I found this on a site that has an archive of old text files from
the BBS days of the mid 80s and it still rings true today. (Maybe
even more so)

Bill of Rights Lite

Amendment I

Congress shall encourage the practice of Judeo-Christian religion
by its own public exercise there of, and shall make no laws
abridging the freedom of responsible speech (unless such speech is in a 
digital form or contains material that is copyrighted, classified, proprietary 
or offensive to non-Europeans, non-males, differently abled or alternatively
prefferenced persons), or the right of people to peaceably assemble (unless
such assembly takes place on corporate or military property or within an
electronic environment), or to petition the government for redress of
grievances (unless such grievances relate to national security).

Amendment II

A well-regulated militia having become irrelevant to the security
of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms against one
another shall remain uninfringed (excepting such arms as may be afforded
by the poor or those preferred by pushers, terrorists and organized
criminals which shall be banned).

Amendment III

No soldier shall, in time of peace, be quartered in any house
without the owners consent, unless that house is thought to have been used
for the distribution of illegal substances.

Amendment IV

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses,
papers, and the effects against unreasonable searches and seizures may be
suspended to protect public welfare. Upon the unsupported suspicion of law
enforcement officials, any place or conveyance shall be subject to immediate
search, and any such places or conveyances, or property within them may be
permanently confiscated without further judicial proceeding.

Amendment V

Any person may be held to answer for a capital or otherwise
infamous crime involving illicit substances, terrorism or upon any suspicion 
whatever, and may be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy 
of life or limb (once by the state courts, once by the Federal judiciary), and 
may be compelled by various means (including the forced submission of breath 
samples, bodily fluids, or encryption keys) to be a witness against himself, 
refusal to do so constituting an admission of guilt, and may be deprived of 
life, liberty, or property without furthor legal delay, and any private 
property thereby forfitted shall be dedicated to the discretionary use of the 
law-enforcement agents without just compensation.

Amendment VI

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right 
to speedy and private plea-bargaining before entering a plea of guilty. The
accused is entitled to the assistance of underpaid and indifferent
counsel to negotiate his sentence, except where such sentence falls under
manitory sentencing requirements.

Amendment VII

In suits at common law where the contesting parties have nearly
unlimited resources to spend on legal fees the right to trial by jury shall
be preserved.

Amendment VIII

Sufficient bail may be required to ensure that dangerous criminals will
remain in custody, where cruel and unusual punishments are usually inflicted.

Amendment IX

The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not be construed
to deny or disparage other rights that may be retained by the government to 
preserve public order, family values, or national security.

Amendment X

The powers not delgated to the United States by the Constitution
are reserved for the departments of Justice and Treasury, except when the
states are willing to forsake Federal financing.


Written by John Perry Barlow, a lyricist for the Gratefull Dead
and cofounder of the EFF. First printed by the New York Times

Back to Idle Thoughts Are Often True