Category: Legal, Laws, and Regs

From Dave I found the references to news stories about the Church of Scientology’s use of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act to get Google to pull links to pages of well known anti-Church of Scientology web sites, such as Clambake (Xenu), from the Google databases.

Regardless of my feelings about Scientology, this one act puts them beyond what is reasonable and right for a church within this country. Sorry, let me re-phrase this — within any country filled with people who supposedly value personal liberty over the dictates of an organized religion.

No one person can solve all the problems of the world, it’s true. All individuals can do is take a stance, and hope that enough others will join with that person, to make a difference.

I’ve put the link to Clambake prominately above my Plutonian list, and it will remain there until the politicians in this country finally realize that they don’t have a clue in how to work with the Internet and fix this law, or until Google comes to its senses and realizes that it has a moral responsibility to the greater needs of humanity — the right of any organization to be heard!

P.S.In the meantime, the route will be indirect, but Clambake will hopefully still get hits for the word “Scientology” from Google, via my weblog. Might not place as high in the ranks, but they’ll be in the database.

Update: 3/22/02 Google has restored most of the Clambake pages, including the front page. ZD Net. I’ve removed the link to Clambake since they are now back in operation.

How not to deal with direction confrontation about religion in this country.

John Robb has the following to say:

Google forced to remove anti-Scientology links. I don’t agreee with the Germans on many things (although I lived there). But, I agree with the Germans when it comes to Scientology (by saying this I am being listed in some Scientology database in the sky). Germany treats Scientology like a cult and they outlaw it under the same laws that prevent distribution of Neo-Nazi propoganda. Scientology is a cult of the worst sort: one that can afford to hire lawyers, manage propoganda, intimidate opposition, and train absolute leaders. They work within the system. Very Nazi. Avoid it. Outlaw it. Denounce it. Besides, anyone who starts a cult based on the thinking of a writer of bad science fiction, should get a life.

I don’t have to tell you the flaws in this, do I? I don’t have to tell you the danger of this, do I?

Outlawing a religion (it’s still classified as a religion in this country, and there has been no successful legal charges against Scientology that would refute this claim) or any other personal belief other than those that advocate violence is against the Constitution on the United States. I know this document has been bashed and battered lately, but I still support it.

I hope you do, too.

Recovered from the Wayback Machine.

Dumbest warning labels from SF Gate.

Through this excellent article I found the Michigan Lawsuit Abuse Watch web site. Within these priceless web pages I found out about the arsonists who sued their insurance company because the fire they set spread to surrounding area, and the insurance company didn’t want to cover this damage. Or the prisoner who sued Michigan state because he farted.

And these are just absurd lawsuits in Michigan — I can’t even imagine what kind of lawsuits are floating around a somewhat flamboyant state such as California