Th dissenters have a point
Dan Kohn (dan@teledesic.com)
Mon, 14 Apr 1997 07:14:33 -0700
AU LAW STUDENTS RULE ON INDECENCY LAW
Students at the American University's Washington College of Law have already
issued their opinion on the recently enacted law restricting "indecent"
material online. In a classroom exercise, the students ruled that the law
is unconstitutional, with a majority striking down the law "because it is
not the least restrictive means to achieve the compelling state interest in
protecting children from indecency, because it is unconstitutionally
overbroad and because it is unconstitutionally vague." A mock dissent
accuses the majority of being "carried away by the enthusiastic burbling of
the Internet's defenders. In fact, of course, the Internet is a shallow and
unreliable electronic repository of dirty pictures, inaccurate rumors, bad
spelling and worse grammar, inhabited largely by people with no demonstrable
social skills." (Chronicle of Higher Education 11 Apr 97)