[liberationtech] Tragic News: Aaron Swartz commits suicide

[Sheila Parks]

Thanks, Shava

I will keep on watching for your posts

I am reading this list now at any rate, so should see it easily

Sheila

At 02:21 PM 1/13/2013, you wrote:
>I was thinking the MIT meeting would be an evening sometime later in 
>the week, but I wanted to see who showed up Tuesday, and if I could 
>get a small committee together so maybe a later announcement?
>
>I wanted to see if I could get an MIT person who could schedule a room.
>
>yrs,
>SN
>
>On Sun, Jan 13, 2013 at 11:34 AM, Sheila Parks 
><<mailto:sheilaruthparks at comcast.net>sheilaruthparks at comcast.net> wrote:
>Thank you, Shava, for organizing a vigil.
>
>I work on Mon and Tues
>
>When do you think you will do the one at MIT or wiil that be right 
>after the Courthouse one on Tuesday?
>
>And thank you to all of you for discussing this tragedy
>
>I don't often comment on this list but I am so glad to be here for 
>this discussion
>
>I do blame MIT and the US Attorneys
>
>Sheila
>
>
>At 11:23 AM 1/13/2013, you wrote:
>
>This is what I understand of Aaron's action.
>
>First, to be clear, JSTOR settled with Aaron last summer.
>
>Aaron was trying to raise consciousness around their model.  JSTOR 
>does not pay out a penny to the author or the author's host 
>institution.  They do not pay royalties to the research funders - 
>often the taxpayer, so maybe you and me.  In other circumstances 
>this would make the work public domain.
>
>The only money goes to the paper journal publisher.  That is the 
>firewall consortium JSTOR represents.
>
>That is the message Aaron meant to amplify with what he likely saw 
>as political/ethical art performance civil disobedience.
>
>Personally I think if he had not been on federal radar for 
>organizing SOPA/PIPA nothing more would have come from it as a 
>Harvard-connected white academic of a certain status.
>
>But as it is, he faced seven figures in damages and three decades in 
>hard time even after he settled with JSTOR.
>
>This is the way my family has observed activists attempted to be 
>neutralized by the immune system of the federal government since 
>Eugene Debs.  I have three generations of witness.
>
>My instinct is that when you see resources expended out of 
>proportion, look for the proportionate end.  Aaron was not being 
>chilled for his potential in copying files, I suspect.  He just 
>handed them something for which he could be charged.
>
>We can't let it go without response just because it is classic and 
>chronic.  I am organizing a vigil at 1 Courthouse in Boston 2pm 
>Tuesday, probably small, and we'll follow on from that at MIT.
>
>Federal Prosecutor Ortiz does not seem like a monster in general, 
>and there is hope for some good nonviolent ends out of this.
>
>Feedback welcome.
>
>Yrs,
>--
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>
>Sheila Parks, Ed.D.
>Founder
>Center for Hand-Counted Paper Ballots
>Watertown, MA  02472
><tel:617%20744%206020>617 744 6020
>DEMOCRACY IN OUR HANDS
><http://www.handcountedpaperballots.org>www.handcountedpaperballots.org
><mailto:sheila at handcountedpaperballots.org>sheila at handcountedpaperballots.org
>
>
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>
>--
>
>Shava Nerad
><mailto:shava23 at gmail.com>shava23 at gmail.com
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Sheila Parks, Ed.D.
Founder
Center for Hand-Counted Paper Ballots
Watertown, MA  02472
617 744 6020
DEMOCRACY IN OUR HANDS
www.handcountedpaperballots.org
sheila at handcountedpaperballots.org
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