The American system of government was founded upon the firm belief that individual freedom is a basic right. But hand-in-hand with this was an equally strong belief in personal responsibility.
The founding fathers embraced that responsibility, knowing that placing their signatures on the Declaration of Independence could unleash dire consequences, even death. For the promise of greater freedom and independence, they committed themselves to inspiring, financing and directing a perilous struggle, the harshness and duration of which few envisioned.
From that struggle came the freedoms we cherish today, including freedom of religion, speech, press. Never in the history of mankind had such sweeping powers been won for the individual, and never before had so many people enjoyed such a degree of personal freedom.
In today's age of electronic information, the
traditional social and legal interpretations and parameters
of freedom and responsibility are undergoing serious test.
In stark contrast to yesterday's bold signers of the
Constitution are modern-day anonymous users on the
information superhighway who seek license
As Walter S. Mossberg wrote in the Wall Street
Journal, computerized discussion forums, "are a publishing
medium, like newspapers and magazines, where messages are
posted for days or weeks for millions to see and debate.
When these forums operate under the cloak of anonymity, it's
no different from printing a newspaper in which the bylines
are admittedly fake, and the letters to the editor are
untraceable. It sure makes it easier to spread wild
conspiracy theories, smear people, conduct financial scams or
victimize others sexually."
In this issue of Freedom, we address these
significant matters of on-line life in the 1990s, and call
for application of the highest ethical and legal standards in
cyberspace.
We have put the spotlight on a small but insidious
group who shroud themselves in secrecy to exploit the medium
-- the minority who violate the law by various means,
including outright theft, libel and defamation -- and show
how this places the freedoms of others in jeopardy.
~ ~ ~
Throughout its history, Freedom has actively used
the Freedom of Information Act, educated others about the
importance of exercising this right, and extensively covered
freedom of information news and trends. We have filed
hundreds of requests under the FOIA to many different
government entities, and gained the release of tens of
thousands of pages of documents.
Our exposure more than a decade ago of secret
government chemical and biological warfare testing on
American citizens, brought to light through persistent use of
the FOIA, is attracting renewed media interest today. We
tell of this saga in "Unlocking Secrets of Open-Air Tests."
Also in this edition, we bring our readers up to date
on the present state of the Freedom of Information Act,
including how it relates to electronic information and what
it has to do with today's on-line life.
Over the last two centuries, the evolution and
expansion of freedom in America constitutes one of the
greatest stories in the history of mankind. The challenge is
to achieve a comparable level of personal responsibility.
To share your views -- write to me at Freedom, 6331
Hollywood Blvd., Suite 1200, Los Angeles, CA 90028-6329 or,
if you are on the Internet, editor@freedommag.org.
Thomas G. Whittle
To continue reading, click here: The Good, The
Bad and The Internet.
The following are other articles on freedom and human rights:
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Editor
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