USENIX and South Africa

[Phil Hughes]

In article <13051 at smoke.BRL.MIL>, gwyn at smoke.BRL.MIL (Doug Gwyn) writes:
> In article <1990Jun4.141811.1075 at world.std.com> peter at world.std.com (Peter Salus) writes:
> >I see no reason why I should (even indirectly) help a 
> >police state gain better control through transaction 
> >processing programs, for example.

> I wasn't aware that USENIX membership elected officers to do their
> political, social, or religious thinking and value judgment for them.
> Why don't you stick to functionally relevant business.

Personally I appreciate organizations I join having a conscience.
Helping "a police state ..." is clearly taking sides.  By not being
willing to help you are staying neutral.

I don't want USENIX (or any other organization) to actively overthrow
any governments.  Further, I encourage them to tell me that such a
decision has been made.  That means that if (1) I want to support a police
state I can send them my own money or (2) I don't want to support it I 
now have more information and can decide not to support organizations that
support it.

-- 
Phil Hughes, SSC, Inc. P.O. Box 55549, Seattle, WA 98155  (206)FOR-UNIX
     uunet!pilchuck!ssc!fyl or attmail!ssc!fyl            (206)527-3385