Dear Dr Sit, Stephan, Paul, Mr Liu, et al Mathematicians - and, yes, computer programmers, too - all people involved in the activity of formal (whether mathematically or object-oriented) modelling of the universe which requires BOTH hard creativity AND hard logic-thinking need to think and act like soldiers or cops. Whenever one of our fellow thinkers is in trouble - whether they are in prison or forced to go to court over some trivial thing or simply forced to go to court over a decision or action they made in which utilitarian good outweighs the bad - we should whine and complain and protest just like cops and soldiers do. Cops and soldiers demand and force upon everyone else their political rhetoric that "one should support them even if one does not agree with their actions." Then, we should abide by that ethic or philosophy, too. We need to force cops and soldiers to comprehend the logical consequence of that political rhetoric. The consequence is that one should honor and respect absolutely anyone - no matter whether some judge or lawyer labels them a "criminal" or "terrorist". That means that even if you disagree with what mathematician Dr Theodore Kaczynski did, he should NOT be forced against his will to suffer in prison. The negative to anyone that he may have caused as the "Unabomber" is insignificant compared to the positive he does to them and to the rest of the world as a mathematician. The contrapositive of this situation: if you don't like mathematicians applying this political philosophy, then you absolutely must not allow cops and soldiers to use it, either. The EASY thing for me to do is to ask you (or anyone) for money. The HARDER thing for me to do - yet the EASIER thing for YOU to do (compared to giving me money) - is to ask you to demand that your legislators (local, county, district, state, country, the UN) agree with this. Soldiers and cops should not be the only ones to be allowed to legally kill people. If civilians suffer the consequences of war or of unjust wars, then they should be praised, too, for using deadly force. All those who support unjust laws - or already have unjust laws in their favor and who reap the benefits of them - (for example, lawyers - although I HATE to unfairly pick on lawyers) - deserve to pay (suffer) for laws. Those who support just laws - such as animal rights, equality for women and minorities - all the traditional stuff - should NOT have been forced to suffer for THEIR cause. The actual application of this philosophy will be complicated, as one enumerates all positive and negative effects of each individual, and whether they deserve to be rewarded or punished. -- Dr. John Michael Nahay 25 Chestnut Hill Lane Columbus, NJ 08022-1039 resolvent@comcast.net home: 609-298-3650 cell: 301-760-6682