http://qs321.pair.com?node_id=112407

disclaimer---Sorry for a political rant, I guess I will post to /. next.
I feel the need to comment on these aspects of the tragedy that took place Tuesday and ask my fellow U.S. monks for help in trying to keep our freedoms.
The good- The out pouring of sympathy and united front that great people from around the world have displayed in light of this horrible event.
The bad-The horrible act of cowardice that took place on Tuesday.
The ugly-The acts that the U.S. Congress feels it needs to take to prevent another attack like this. In an article located at http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,46816,00.html,Declan McCullagh points out the steps that have already started in an attempt to limit cryptography laws world wide. His article discusses a speech in which a U.S. senator mentions globally requiring cryptography products to have a back door to them.

I have several issues with requiring a back door-
1.Why does the government need to be able decrypt my messages?Where does it end? Do I then need to give the government an account on my pc? A key to my door? The U.S. Bill of Rights guarantees all U.S. citizens, free speach and undue searches.
2.What happens when we decide to no longer share this technology? Are we going to have to change all encryption programs so that a country that is now unfriendly with the U.S. government can't have it? In our countries past 25 years, we have supported both Iraq in its war against Iran and Afghanistan against the Soviet Union. Now we flirting with war with both.
3.Is it likely to stop the bad guys anyway? What is to say that terrorist organizations won't be able to find some 12 year old hacker to write their own cryptography solution?

Fellow monks, I now ask you to take action to prevent Big Brother from taking another step in watching us. Please when the the dust has started to settle, contact your legislators and voice your opinions in regard to this matter.

"The social dynamics of the net are a direct consequence of the fact that nobody has yet developed a Remote Strangulation Protocol." -- Larry Wall