[79577] in Cypherpunks
Re: FC: Responses to Tim May's criticism of SAFE, and a rebuttal
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Lucky Green)
Tue May 6 18:45:38 1997
Date: Mon, 5 May 1997 16:53:28 -0700 (PDT)
From: Lucky Green <shamrock@netcom.com>
To: Ernest Hua <hua@chromatic.com>
Cc: cypherpunks@toad.com
In-Reply-To: <199705051842.LAA21649@krypton.chromatic.com>
Reply-To: Lucky Green <shamrock@netcom.com>
On Mon, 5 May 1997, Ernest Hua wrote:
> I don't completely like the first amendment argument because it is
> solely based on claiming that software is, first and foremost,
> expression. In fact, software has mechanism and side effect of
> mechanism. If software were strictly expression, it is hard to
> imagine how a multi-billion industry could have spawned from such an
> inert practice. Another example: one could argue that crafting an
> grenade launcher is artistic expression, but surely few would consider
> THAT argument when faced with such an "expressive" neighbor.
I concur. A citizen has the right to manufacture a grenade launcher under
the Second Amendment (irrespective of what judges scared into submission
by Roosevelt et al may have ruled), not the First.
