[Rant] Flame threads and factual accuracy

[jim bell]

At 07:30 AM 12/25/95 -0500, you (Fred Cohen) wrote:

>With rights come responsibilities.  If you want the right of free speech, you
>have to use it responsibly - otherwise, you will lose the right - and quite
>possible lose it for me as well.

This commentary is pure bullshit.  If it were possible to quantify it
throughout history, I strongly suspect that the vast majority of instances
where "free speech" was LOST (or was never had in the first place) occurred
NOT because of some objectively agreed-upon ABUSE (irresponsible use) of
that free speech, but in fact merely because those in power WANTED there to
be no free speech.

In short, "losing the right" had NOTHING to to with abuse.  (Though
admittedly, that might be a common excuse given...in lieu of the truth!)


Fred, you richly deserve your bad reputation.