ajs@hpfcla.UUCP (12/11/83)
#N:hpfcla:22000002:000:3036 hpfcla!ajs Dec 10 21:49:00 1983 . The L-5 Society's Spacepac just did something unprecedented: They used E-COM (the Postal Service's electronic mail service) to alert all their members. With no further ado, here are key excerpts from the letter: "EMERGENCY L-5 ALERT!!! "The President is about to make the most important space program decision since Kennedy committed the nation to a manned expedition to the Moon. Three options are being vigorously debated at the cabinet level: do nothing, commit to a space station, or commit to a space station and a lunar base. "L-5 and Spacepac (the political action committee established by the leader of L-5) are martialling ALL available resources for a maximum effort... "WHAT WE NEED for you to do is to immediately send five letters to the addresses given below, stating in your own words that you favor a commitment to a space station and a lunar base. These letters will not be read but only counted. Therefore, they can be as short as one sentence, they can be hand written, and the same letter can be sent to all five destinations. Then call 10 friends... [and etc., that's what I'm doing now, thanks for reading this far]. Christmas is the deadline. We need as many letters in the mail as possible by this date. "THE ADDRESSES ARE:" [I'll copy them in readable format] President Ronald Reagan The White House Washington, DC 20500 The Honorable Malcolm Baldridge Secretary of Commerce Washington, DC 20230 The Honorable William French Smith Attorney General 10th and Constitution Avenue NW Washington, DC 20530 The Honorable William Clark Secretary of the Interior 18th and C Streets NW Room 6151 Washington, DC 20240 The Honorable William E. Brock US Trade Representative Room 209 Winder Building 600 17th Street NW Washington, DC 20506 "... The L-5 Society and Spacepac were created for moments such as this. Let's all make a maximum effort." (end of quote) A few cents worth from me now... Previous activations of the L-5 phone tree have been rare, and seemingly ill-planned and ill-coordinated. This, on the other hand, looks like something of substance. If you recognize the need to expand into space, and agree that this is a necessary first step, you may wish to get involved. Per Aspera, Ad Astra, Alan Silverstein, Hewlett-Packard Fort Collins Systems Division, Colorado ucbvax!hplabs!hpfcla!ajs, 303-226-3800 x3053, N 40 31'31" W 105 00'43" PS: I wouldn't post this if I hadn't already written all five letters myself. Total elapsed time to write, address, sign, seal, and stamp was 23 minutes (4.6 newsgroup equivalents) using a typewriter. PS to ARPA censors: Don't bother writing nasty letters to me about this, like you did six months ago. If you wish to keep this type of article off ARPAnet, I invite you to "moderate" it into the bit bucket. If you write to me don't expect a response; last time I tried but some system along the way likes to play email diode.