We've had many discussions lately on public policy issues and just how bad the repercussions can get. It seems to me that there are a lot of people on this list with a good sense of the issues at hand. Many of us appear to have a deep understanding of how the issues effect us, not only at the present time, but into the future.
The fact of the matter is that few, if any of our elected officials and even fewer of those in the judiciary have much of a clue when it comes to how technology works. As seen by the recent cases of the SWAT team raid in Buffalo and the abuses of the Michigan State Police, just to name a few, we are starting to enter into a world that might make Orwell look like an optimist. But we are not helpless, and therefore we are also not innocent. This is our chance, we can change the future. It is our duty as citizens to direct public policy. We can do so, not only by using the ballot box, but the mailbox as well. I believe that we have the duty and the obligation to bring a broader sense of understanding into the world, because that world will be the inheritance of our children and grand children and some of us, even those without children, may end up living in that world as well. There is an old saying (possibly a country song too), that says "You've got to stand for something, or you'll fall for anything". To that effect I would like to propose a working group. The working group would not be a part of PLUG, because I don't believe that the work at hand would really fall into the pervue of PLUG which is ostensibly Linux proselytization. Instead the group would leverage the same tools we use here, email, chat, etc, with the purpose of drafting letters to congress, the senate, and other state and federal leaders, as well as to file friend of the court briefs, which present clearly and concisely, the exact stakes involved in their decisions. As with PLUG, there would be no membership dues and nothing required to join or discuss other than interest in the process. I believe that with the measures I've mentioned we could help shape the future rather than simply sitting around and watching it go from bad to worse. Is anyone interested in joining me on this? Sincerely, Steve /* PLUG: http://plug.org, #utah on irc.freenode.net Unsubscribe: http://plug.org/mailman/options/plug Don't fear the penguin. */
