EDITORIAL: Grateful for the Outcome

The CDA would violate FirstThe CDA would violate FirstAmendment rights if put intoThe CDA would violate FirstAmendment rights if put intoeffect - we're grateful itThe CDA would violate FirstAmendment rights if put intoeffect - we're grateful itwas struck down.The CDA would violate FirstAmendment rights if put intoeffect - we're grateful itwas struck down.____________________________ The judges struck down the CDA, finding it overly broad and unconstitutional. As editors of a newspaper published both in print and on the World Wide Web, we could not agree more. The Internet provides a forum for the free exchange of ideas and information. Millions of people tap its resources and enjoy its benefits. We are grateful to these judges for protecting the people's rights. The rights of adults must not be compromised in an attempt to protect minors from the vague promise of "patently offensive" material. Yes, pornography exists on the Internet. And adults have the right to intentionally access it. Their rights must not be infringed upon in order to prevent minors from knowingly, illegally accessing pornography. Moreover, the CDA does not limit its ban to pornography alone. The guidelines set by the Act are vague and not clearly defined. Such ambiguous legislation can and should not be put into effect. As University students, we are given e-mail accounts and have easy access to the Internet world. Some of us maintain Web pages, others subscribe and post messages to newsgroups and listservers. A world of information is at our fingertips -- for now. Not only is the CDA vague and unconstitutional, it's unenforceable. Could the University monitor all affiliated newsgroups and homepages, not to mention e-mail accounts? No. But it would be required to do so under the CDA. To avoid being held responsible for the availability of "patently offensive" material on the Internet, the University would most likely have to cease supporting Internet use altogether. Listservers and newsgroups that provide students with necessary information about classes and programs at the University would be terminated. E-mail accounts that connect friends from across the country and students and professors from within the University would cease to exist. Overall, passage and enforcement of the CDA would negatively affect life at the University and elsewhere. The CDA has been struck down -- the first battle has been won. But the struggle may still continue. There still lies the possibility that this case will make it to the Supreme Court. And if it does, we hope they maintain the precedent set by the three-judge panel last week.