Government interferes with USENET?

[ccr at duke.UUCP]

      I am posting this to the net to solicit comments on some legislation
 that might affect your use of networks like USEnet, CSnet, and ARPAnet.
 This information comes from a friend of mine who is a reporter assigned to
 the Hunt/Helms senate race (N.C.).  As part of her research, she obtained a
 copy of a confidential draft of a bill prompted by the recent split of
 ARPAnet.  The bill will be submitted to the next session of Congress, and she
 wanted me, as a computer scientist, to comment on the possible effects.
      The bill is co-sponsored by Senator Helms and a member of the Communi-
 cations Subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and
 Transportation, and would prohibit the use of non-secure data networks for the
 transmission of research material retricted by the Department of Commerce
 Controlled Commodities List.  For those of you not familiar with the list, it
 covers almost everything of interest in computer science.
      I was outraged (to say the least), and told her this would probably
 destroy the use of academic networks and greatly restrict the flow of research
 information.  Your comments would be appreciated (post comments to 
 net.followup; she will not use names in any news articles).  I have already
 written to Senator Helms (SD402, Dirksen Office Building, Washington, DC,
 20510).  Helms is notorious for extreme right-wing views.  There is no doubt
 in my mind that he believes enough in this to follow through.
 
 				Carl Romano (ccr at duke)