Mark Klein ([log in to unmask]) wrote:
 
: No doubt a bunch of you have come across Blue Ribbons on various WEB
: sites over the past few months. These ribbons indicate support for
: freedom of speech. While we may not necessarily agree with the contents
: of various posts, I, for one, support the author's right to make such
: statements. I can and will delete ones I don't care to read. But I don't
: presume to have my will nor my taste imposed upon anyone else. That
: decision is one that they must make of their own volition.
 
: So, I don't advocate having someone censor this group or any group for
: that matter. There are loose canons out there that are exercising their
: freedom of speech. So be it. Since this list is gated to netnews and is open
: membership, it is just something that we'll have to learn to live with
: if we plan to remain members of the Internet community.
 
... and here Miss Manners speaks out ...
 
Freedom of Speech does not necessarily equal Freedom to Annoy. The only
requirement for Freedom of Speech issues is that the forum be made available,
not that everyone in the community be forced to listen to every stated opinion
(or, in this case, graceless and offensive way of stating such opinion).
 
I would most happily support the right to have a group
comp.sys.mac.scatalogical-comparison, however posting such in the MPE
newsgroup is rude and we are in no way constitutionally required to put
up with it.
 
Bill
--
Bill Sutton ([log in to unmask])       ++  "I'm not sure what upsets me more; that
   WTEC - Networks  TN 648-2733    ++   people are so unwilling to accept
                                   ++   responsibility for their own actions,
HP pays me to talk about datacomm. ++   or that they are so eager to regulate
Everything else I do on my own.    ++   everyone else's." - Kee Hinckley