In article <9207211416.AA02420 at genbank.bio.net>, T80SMS1 at NIU.bitnet writes:
>macrides at WFEB2.BITNET writes:
> Subject: Re: The '92 Election...
> Date: 20 Jul 92 16:39:54 GMT
[...]
> NOBODY is trying to stifle anyone's right to speak. However,
> within the bounds of such a right is the notion of proper time
> and place. All that Dave has said is that THIS forum (BIOSCI)
> is inappropriate for political speech. Given that there are
> other places to express such opinions, all he is asking is that
> you use them to say WHATEVER you wish. This is VERY different
> from Tricky Dick's squelshing of all contrary public opinion.
>> *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
> * Samuel M. Scheiner + Being a scientist is like *
> * Department of Biological Sciences + beating one's head *
> * Northern Illinois University + against a wall and then, *
> * DeKalb, Illinois 60115 + when the wall begins to *
> * Phone: (815) 753-7847 + crumble, picking another *
> * Fax: (815) 753-0461 + intact wall against which *
> * Bitnet: t80sms1 at niu + to beat. Steven Vogel *
> *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
Dave asked "Roy (and others)" to evaluate what we say within the
context of whether it might jeopardize his pending NSF grant to continue his
management (and Kenton's technical assistance) of the bionet/BIOSCI forums
after September. The NCBI staff must be very careful what they say in public
forums (and commonly choose to say nothing) in effect because some
congressperson might read it with adverse consequences for NCBI's funding.
Worries about "funding strings" regularly cause knee-jerk reactions in these
forums that indeed "stifle" free expression on matters of importance to
biologists, and differ from "Tricky Dick's squelshing of all contrary public
opinion" only by degree (IMHO).
Fote
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Foteos Macrides Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology
MACRIDES at WFEB2.BITNET 222 Maple Avenue, Shrewsbury, MA 01545
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