green@osu-eddie.UUCP (01/23/86)
From: green (Jeffrey Greenberg) Once the Falwell psychic-terrorism machine publishes it's phone numbers any communication by phone seems fair. One cannot presume what an appropriate phone response is...simply stating that one wishes to hear about donations or 'appropriate' questions obligates no one to do so - that is, when dealing with the public any response must be expected. It is presumptuous otherwise. And, one can expect to be irritated in future. And, one can expect it to be used with malice. The phone is a device of two-way communication - one can dial out and be dialed - that is what having a phone presumes. Finally, equating Falwell with abortion clinics as a means to get at the 'morality' of auto-dialing is presumptuous and reactionary. This equation sets up Falwell as stable, right-wing & religious, and the auto-dialer as an abortionist, liberal baby-killer & anti-religious. The coloring is obvious. A subtler equation might be comparing the auto-dialer to an obscene phone caller. That would portray the sense of violation that the auto-dialer has, but would portray Falwell as a mere, helpless victim - which he certainly isn't. (As for morality, I recommend reading Nietzsche). -- jeffrey greenberg 614-263-0065 cbosgd!osu-eddie!green and after march 15: ihnp4!allegra!phri!dolphy!jmg