Andy Wilson says:
If you don't like free speech, don't log in. The U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence state very clearly that our form of government is based on the recognition of human rights, not responsibilities. You might be able to find a system more to your liking in China or North Korea for a little while longer.
Does free speech mean that I can stand up in the midst of a company meeting and start reciting Hamlet at the top of my voice? No, it does not. It means that THE GOVERNMENT shall not PUNISH people for speaking. It means that PUBLIC PROPERTY may not be sealed off from people with particular opinions. It does NOT mean that speech is permissable everywhere, nor does it obligate private individuals to give opportunities to people to speak. Just because you want to reach millions of people doesn't mean that the New York Times has to give you space to do it, for example. Toad.COM is NOT a public place. Mailing lists are NOT public places. This is the exact equivalent of someone hosting a block party in their yard and discovering that a local bum has decided to deficate in the fruit punch. Censorship is eliminating a person's capacity to speak. This is NOT censorship. The individual in question could send mail to all the list users if he wanted to. He could (and has) started his own mailing list, so thats obviously not prohibited to him. He could post to netnews -- and does. His outlets for speech have obviously not been hindered. Perry