informis
/
textfiles
1
0
Fork 0
Code Issues Pull Requests Packages Projects Releases Wiki Activity
textfiles/bbs/FIDONET/FIDONEWS/fido1018.nws

842 lines
36 KiB
Plaintext
Raw Blame History

This file contains invisible Unicode characters

This file contains invisible Unicode characters that are indistinguishable to humans but may be processed differently by a computer. If you think that this is intentional, you can safely ignore this warning. Use the Escape button to reveal them.

F I D O N E W S -- Vol.10 No.18 (03-May-1993)
+----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| A newsletter of the | |
| FidoNet BBS community | Published by: |
| _ | |
| / \ | "FidoNews" BBS |
| /|oo \ | +1-519-570-4176 1:1/23 |
| (_| /_) | |
| _`@/_ \ _ | Editors: |
| | | \ \\ | Sylvia Maxwell 1:221/194 |
| | (*) | \ )) | Donald Tees 1:221/192 |
| |__U__| / \// | Tim Pozar 1:125/555 |
| _//|| _\ / | |
| (_/(_|(____/ | |
| (jm) | Newspapers should have no friends. |
| | -- JOSEPH PULITZER |
+----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| Submission address: editors 1:1/23 |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Internet addresses: |
| |
| Sylvia -- max@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca |
| Donald -- donald@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca |
| Tim -- pozar@kumr.lns.com |
| Both Don & Sylvia (submission address) |
| editor@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| For information, copyrights, article submissions, |
| obtaining copies and other boring but important details, |
| please refer to the end of this file. |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
========================================================================
Table of Contents
========================================================================
1. Editorial..................................................... 1
2. Articles...................................................... 2
Lighten Up! "Abort, Retry, Ignore" poem.................... 3
Catholic Information Network Announcement................... 4
Dear madam,................................................. 5
MARANATHA! NET INTERNATIONAL................................ 6
Online Access to Legislation / MORE PUSH NEEDED............. 7
SUNDAY MORNING TELEVISION................................... 12
3. Fidonews Information.......................................... 14
FidoNews 10-18 Page: 2 03 May 1993
========================================================================
Editorial
========================================================================
The snooze and the net seem to be full of Issues today. Not
only are there two articles on religious echos, but one against
proselytizing and bigotry. To top it off, my first message of
the day started with "Emma Goldman was a saint".
It got me to thinking about how little things have changed.
We have changed the medium, but not the characters. Eras ago,
we had the Emma's of this world ranged against the Times using
handprinted leaflets; today we have FidoNet ranged against
control freaks. . .speaking of ranges, we do appreciate the mail
sent encouraging FidoNews to remain left justified only.
Metaphorical little bits do byte quite effectively :).
Emma's sentence
EG> folly of war
freedom of women
love of love
Sentenced to a year
on Blackwell Island
"she needs to learn the meaning of authority"
<as if she didn't know>
having inspired hungry unemployed to steal
bread
there surrounded by green dressed guards
well suited screws of law and propriety
and perpetuation of everything the same
parents protected children with her name
Emma Bogey woman Emma Bogey woman
come to haunt you if you dare do
anything against
while Leaflets from Emma dropped from a tree
sending chained reaction all over Harlem or Chicago
Scandalous cranked paper, only paper
> folly of war
freedom of women
love of love
FidoNews 10-18 Page: 3 03 May 1993
========================================================================
Articles
========================================================================
Lighten Up! "Abort, Retry, Ignore" poem
by Scott Miller, The Star Board BBS (1:123/416)
Its time to lighten up a bit, so here is some humor
Here is a bit of humor, with obvious apologies to Mr. Edgar Allen
Poe. BTW, I DID NOT WRITE THIS POEM, SO DON'T GIVE ME CREDIT!
If anyone knows who wrote this, please let me know,
he/she diserves credit.
Once upon a midnight dreary, fingers cramped and vision bleary,
System manuals piled high and wasted paper on the floor,
Longing for the warmth of bedsheets,
Still I sat there, doing spredsheets:
Having reached the bottom line,
I took a floppy from the drawer.
Typing with a steady hand, I then invoked the SAVE command
But got instead a reprimand: it read "Abort, Retry, Ignore".
Was this some occult illusion? Some maniacal intrusion?
These were choices Solomon himself had never faced before.
Carefully, I weighed my options.
These three seemed to be the top ones.
Clearly, I must now adopt one -
Choose : "Abort, Retry, Ignore".
With my fingers pale and trembling,
Slowly toward the keyboard bending,
Longing for a happy ending, hoping all would be restored,
Praying for some guarantee
Finally I pressed a key --
But on the screen what did I see?
Again: "Abort, Retry, Ignore".
I tried to catch the chips of-guard --
I pressed again, but twice as hard.
Luck was just not in the cards,
I saw what I had seen before.
Now I typed in desperation,
Trying random combinations.
Still there came the incantation -
Choose: "Abort, Retry, Ignore".
There I sat, distraught, exhausted, by my own machine accosted;
Getting up, I turned away and paced across the office floor.
And then I saw an awful sight,
A bold and blinding flash of light,
A lightning bolt that cut the night and shook me to my very core.
The PC screen collapsed an died,
"Oh no -- my database", I cried.
I thought I heard a voice reply,
"You'll see your data-- Nevermore!"
FidoNews 10-18 Page: 4 03 May 1993
To this day I do not know
The place to which our data goes
Perhaps it goes to Heaven where the angels have it stored.
But as for productivity - well,
I fear it has gone straight to Hell.
And that's the tale I have to tell -
Your choice: "Abort, Retry, Ignore".
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Catholic Information Network Announcement
by Richard Walker
Catholic Information Network Availability
Just a quick note to let yall know of a private echomail network called
the Catholic Information Network. This is a fairly old net, dating
back several years, which I have been gating since early 91; it is
designed as a lay forum to discuss issues relating to Catholicism, and
to provide information to anyone interested in learning more about the
Catholic Church.
Please also note that this is not an open invite to anyone who happens
to feel the need to abuse Catholics or Holy Mother Church; there are
other echos on fidonet which will be more than happy to listen to your
complaints.
The following is a listing of the echomail tags:
GT_CINMAIN Main conference (for stuff that don't fit others)
GT_ASKFATHER Ask Father Mateo about Catholic'y kinds of things
GT_ECUMEN Ecumenical discussion
GT_PRAYER Prayer requests
GT_ETHICS Ethical issues (whether religious or not)
GT_CATHBIBLE Biblical issues from a Catholic perspective
GT_CINSYS Sysop-only echo for techy questions/support
GT_MEDJUG Messages from Medjugorge
GT_CATH.YOUTH Youth issues
GT_CATH.LITURGY Liturgical things
PARCOM Parish software (fidonet origination)
Ethics, Main, Bible, and Ecumen have pretty heavy traffic...
Here is the first level of the topology, and a good source for a timely
feed:
106/960 V.32 V.32bis
129/75 V.32 V.32bis HST14.4
130/69 HST
147/45 V.32 V.32bis
3625/462
These echos support full IBM-ASCII character sets, ie, line
drawing characters; so if such technology irks you, you are warned.
FidoNews 10-18 Page: 5 03 May 1993
Also, note, that the echos preceeded with a GT_ originate on the
GT Network and also have several gates into QWK packet based nets.
1:129/75 calls at least once a day to 1:106/960, so if you have an
HST, feel free to give him a ring.
You may contact me at 1:106/960.0 on fidonet, or 001/060 on the
GT Network. Compuserve: 71750,3513 and its internet equivalent,
71750.3513@compuserve.com. (I check fido much more often though...)
Kyrie Eleison!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear madam,
In answer to your article in fidoNews, pleae note the following:
We are talking about a LuxCon/EuroCon, Europe being the
operative world. You are going to be very surprized: there is
something else that the USA in the world. It is usually referred
to as "zone 2". I wish to make it clear since all thru you
article, you refer to the United States. "Here in the States
Best Western this " or the "4th of July", do not apply here. We
ARE NOT the United States and have no wishes to be so.
You don't know what the hotel is like so don't start
complaining. If it is cheap for you - great. Not everybody can
be a millionaire. The hotel was picked because it met the
criteria: conference rooms and not to expensive and close to the
city. FYI 60% of fido nodes in Belgium/Germany/Luxemburg are
below 20.
As for sponsors and speakers, the fact that we are still looking
for some doesn't mean we don't have any. It means that we still
have openings. Period.
The rate is not mentionned - sorry for your US-centrism, but do
you have to make it so plain that you have no idea how to find
what a currency is somewhere else in the world ?
Any speaker that goes to the convention will have to pay an
oversea expense of his own pocket (not so rich anymore ??) -
again, i guess this means we have to import speakers from the
states, we are too stupid to have our own in Europe, right ?
As for the money going to Joho's private account, there again
you have no idea of what it requires to open a bank account for
moral person, accountancy, registers, sales taxes, VAt, etc. Of
course, "here in the States", etc..
To me this is but the manifestation of yet another "ugly
american", incapable of imagining that there might be some other
ways of living than the american way of life.
FidoNews 10-18 Page: 6 03 May 1993
I pity you and dare sign:
-= Francois Thunus =-
FidoNet: 2:270/25 Internet: Francois@fido.lu WalNet: 222:500/1
----------------------------------------------------------------------
MARANATHA! NET INTERNATIONAL
by Martin Riley
MARANATHA! NET INTERNATIONAL,
"Spreading God's Salvation message through
the TRUTH of scripture & love of Jesus."
()
()
()()()()
() THE ONLY REAL ONE GOD APOSTOLIC CHRISTIAN NETWORK IN THE WORLD!
() Serving the Christian community since 1991!
() A young and growing REAL One God Apostolic Christian Network!
() Elaborate and exciting Bible debates!
() Over 25 religious and NON-religious echoes to choose from!
() A Christian file support line!
() Nodes in both CANADA and the USA!
() A Christian Network in five languages with echo support!
() A Non-denominational Net that stands FIRMLY on God's TRUTHS!
Hi everyone! My name is Martin Riley and I am the International
Coordinator for Maranatha! Net International. Maranatha! Net
International is a young and growing One God Apostolic Christian
Net that was started in 1991 in Canada. So why the post in Fido
News? To let people know that there is a REAL One God Apostolic
Network they can be a part of.
Why is Maranatha! Net here?
Maranatha! Net is a One God Apostolic Christian Net that strives
to spread the Good News of the Bible and offer Christian message
and file support to those of the Christian faith. Unlike some
other Networks, Maranatha! Net does NOT spread this Good News
through insults, abuse, or maliciousness towards others. Rather,
Maranatha! Network spreads the Gospel message by standing on the
firm rock of Biblical TRUTH, and sharing with others this same
TRUTH the way Jesus commanded His servants to share it, with LOVE.
Nor does Maranatha! Network International axe your mebership if
you happen to have a different theological belief. If you can
abide my the simple Network rules laid forth in Maranatha! Network
(Posted in Maranath.zip) that are based on mutual respect for
others, then your welcome to be a part of anetwork that is
blessed of God. Sound interesting? :-)
Maranatha! Network has over 25 echoes to choose from with topics
ranging from cooking, camping, hunting, to theological descussions
and Bible studies. If you wish more information concering
FidoNews 10-18 Page: 7 03 May 1993
Maranatha! Net, you can download MARANATH.ZIP from either:
1:134/95 or 1:134/110 (FidoNet). Or leave me a netmail message
at the below address:
Thank you for your time people.
Thank you Fido News, for the chance to advertise Maranath! Net.
Martin Riley
International Coordinator
Maranatha! Net International
North American branch.
22:22/0 Maranatha!
1:134/95 Fido Net!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Jim Warren <jwarren@well.sf.ca.us>
Online Access to Legislation / MORE PUSH NEEDED
California Assembly Bill 1624 would mandate that
already-computerized public legislative data be publicly
accessible by modem. The bill's sponsor is Assembly Member
Debra Bowen (D-Torrance/Marina del Rey area).
This update reports:
1. Timing and progress on the bill.
2. Issues raised in the Rules Committee hearing.
3. Sponsor's planned changes to the bill.
4. Much-needed constituent and citizen support-action.
1993 OR BUST
If a committee votes against the bill, then the proposal
cannot again be introduced by anyone in the Assembly until 1995,
the next two-year session.
BRIEF RULES COMMITTEE HEARING, APR. 19
The Assembly Rules Committee heard the bill Apr. 19th, chaired by John
Burton (D-San Francisco). Four people came forward to speak:
Assembly Member Debra Bowen, the bill's sponsor,
Ted Laliotis, Los Altos City Council member and former Mayor and
Director of Emerging Technologies, Hewlett-Packard,
a woman from Common Cause whose name I failed to get,
and I, Jim Warren.
But, only Bowen and I were ever permitted to speak.
IMPOLITE DISTRACTIONS
As soon as Ms. Bowen began to present her bill and explain it
-- and almost every time she spoke in the ensuing discussion --
a man sitting next to Chairman Burton immediately began talking
to the Chairman in much more than a whisper. I asked later, and
found he was the Assembly's Chief Administrative Officer, Bob
Connelly [an Assembly staff member; not an elected official].
FidoNews 10-18 Page: 8 03 May 1993
Also: At one point, Bowen displayed a file-folder of support
letters and faxes about an inch thick. No one seemed to notice
or care.
NO ORDERLY PRESENTATIONS
I had the impression that Bowen was not finished with her
explanation when the Chair asked, "How's this going to be done?"
That ended any planned presentations and the hearing became a
random question-and-answer discussion.
USE THE INTERNET, WITHOUT COST TO THE STATE
As technical questions arose, I was eventually permitted to
speak, to answer questions. That gave me the opportunity to
outline the size and cooperative style of the Internet and
propose that public access could be implemented by making
legislative data available via that 'net, costing the state no
more than a daily phone call -- explaining what Bowen was
proposing.
After briefly outlining the Internet, I proposed nightly
downloads to one or several cooperating Internet hosts that
would agree to make the files available to other hosts without
charge to the state or to the other host- computers. [by
anonymous ftp]
I mentioned that the Legislative Data Center Director and
Coordinator had agreed they would need no more than a
server-class computer to do this, and I said a donor machine
could be found if they couldn't afford one. (needs to handle
less than a gigabyte of data for a two-year legislative session;
a "heavy load" in March averaged only 1MB -- one megabyte per
day.)
DOUBTS ABOUT COOPERATIVE SHARING
Several committee members showed clear doubts -- perhaps
disbelief -- that people (a) would accept and store files
without charging for it, and (b) would really permit others to
copy them without charge. They questioned those ideas at some
length.
QUESTIONED MOTIVES OF "FREEWARE" PROGRAMMERS
They were further doubtful when I said that, if the data were
available without charge, volunteer programmers would quickly
develop programs to search, sort, index, cross-reference and
otherwise utilize such data, and many would share them without
charge.
The notion of cooperative sharing for mutual benefit was
clearly a questionable proposal. There were repeated queries
of, "Why would they do that?" and, "What's in it for them?" I
mentioned civic responsibility, public access to the public's
FidoNews 10-18 Page: 9 03 May 1993
legislative process and,"Because it's there," but some were
obviously not convinced.
MAINTAINING INTEGRITY OF DATA
They expressed serious concerns about downloaded files being
modified. One mentioned concern that legislators' votes might
be modified to misrepresent their positions. I said there were
numerous established solutions to this.
MONEY, MONEY, MONEY
The most serious concern was whether they could make any money
from this -- especially if any recipients of the data charged
for using it. This prompted a side-discussion about giving away
copies of bills to constituents versus selling them in their
"bill room" to lobbyists.
I urged that host-computer operators not charging users extra
to use public legislative data not have to pay for it, but was
less concerned if the Legislature collected royalties from
information-distributors that charged specifically for using
legislative data -- like Compu$erve's extra charges for using
the OAG (Official Airline Guide). They asked how they could
protect their data, and I [stupidly] said they might copyright
it but grant free use for those who don't charge extra to use it
while collecting royalties from those who do. Dumb! -- but they
were clearly getting concerned that someone might make money off
of their data without them sharing it.
BUILD THEIR OWN SYSTEM?
I recall someone mentioning the possibly of their building and
running their own system to reap the profits. This was not
extensively discussed, but it clearly remains an alternative
that will have to be addressed.
COMMITTEE CONCLUDED; BOWEN PROMISED AMENDMENTS
Near the end, a minority-party member spoke up strongly in
favor of the proposal. He said it was the way of the future and
the legislature should be part of it. I later found that he was
Ross Johnson, Committee Vice-Chair.
Chairman Burton then looked at me, said to get a memo to him
on this, and declared they'd delay action on it.
Sponsor Bowen asked that the bill be amended to include the
state codes and state constitution, as well as already-specified
legislative data, and that it cap costs. (I requested several
hundred dollars a month for data-line costs.)
[SOME] MAJOR ISSUES TO BE RESOLVED
1. Can they make money selling their public legislative data?
FidoNews 10-18 Page: 10 03 May 1993
2. Should they set up their own information-distribution system
to do so?
3. Can they collect money from those who charge for using
this data? How? Can they protect it from private for-profit
use (the copyright issue)? [They clearly dislike the idea of
downloading the information without cost and then having anyone
profit by selling it.]
4. Can the integrity of the data be assured if they allow
copies to circulate beyond their control? [They already do, via
current distributers.]
5. Would people *really* receive, store and share the data,
and develop and share processing programs, without charging?
For FREE?!!
6. They still need better general understanding of the
Internet -- structurally and operationally.
7. If they download to the Internet, what types of hosts
should be used? Must they be government-owned systems?
8. Should this be studied, reviewed, considered, analyzed and
picked-apart? [The standard mechanism for delaying or killing a
proposal, sez I.]
9. Minor red herring: There are only a few [million] "elite"
computer users who could use this -- and there are suggestions
of some monumentally- expensive public-access alternatives (IBM
kiosks in malls, 800-number phones with information clerks
standing by, etc.). [Must we wait for them?]
I've agreed to draft a layperson's outline of how this can
operate, and also outline what would be likely if they tried to
build their own system [I cannot envision it being a pretty site
:-) ]. In this memo, I will address most of the technical and
"cultural" questions posed above, supplying references and a
variety of contacts. Suggestions herewith solicited.
==== !!!!! CALL TO ACTION !!!!! ====
ACTION ITEMS FOR THOSE WHO THINK IT'S *OUR* LEGISLATURE & DATA
The Rules Committee may act on this within a week, or they may
delay it for several weeks. If they pass AB1624, it is very
likely that it will pass the Assembly and have an excellent
change in the Senate. But --
1. The Rules Committee members NEED TO HEAR FROM THEIR
CONSTITUENTS. NOW!
2. And, they need to hear from volunteers -- not in detail,
nor so they can "choose" them -- but just so they can begin to
FidoNews 10-18 Page: 11 03 May 1993
believe they really exist.
ACTION FOR CONSTITUENTS OF RULES COMMITTEE MEMBERS' DISTRICTS
*Each* Rules Committee member needs to hear from constituents
in their own Assembly Districts -- personal meetings, faxes,
letters and phone calls.
1. *Briefly* express support for AB1624 and state WHY.
2. Explicitly request an explicit commitment to support AB1624.
3. Explicitly request an explanation if they decline to commit to it.
The Committee members are:
John L. Burton, Chair, Rules Committee (D-San Francisco)
916-445-8253; fax/916-324-4899; Room 3152
Burton is the key. If you have a SF address, call
and fax and write him.
Ross Johnson, Vice Chair, Rules Committee (R-Fullerton)
916-445-7448; fax/916-324-6870; Room 3151
Deirdre "Dede" Alpert (D-Coronado) 916-445-2112;
fax/916-445-4001; Room 3173
Trice Harvey (R-Bakersfield) 916-445-8498;
fax/916-324-4696; Room 4162
Barbara Lee (D-Oakland,Alameda) 916-445-7442;
fax/916-327-1941; Room 2179
Richard L. Mountjoy (R-Monrovia) 916-445-7234;
fax/818-445-3591?; Room 2175
Willard H. Murray, Jr. (D-Paramount) 916-445-7486;
fax/916-447-3079; Room 3091
Patrick Nolan (R-Glendale) 916-445-8364;
fax/916-322-4398; Room 4164
Richard Polanco (D-Los Angeles) 916-445-7587;
fax/916-324-4657; Room 2188
Address: "The Honorable FFF LLL", California State Assembly,
P.O. Box 942849, Sacramento CA 94249-0001.
Salutation: "Dear Assembly Member XXX; re: AB1624"
Keep it to one page if possible -- but give reasons for supporting the bill.
ACTION FOR ALL CALIFORNIANS
In addition:
1. Fax, write and/or call John Burton's office -- as Rules
Committee Chair.
2. Send one fax/letter to your representative and another one
to one of the [other?] Democratic members on the Rules
Committee. (It appears likely that the Republicans will support
the bill, as did Vice-Chairman Johnson.)
ACTION FOR OUT-OF-STATERS
Urge that California provide leadership to the other states.
FidoNews 10-18 Page: 12 03 May 1993
Mention the benefits f all states could easily and economically
access each others' codes and legislative data. [They, too, can
benefit from free sharing.]
ACTION FOR VOLUNTEERS HOST-ADMINISTRATORS, PROGRAMMERS & SERVER DONORS
Send a one-page statement volunteering to store and share the
files without charge. Say you will develop and freely share
access software if the data is freely available. Offer to
donate a server-class machine for downloading legislative data
for everyone to share freely, if they can't afford one.
Volunteer to help their staff install it.
It will be helpful if you will let me what you said, sent or did
-- and what response you received. [If so, indicate whether I
may share it.]
Timely, economical, widespread, public, online access to state
legislative information, statutes and constitution, would allow
the People to participate in their legislative process. Neat
idea.
--jim
Jim Warren, Contributing Editor & "futures" columnist, MicroTimes
jwarren@well.sf.ca.us -or- jwarren@autodesk.com
345 Swett Rd., Woodside CA 94062; voice/415-851-7075; fax/415-851-2814
[founder/Chair, 1991 Computers, Freedom & Privacy conference; InfoWorld
founder (1978-1979); Autodesk Board of Directors member; blah blah blah]
Original bill-text is available by email from jwarren@well.sf.ca.us.
<Please copy, post, print and circulate widely. And quickly.>
----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUNDAY MORNING TELEVISION
by Tyler Wunder, 1:221/279.4
SUNDAY MORNING TELEVISION
Like me, if you happen to rise from bed early on a Sunday
morning you can seldom find something on the television that you
really want to see. Of course, there are a multitude of
television preachers, but who actually watches them?
Last Sunday morning, I actually sat down and watched one --
specifically, I saw Jerry Falwell hosting the Old Time Gospel
Hour. And what was Mr. Falwell talking about? Was he preaching
the love of Jesus? Was he talking about the scriptures? Reading
from the bible? Leading his viewers in prayer, pleading with God
to cure the sick and lessen the suffering of those in pain?
If Mr. Falwell was doing any of these things, I must have
blinked and missed it, because for the entire segment of the show
that I observed (I must admit, I missed the first ten minutes of
FidoNews 10-18 Page: 13 03 May 1993
the program) Mr. Falwell was attempting to sell a $35 video tape
that explained the problems of America as he saw them; the tape
also laid out his proposed solutions to these problems (frankly,
if Mr. Falwell is so concerned with rescuing America and solving
these "problems", I would think that he'd be eager to distribute
the information as widely as possible, free of charge --
certainly, I would like a copy, but I have better things to spend
$35 on).
In particular, Mr. Falwell seemed extremely concerned with a
piece of legislation that Bill Clinton is apparently going to
sign soon, known as the Freedom of Choice Act. According to
Falwell, this act will establish homosexuals as a bona-fied
minority, and work to increase their rights within America, and
although Mr. Falwell didn't word it this way, the act will
prevent many forms of discrimination against the homosexual
community.
Obviously, Mr. Falwell is all for discrimination. Using the
fear of the "judgement of God" and the destruction of the
American family as motivation, Falwell implores his viewers to
call a 1-900 number in order to have their names placed on a
petition that will apparently be sent to the Whitehouse,
requesting that President Clinton not sign the Freedom of Choice
Act.
As well, a number is provided for viewers who support the
Freedom of Choice Act. At first, this surprised me; I almost
thought that perhaps Mr. Falwell was concerned with allowing
everyone to represent their views, whether they agreed with him
or not, until I realized that only the number which represented
opposition to the legislation in question involved a petition.
To call the number supporting the Freedom of Choice Act cost
$1.95/minute like the other number, but no petition was involved.
In reality, to support the Freedom of Choice Act through the Old
Time Gospel Hour seemed rather a useless gesture.
So why am I telling you this? Because those who oppose Mr.
Falwell ought to be heard. Perhaps I'm giving Jerry Falwell too
much credit, but this man frightens me. His agenda of ignorance
frightens me. His opposition to the feminist movement (which he
casually ties to witches and lesbianism) frightens me. His
desire to have institutionalized prayer re-established in the
public school system frightens me. His wish for the teaching of
biblical Creationism in American public schools, despite the fact
that as a scientific theory biblical Creationism does not exist
("God did it" is not a testable, verifiable/falsifiable
scientific theory -- it is religious dogma, and it does NOT
belong in a science classroom), frightens me. It frightens me
that Mr. Falwell wishes to have people believe that the
separation of Church and State is a myth, as he believes that the
founders of America were Christians; they were in fact, for the
majority, not Christians at all but Deists -- however, even if
Thomas Jefferson et. al. were Christians, that is no more an
FidoNews 10-18 Page: 14 03 May 1993
excuse to make America into a Christian theocracy than the fact
that all the American founding fathers were slave owners gives us
reason to reinstitutionalize slavery.
The Whitehouse has a Fidonet address. After watching Mr.
Falwell's hateful propaganda campaign, I immediately whipped off
a letter requesting information on the Freedom of Choice Act. I
suggest you do the same. Mr. Falwell has provided a petition for
those who oppose equality, civil rights and privileges for the
gay and lesbian community, yet offers no voice for those who
oppose him (granted, I wouldn't expect him to be that open
minded, but then it makes me wonder why he offers the "support"
1-900 number in the first place). Fidonet offers you the voice
Mr. Falwell would likely prefer not to be heard. Write the
Whitehouse (netmail address is 1:2613/333 -- put WHITEHOUSE in
the "To:" field) and request information on the Freedom of Choice
Act if you so desire, but at the very least voice your opinion.
Frankly, I don't know how much affect Mr. Falwell's petition
can have on President Clinton's decision, but if it can have any
influence at all, then I would implore you to fight Mr. Falwell's
campaign of hate and intolerance. As citizens of a country that
professes to be free, the moment that the rights of one minority
are overtly oppressed, the rights of all minorities are in
increased jeopardy. And in some way, we are all in a minority.
Heaven help you if it's a minority that Jerry Falwell
disapproves of.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
========================================================================
Fidonews Information
========================================================================
------- FIDONEWS MASTHEAD AND CONTACT INFORMATION ----------------
Editors: Sylvia Maxwell, Donald Tees, Tim Pozar
Editors Emeritii: Thom Henderson, Dale Lovell, Vince Perriello,
Tom Jennings
IMPORTANT NOTE: The FidoNet address of the FidoNews BBS has been
changed!!! Please make a note of this.
"FidoNews" BBS
FidoNet 1:1/23 <---- NEW ADDRESS!!!!
BBS +1-519-570-4176, 300/1200/2400/14200/V.32bis/HST(DS)
Internet addresses:
Don & Sylvia (submission address)
editor@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca
Sylvia -- max@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca
Donald -- donald@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca
Tim -- pozar@kumr.lns.com
FidoNews 10-18 Page: 15 03 May 1993
(Postal Service mailing address) (have extreme patience)
FidoNews
172 Duke St. E.
Kitchener, Ontario
Canada
N2H 1A7
Published weekly by and for the members of the FidoNet international
amateur electronic mail system. It is a compilation of individual
articles contributed by their authors or their authorized agents. The
contribution of articles to this compilation does not diminish the
rights of the authors. Opinions expressed in these articles are those
of the authors and not necessarily those of FidoNews.
Authors retain copyright on individual works; otherwise FidoNews is
copyright 1993 Sylvia Maxwell. All rights reserved. Duplication and/or
distribution permitted for noncommercial purposes only. For use in
other circumstances, please contact the original authors, or FidoNews
(we're easy).
OBTAINING COPIES: The-most-recent-issue-ONLY of FidoNews in electronic
form may be obtained from the FidoNews BBS via manual download or
Wazoo FileRequest, or from various sites in the FidoNet and Internet.
PRINTED COPIES may be obtained from Fido Software for $10.00US each
PostPaid First Class within North America, or $13.00US elsewhere,
mailed Air Mail. (US funds drawn upon a US bank only.)
BACK ISSUES: Available from FidoNet nodes 1:102/138, 1:216/21,
1:125/1212, (and probably others), via filerequest or download
(consult a recent nodelist for phone numbers).
A very nice index to the Tables of Contents to all FidoNews volumes
can be filerequested from 1:396/1 or 1:216/21. The name(s) to request
are FNEWSxTC.ZIP, where 'x' is the volume number; 1=1984, 2=1985...
through 8=1991.
INTERNET USERS: FidoNews is available via FTP from ftp.ieee.org, in
directory ~ftp/pub/fidonet/fidonews. If you have questions regarding
FidoNet, please direct them to deitch@gisatl.fidonet.org, not the
FidoNews BBS. (Be kind and patient; David Deitch is generously
volunteering to handle FidoNet/Internet questions.)
SUBMISSIONS: You are encouraged to submit articles for publication in
FidoNews. Article submission requirements are contained in the file
ARTSPEC.DOC, available from the FidoNews BBS, or Wazoo filerequestable
from 1:1/23 as file "ARTSPEC.DOC". Please read it.
"Fido", "FidoNet" and the dog-with-diskette are U.S. registered
trademarks of Tom Jennings, Box 77731, San Francisco CA 94107, USA and
are used with permission.
Asked what he thought of Western civilization,
M.K. Gandhi said, "I think it would be an excellent idea".
-- END

Reference in New Issue View Git Blame Copy Permalink