Constitutional guarantees of freedom of religion also provide freedom from religion.
But what about freedom of speech? Doesn’t the Bill of Rights also guarantee freedom from speech?
Apparently not.
Take the Internet (please), for example. Obscene e-mail titles litter most cyber in-boxes, frequently using the basest four-letter words to entice prospective readers.
Parental-control features filter out most of the porn messages, but also bar legitimate e-mail titles bearing innocent words that also describe no-no subjects.
Persons shouting obscenities in public can be arrested for disturbing the peace. But they are free to shout them in cyberspace.
Persons possessing or producing child pornography can face criminal charges. But sending obscene e-mail indiscriminately to Internet-connected computers used by children isn’t a crime.
Unfortunately, Internet users have to read the obscene e-mail letter titles in order to delete them.
Make it a federal crime to e-mail unsolicited messages containing titles using obscene words. (7 JULY 2002)
