Date: Sat, 7 Jun 1997 14:58:42 -0700 (PDT) From: Doan Thiel Stafford (by way of Jus'FeelSoAlone ) Subject: Fwd: Supreme Court to rule on free speech any day now! Subj: ALERT: Supreme Court to rule on free speech any day now! (6/6/97) Date: Sat, 7 Jun 1997 12:14:43 >======================================================================== > _____ ____ _ >| ___| __ ___ ___ / ___| _ __ ___ ___ ___| |__ C Citizens >| |_ | '__/ _ \/ _ \ \___ \| '_ \ / _ \/ _ \/ __| '_ \ I Internet >| _|| | | __/ __/ ___) | |_) | __/ __/ (__| | | | E Empowerment >|_| |_| \___|\___| |____/| .__/ \___|\___|\___|_| |_| C Coalition > |_| > >A DECISION IN THE MONUMENTAL INTERNET FREE SPEECH CASE IS EXPECTED SOON > > JOIN TENS OF THOUSANDS OF YOUR FELLOW INTERNET USERS TO > ANNOUNCE THE DECISION IN REAL TIME > > WILL ONLINE FREE SPEECH SURVIVE? > > > Please distribute this alert intact until July 15, 1997 > Citizens Internet Empowerment Coalition > http://www.ciec.org > >________________________________________________________________________ >SUPREME COURT SET TO RULE ANY DAY NOW IN CDA CASE > >The future of the Internet and the fate of the First Amendment in the >Information Age hang in the balance. > >Within the next 4 weeks, the United States Supreme Court will hand down an >historic decision in the legal challenge to the Communications Decency Act >(CDA) - a law which imposes broad content regulations on the Internet. > >A decision could come AT ANY TIME. > >Will the Supreme Court agree with a decision of a Philadelphia Federal Court >which last year ruled the CDA unconstitutional? Or will the Court side with >Senator Exon, the Department of Justice, the Christian Coalition, and other >proponents of censorship who argue that the Federal Government is the best >and most appropriate judge of what you should see and say online? > > As an Internet user, you have a tremendous stake in the outcome. > > JOIN TENS OF THOUSANDS OF YOUR FELLOW INTERNET USERS TO > ANNOUNCE THE DECISION IN REAL TIME > >It's not too late to become a part of history. There are several ways you >can participate -- Please take a moment to read the instructions below >and join the fight for free speech online. > >_______________________________________________________________________ >INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO PARTICIPATE > >In anticipation of this historic event, the Citizens Internet >Empowerment Coalition have launched the "FREE SPEECH VIGIL" campaign to >help spread the news about the case and provide an opportunity for >Internet users to join the fight. > >The CIEC is also seeking your support in other ways. Please read the >instructions below or visit http://www.ciec.org/ for details on how you can >help. > >If You Maintain A World Wide Web Page: > >1. Add the following link *TODAY* in a prominent location on your site. > When the decision is announced by the Supreme Court, follow your page's > link and read the text of the Supreme Court's opinion. > > > Countdown to > Supreme Court Decision in the CDA case >

> > Since June of 1996, more than 10,000 world wide web sites have joined > together to provide Internet users with the latest news and > information about the case. > > If you have already linked to the CIEC icon or do not maintain a > world wide web page, please visit http://www.ciec.org/action/ to find out > what you can do to help. > >2. IMPORTANT -> Let us know you have joined the campaign: > > Drop us a note at and let us know you have > added the link to your site. We will keep a running tally of the > number of participating sites. > >3. Forward this Alert to your Friends and co-workers (only > until July 15, 1997) > > ************************************************************************ > * HELP CIEC STAY ONLINE! * > * * > * Finally, we need your support to continue to provide the most * > * comprehensive, up-to-date online resource on the fight for free * > * speech on the Internet. * > * * > * Please visit http://www.ciec.org/fund/ to find out what you can * > * do to contribute to the cause. * > ************************************************************************ >________________________________________________________________________ >HOW WILL THIS CAMPAIGN WORK? > >After you have added the link (above) to your page, an animated image >will be displayed on your site. The image will be updated to reflect the >latest news on the case (the update will occur at our server -- you will >not have to do anything). > >When the decision is announced by the Supreme Court, the icon will >change to reflect the outcome (good or bad). By clicking on the image, >Internet users will jump to a page containing the text of the decision, >analysis, and other important information. > >This effort is an extension of the highly-successful "question >mark/fireworks" campaign in June of 1996 announcing the decision in the >Philadelphia case. Both campaigns were organized by the Center for >Democracy and Technology http://www.cdt.org and the Voters >Telecommunications Watch http://www.vtw.org > >________________________________________________________________________ >BACKGROUND ON THE COMMUNICATIONS DECENCY ACT > >The Communications Decency Act (CDA) was enacted in February of 1996 as >part of the Telecommunications Reform Act. The law seeks to protect minors >from objectionable or sexually explicit material on the Internet by >imposing broad content regulations and stiff criminal penalties on the >"display" of "indecent" or "patently offensive" material on the Internet. > >While supporters of the CDA argue that the law is designed to protect >children from "pornography" on the Internet, two separate Federal Courts >have agreed that the law goes far beyond that and would ban otherwise >constitutionally protected materials. > >The United States Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case on March >19, 1997. CIEC lead attorney Bruce Ennis argued the case on behalf of both >the CIEC and ACLU plaintiffs. > >The CDA is not about obscenity, child pornography, or using the Internet to >stalk or prey on children. These activities are already illegal under >current law and are not at issue in this case. > >CIEC and other opponents of the new law argue that while well intentioned, >the CDA fails to account for the unique nature of the Internet, and that it >will have a far-reaching chilling effect on constitutionally protected >speech online. On a global, decentralized communications medium like the >Internet, the only effective and constitutional means of controlling access >to objectionable material is to rely on users and parents, not the >government, to decide what material is or is not appropriate. > >On the Internet, every single user is a publisher with the capacity to >reach millions of people. As a result, all of us have a stake in the >outcome of this case. > >Two lawsuits were filed to challenge the constitutionality of the CDA in a >Philadelphia federal court in February 1996. > >The cases have been brought, respectively, by The Citizens Internet >Empowerment Coalition (CIEC), comprised of the American Library >Association. civil Liberties groups, Internet Service Providers, Commercial >Online Service Providers, Newspaper, Magazine and Book Publishers, and over >57,000 individual Internet users. The ACLU, along with a coalition of civil >liberties groups, advocacy groups, online content providers, and others >filed the initial case on the day the CDA was signed into law. > >Detailed information on the legal challenges, as well as information about >the CDA, is available at the following web sites: > >Legal Challenges To The CDA >---------------------------- > >* The Citizens Internet > Empowerment Coalition (CIEC) - http://www.ciec.org/ >* The ACLU - http://www.aclu.org/ > >The outcome of this legal battle will have far reaching implications. At >stake is nothing less than the future of the First Amendment in the >information age. > >________________________________________________________________________ >FOR MORE INFORMATION > >For more information on the Free Speech Vigil, including press inquiries, >please contact: > >Jonah Seiger, +1.202.637.9800 > Communications Director, Center for Democracy and Technology/Citizens > Internet Empowerment Coalition > >Or Visit http://www.ciec.org/ > >________________________________________________________________________ >end alert 06.05.97 ****************************************************************************** * To subscribe to DQ-LA, send mail to: majordomo@abacus.oxy.edu * * In the mail message, enter ONLY the words: subscribe dq-la * * To unsubscribe to DQ-LA, send mail to: majordomo@abacus.oxy.edu * * In the mail message, enter ONLY the words: unsubscribe dq-la * * Words in the Subject: line are NOT processed! * ******************************************************************************