From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!eagle!mhuxt!mhuxa!mhuxh!mhuxm!pyuxjj!pyuxcc!bdp Newsgroups: net.jokes.d Title: re: obscenity and Ma Bell Article-I.D.: pyuxcc.300 Posted: Tue Jul 13 08:43:03 1982 Received: Wed Jul 14 02:09:09 1982 The US Communications Act of 1932 says it's a foul thing to be obscene over any communications system (well, at least radio and TV, though I don't remember the wording -- anyone with a radio license remember?) Please consider prime time TV; somehow it would smack of hypocrisy to single out the usenet in the presence of a much more substantial violation of the law. Personally, I think the law is silly and puritanical. The real problem is harassment of people via a communications system NOT obscenity. Folks have the legitimate right not to be harassed by their appliances. On the other hand we each have a right to self-expression; that's what the First Amendment is all about. If a life-style or a mode of expression bothers you, you'd best learn to live with it. An offense of taste is not a felony. If it was, I have a long list of moronic movie directors, orchestral conductors, and authors that I would have turned over to the FBI a long time ago. Tolerance is not an anachronism, even if that cowboy is in the White House. --Bruce Parker BTL Piscataway