Give me your privacy and I will protect you.

The following letter was received anonymously via USPS, postmarked "SUBURBAN
MD MSC 206, 19 FEB 94 PM, and printed using an HP DeskJet printer in 12 point
courier type.  I thought that I would share it with you, not because I agree
with it (I don't), but because I thought that it was interesting that it has
been the ONLY comment I have received on my paper that expressed
disagreement.  Note that the entertaining mis-spelling of "imperfect writing"
is the original author's, and not mine.  For a copy of the paper I refer to,
ftp csn.org:\mpj\cryptusa.* or see my posting in alt.privacy and
talk.politics.crypto

****************************************************************

TO:  Michael Paul Johnson

Re:  Data Encryption Software and Technical Data Controls in the
United States of America

     Read  your  document.   You  made very sweeping statements.
Obviously, you are not an expert for all the material addressed.
Educated people, when not an  expert,  cite  to  references  for
positions articulated in a paper.

     One  example  of  your imprefect writting style is the "law
enforcement" section.  You never mentioned  or  solved  the  law
enforcement  community's  efforts  in  detecting the transfer of
illegal drugs.

     Your paper needs a major rewrite.

FROM:  Not Impressed

****************************************************************

I won't waste time on a rebuttal.  I just want to say that I consider traffic
in harmful drugs to be a major problem.  I'm not willing to give up my
Constitutional rights in the War on Drugs, but I am glad that there are law
enforcement agents who are intelligent enough to be a real threat to
criminals without being a threat to the honest citizens that they are hired
to protect.  In fact, I believe that the vast majority of law enforcement
agents fall in this category.

Just say "NO!" to harmful drugs, promiscuous sex, the ITAR's restrictions on
strong cryptography, and Key Escrow!  Write YOUR Congressional Representative
NOW and express support for Maria Cantwell's bill to ease restrictions on
privacy software!

Michael Johnson writes:

> I won't waste time on a rebuttal.  I just want to say that I consider traffic
> in harmful drugs to be a major problem.  I'm not willing to give up my
> Constitutional rights in the War on Drugs, but I am glad that there are law
> enforcement agents who are intelligent enough to be a real threat to
> criminals without being a threat to the honest citizens that they are hired
> to protect.  In fact, I believe that the vast majority of law enforcement
> agents fall in this category.
> 
> Just say "NO!" to harmful drugs, promiscuous sex, the ITAR's restrictions on
> strong cryptography, and Key Escrow!  Write YOUR Congressional Representative
> NOW and express support for Maria Cantwell's bill to ease restrictions on
> privacy software!

I find it useful to imagine myself carrying the sentence myself for
all criminal violations I support (the laws, not the crimes
themselves). Thus, I would be willing to carry out harsh sentences,
even the death penalty, in certain violent crimes or thefts. Rape,
murder, arson, etc.

I would not be willing to enforce laws against "promiscuous sex" or
"harmful drugs." These may or may not be "unproductive" and even
"dangerous" activities, but provided I am not directly affected, it's
none of my business. 

(The issue of drug-related crime is unrelated to the act of taking
drugs, per se. The illegality of drugs results in high prices, street
crime, impure drugs, accidental overdoses, etc. This was the same
situation with Prohibition. Alcohol is indeed harmful, more so than
nearly any modern drug, and yet Prohibition was wrong. That it was
associated with crime and the rise of the Mob was not a reason to
continue it.)

"Lost productivity" and/or the "costs of caring with addicts and AIDS
victims" are other reasons cited to keep certain behaviors illegal.
Well, your productivity, lost or otherwise, does not belong to me. If
it did, I would ban television and the excessive use of the Internet.

Remember the good old American creed: "That's none of your business."
And, "A man's home is his castle." What people do with their lives is
not for me to interfere with. The essence of Cypherpunkdom.

Sorry for lapsing into a political speech, but I hate it when folks
don't think through the implications of what they say. Comparing the
need to control "promiscuous sex" and "harmful drugs" to the fight for
privacy and strong cryptography is pretty bizarre.

I urge you to do some more thinking.


--Tim May


-- 
..........................................................................
Timothy C. May         | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money,  
tcmay@netcom.com       | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero
408-688-5409           | knowledge, reputations, information markets, 
W.A.S.T.E.: Aptos, CA  | black markets, collapse of governments.
Higher Power: 2^859433 | Public Key: PGP and MailSafe available.
"National borders are just speed bumps on the information superhighway."