On Mon, 2004-12-06 at 16:55 +1100, Matthew Palmer wrote: > On Sun, Dec 05, 2004 at 09:53:00PM -0800, Thomas Bushnell BSG wrote: > > Matthew Palmer <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > > > > > > Also, to the best my knowledge the kernel doesn't contain any pictures > > > > of naked people either. I might be mistaken. > > > > > > It does have language which qualifies as obscene. > > > > Not in the United States, at least, where "obscene", as a matter of > > constitutional law, cannot describe text. > > Pfft, constitution. Like that'll ever hold up in court.
"Free Speech" is not an absolute. For example, in most all of the US, if someone (especially an adult or teenager) yells out, "Fuck you!" in a playground full of younger children, and a policeman is nearby, the Sayer Of Foul Language could easily be hauled off. Circumstances that would make the Sayer more likely to be carted off would be the attitude of the policeman, whether a parent complains, or whether the yell was a "one time offense", or whether it's a constant stream of off-color crudity. There was a case last year where a group of adults were floating down a river, making a constant, loud stream of crude comments. Just downstream was a couple of families with young children. A parent video-taped the scene, found a local sheriff, and the off- enders were arrested. The convictions were held up on appeal. -- ----------------------------------------------------------------- Ron Johnson, Jr. Jefferson, LA USA PGP Key ID 8834C06B I prefer encrypted mail. "Sometime they'll give a war and nobody will come." Carl Sandburg Oh, come on. Sure they will. That's what testosterone is for...
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