Today I want to talk about the Honorable Senator from North Carolina - Jesse Helms. I know that the former Governor Bill Weld is no political innocent, but he did have a point about Senator Helms. Helms has gone too far, again. He is not the President, elected by a majority of Americans. He is only a Senator repeatedly re-elected by the people of North Carolina. Because of the combination of his long service in the Senate and certain narcissistic personality traits, the Senator believes he has the right to decide things for all the people of the United States. Just because you can does not mean you should.
I also take exception with the Senator's heavy-handed ultimatum to the U.N. All I have to say is "Senator Helms, who do you think you are?"
Helms seems to believe he has the right to dictate this country's Foreign Policy and make that policy conform to his narrow, non-inclusive, non-tolerant, and probably bigoted National and International agenda. In other countries, Helms would be labeled an extremist, hard-liner, or fundamentalist. The media and public usually reject such people as enemies to Free Speech and Democracy. Why is Helms still free to act this way?
I think I have more respect for Representative Newt Gingrich or Senator Trent Lott, despite being Republican, than I do for Senator Helms.
On another subject, kudos to Ted Turner, owner of Turner Broadcasting, for volunteering 1 billion dollars to the U.N. I guess sometimes charity can start at home.
Security and Freedom Through Encryption Act (HR 695)- the SAFE bill would:
- Prohibiting the government from imposing key recovery or key escrow encryption inside the United States or abroad.
- Allowing Americans the ability to use whatever form of encryption they choose.
- Encouraging the widespread availability of strong, easy-to-use encryption technologies by relaxing cold war-era export restrictions.
However, the FBI has proposed amendments to SAFE (HR 695) which would impose sweeping domestic controls and mandatory key recovery systems inside the US.
The Amendment, to be introduced by Representatives Mike Oxley (R-OH) and Tom Manton (D-NY), would ban encryption products inside the United States that do not contain features providing law enforcement "immediate access" to private online communications and data. The amendment would also give the government broad new power to dictate the design of the Internetinfrastructure.
The Commerce Committee is expected to vote as early as Tuesday September 23.
PROTECT FREE SPEECH. Contact the Encryption Policy Resource Page to learn more about the issue and to learn how to contact your Congressional Representatives. BE PART OF THE SOLUTION, PROTECT DEMOCRACY!
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PolitikalJESSE HELMS
CapWeb
The Senate
C-SpanWILLIAM "BILL" WELD
Magnet, State of MassachusettsTRENT LOTT
CapWebNEWT GINGRICH
The House of Representatives
COMMERCE COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Republicans
- 1.Tom Bliley, VA, Chairman
- 2.W. J. (Billy) Tauzin, LA
- 3.Michael G. Oxley, OH
- 4.Michael Bilirakis, FL
- 5.Dan Schaefer, CO
- 6.Joe Barton, TX
- 7.J. Dennis Hastert, IL
- 8.Fred Upton, MI
- 9.Cliff Stearns, FL
- 10.Bill Paxon, NY
- 11.Paul E. Gillmor, OH, Vice Chairman
- 12.Scott L. Klug, WI
- 13.James C. Greenwood, PA
- 14.Michael D. Crapo, ID
- 15.Christopher Cox, CA
- 16.Nathan Deal, GA
- 17.Steve Largent, OK
- 18.Richard Burr, NC
- 19.Brian P. Bilbray, CA
- 20.Ed Whitfield, KY
- 21.Greg Ganske, IA
- 22.Charlie Norwood, GA
- 23.Rick White, WA
- 24.Tom A. Coburn, OK
- 25.Rick Lazio, NY
- 26.Barbara Cubin, WY
- 27.James E. Rogan, CA
- 28.John Shimkus, IL
Democrats
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- 1.John D. Dingell, MI
- 2.Henry A. Waxman, CA
- 3.Edward J. Markey, MA
- 4.Ralph M. Hall, TX
- 5.Rick Boucher, VA
- 6.Thomas J. Manton, NY
- 7.Edolphus Towns, NY
- 8.Frank Pallone, Jr., NJ
- 9.Sherrod Brown, OH
- 10.Bart Gordon, TN
- 11.Elizabeth Furse, OR
- 12.Peter Deutsch, FL
- 13.Bobby L. Rush, IL
- 14.Anna G. Eshoo, CA
- 15.Ron Klink, PA
- 16.Bart Stupak, MI
- 17.Eliot L. Engel, NY
- 18.Thomas C. Sawyer, OH
- 19.Albert Russell Wynn, MD
- 20.Gene Green, TX
- 21.Karen McCarthy, MO
- 22.Ted Strickland, OH
- 23.Diana DeGette, CO