15115: Haitian Times: Request for censorship rejected by Corbett

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Haitian Times <publisher@haitiantimes.com>

Bob, the delete button is fine and I use it quite judiciously. Anyway,
your list your choice. I just think that people should not be allowed to
say whathever they want. Some of these things smack of McCarthyism. Just
an opinion. I suppose it will go on on this list.


=====================

Corbett comments:  The above note is a response to me after a member
complained that some posts were so irresponsible that I should not allow
them.

I replied that in response to some complaints some months ago, I now put
the "poster's" name or e-mail handle in the subject line so  that people
could delete those they don't like.

However, I continue to stand firm that I will not censor positions on this
list for reasons of POLITICAL content.

There are three reasons I won't post notes:

1.  The note in not centrally or dominantly about the country of Haiti,
	of the activity of Haitians or Haitian Americans.

	This is not a general list about the Caribbean or other often
	very interesting ideas.  It is STRICTLY about Haiti and Haitians.

2.  I will not post personal attacks against LIST MEMBERS for what they
	have posted on this list.  I do not censor personal attacks on
	public figures or even list members when they are not attacked
	for what they post on this list, but for other activities in the
	more public arena.

	The reason for this rule is to not discourage people from posting
	unpopular views.

3.  There is a vague subjective area of posts that are simply too
	offensive in language or whatever.  This list has been an easy
	one to run in relation to that issue.  In more that 30,000
	posts in 9 years no more than 6 posts have ever been rejected
	on this grounds.

But I intend to hold fast on POLITICAL CONTENT.  No matter how absurd,
offensive or horrible a political position may be received by some members
of the list, if the post doesn't violate one of the above three limits,
I will post it.  I will admit straight up, I am not infrequently MOST
DISAPPOINTED, even disgusted by some posts, but I post them anyway.

Bob Corbett