To:       INTERNET:dateline @ nbc.com @ cishub @ cserve
  cc:
  From:     Dave McIntyre/I.S./Ashland Chemical/US
            dave_mcintyre.ashchem@notes.compuserve.com
  Date:     04/27/95 01:16:58 AM
  Subject:  Notice of misinformation

  To Whom It May Concern:

  I feel that the NBC Dateline report (4/26/95) about the availability of
  bomb making information on the Internet was deplorable.  The insinuation
  that the Internet is a new source of this information, where it was not
  available before, is truly irresponsible and ignorant journalism.  NBC,
  once very respected by me as a source of relatively non-biased reporting
  of events and issues, should be ashamed.

  The mere fact that this information has been available to students in
  their high school libraries for years was completely overlooked.  This
  was the way that I first found information regarding making kitchen, and
  fertilizer-fuel oil bombs.  Books found in school libraries taught me how
  to do all that and more.  The plain truth it that it was common for kids
  to make pipe, and other small bombs then, as it is now.  Bomb making and
  other pyrotechnic activities are popular among adolescent and young adult
  males.  Many parents never find out that their child actually has made a
  real bomb.  The body of knowledge for making small bombs is active in our
  culture, and therefore would not need to be written, or stored on any
  medium to be usable for illicit purposes.

  If it weren't for Stone Phillips' comments after the segment on the true
  source of the Nichols brothers' bomb making information,  a "reasonable
  person" would have been led to believe that the Internet was their source
  for technical "bomb-making" information.  This serving to further advance
  the bias of the segment as a whole, at the expense of, and fueled by the
  American people's emotions while coming to grips with the horrific>  
  tragedy in Oklahoma City.
  The opinions of your security consultant were correct, in that there is
  no one to "police" the Internet, other than the users of the Internet
  themselves.  I am a relatively experienced Internet navigator, and I have
  never come across any of this kind of material, although I know it is out
  there.  It is true that if I wanted to obtain this material, I could
  probably find it.  I choose not to look for it.

  I could also find books on bomb making in free-market America, knowing
  that they are available.  How do I know they are available?  Because I
  know they exist, and I have the right to assume that they are available
  under the First Amendment.

  Why should it be acceptable to censor, or filter information available on
  the Internet, where it is not acceptable to restrict publication of the
  books themselves.  Is it just the fact that you don't have to leave home
  to obtain this information?  How do you keep people from obtaining
  information and learning about any subject?  You can't.  Another nick
  from the double-edged freedom of speech sword.

  Did the evolution of television as an information medium scare people as
  much as with the electronic medium?  Probably not, or NBC would most
  likely not be around today.


  David B. McIntyre