We've been having some interesting discussions in scruz.general, my local newsgroup. (We get together every few months for a "scruzfest," so a sense of community amonst the discussants has been emerging. I probably now know more folks by sight in scruz.general than I know Cypherpunks.) I will forward a couple of my articles.

X-From_: tcmay@got.net Fri Feb 20 19:22:21 1998 X-Delivered: at request of tcmay on always Date: Fri, 20 Feb 1998 19:25:17 -0800 From: tcmay@got.net (Tim May) To: tcmay@got.net Subject: Re: speaking of tax dollars at work... Newsgroups: scruz.general Organization: None

In article <6clf84$buc@news.scruz.net>, glena@armory.com (Dirt Devil) wrote:

...

I am actually on somewhat shakey ground in agreeing with Tim's desire to hold to the BOR, simply because they have been so perferated.

Sure the Amendments have been perforated, but they're all we have left. Even now, as various laws try to close in on controlling speech, the First Amendment's crystal clear "Congress shall make no law..." language is all we have to hold back the tide.

(And it is _still_ a battle, with Brandeis' "shouting "Fire!" in a crowded theater" being used to justify all manner of speech restrictions.)

As for the Second, equally crystal clear, the record is even shabbier.

...

From outright bans on ownership of weapons in New York, to restrictions in California, to moves for confiscation of all guns, the tide is _barely_ being held back. (As Heather noted in her earlier message, all the folderol about the Second referring to a state-run militia, like the National Guard, is pure nonsense: the Founders were worried about the citizenry being able to fight back, and understood that only free men are allowed to possess weaponry.)

In all cases where there is no crystal clear, solid, indisputable, "Congress shall make no law..." language, the statist and professional bureaucrats, aided by foolish and short-sighted voters, whittle away the freedoms and rights of us all.

The Bill of Rights ain't enough, but it's all we've got.

And it's going fast.

--Tim May

-- Just Say No to "Big Brother Inside" ---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---- Timothy C. May | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money, ComSec 3DES: 408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA | knowledge, reputations, information markets, Higher Power: 2^3,021,377 | black markets, collapse of governments.