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From: papeshow@aol.com (Papeshow)
Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology
Subject: Hate Groups
Date: 25 Sep 1995 01:56:22 -0400
Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364)
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Reply-To: papeshow@aol.com (Papeshow)
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Message Forwarded
Subj: TNX Hate groups on the Internet
Date: 95-09-01 02:08:39 EDT
Robert Rossney, wrote an article in the SF
Chronicle last week.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sun, 27 Aug 1995 17:42:23 -0700 (PDT)
Dear Robert,
As you put it, "Is it ethical to trash someone's faith...?"
The newsgroup you wrote about is nothing more than a meeting place for an
anti-Scientology hate group. From the safety behind their computer
monitors a tiny fraction of net users type out their vicious attacks on
this religion, often even hiding behind anonymous servers, as well. Can
you imagine the amount of furor there would be, if these bigots were
directing their attacks at Jewish or African Americans? The spewing of
their hatred is no less reprehensible than Fuhrman's use of the "n word".
The Simon Wiesenthal Center in LA is tracking more than 50 hate groups on
Prodigy and the Internet. They have filed a complaint with the FCC over
anti-Semitic falsehoods posted on Prodigy. "The slurs are the same but
the venue is different."
Responsible use of the net needs to be encouraged, or it may go the way of
CB radio, as Cliff Stoll has suggested in his book, "Silicon Snake Oil".
"And like CB, a relatively small number of people on the
Internet can ruin things for others. Vitriolic flamefests that
spill over into other newsgroups have the same effect as the
good 'ol boys who broadcast racist epithets using illegal kilowatt
amplifiers." - p. 113
"People get away with things on Usenet that they'd never be
able to pull off on the street. Throw a punch during a heated
argument and you could get arrested or sued; it's not even
necessary to make physical contact. Continually shout abuse at
someone and you'll be sued for slander. Write it down and it's
libel." - p.217
"So, with written streams of calumny pouring back and forth
across the Usenet for all to see, why aren't more people getting
slapped with injunctions and lawsuits?" - p.218
ÿ