[IDNO:303] a democracy must defend itself through ideas, not their suppression

John B. Reynolds (john@reynolds.chicago.il.us)
Sun, 13 Jun 1999 15:59:24 -0500

Political processes where democracy and freedom of speech are respected are
inherently messy. Consensus is often difficult to reach in an environment
where many diverse and often diametrically opposed points of view can be
expressed. It would be much easier to take action if opposing points of
view were not allowed. This does not justify their suppression or
marginalization on the basis of expediency. Much of the criticism that has
been leveled at ICANN has been due to its failure to recognize this. This
group should not make the same mistake.

Our credibility as a representative of individual domain holders depends
upon our discussions remaining open to all of them, even those who question
the legitimacy of our effort, and yes, even those who may be actively trying
to undermine it. If we are not sufficiently sure of our ideals and goals to
withstand their efforts within our own list, we will surely be incapable of
defending ourselves elsewhere.

For this reason, I continue to oppose the removal of anyone from this list.
I oppose formal list moderation as well, on the grounds that it would be
unlikely to limit itself to cases of genuine abuse. I have not yet seen any
messages on this list that I would categorize as abusive.

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