)

Think globally, act locally.

Sorry for the rant,

Jim


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