Forwarded Message:

   Date: Mon, 24 Feb 1997 20:35:55 -0600 (CST)
   From: Vladimir Kulyukin <cs.uchicago.edu at kulyukin>

    Date: 24 Feb 1997 18:38:03 U
      From: "Byron Davies" <mesaqm.sps.mot.com at Byron_Davies>
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      Lisp Developers and Satisfied Users,

      The renaissance of Lisp is underway.  The use of Lisp is once again
      expanding, with successful applications in advanced video game development,
      advanced web server development, factory scheduling, VLSI computer-aided
      design, Gulf War logistics, and many other domains.

      Lisp is regaining favor in government circles.  There will be a U.S. House of
      Representatives Subcommittee meeting this Wednesday, February 26 to discuss
      the strategic importance of the Lisp programming language to the national
      economy.  Attendees include Olivier Clarisse and Byron Davies representing
      the Association of Lisp Users (ALU), Hazem Sayed of Digitool representing
      Lisp software suppliers, and Dr. James Gatzka, who has been carrying the Lisp
      cause to his many friends in all branches of the U.S. government.  (Dr.
      Gatzka has also convinced a government agency to commit $200K to support an
      expanded ALU Lisp Conference this August, and U.S. Vice President Al Gore to
      give the keynote speech at the conference).

      This note is a call for action on the part of Lisp developers and their
      satisfied customers.  We need you -- and every Lisp person you know -- to
      send a fax in support of Lisp to the House Subcommittee for District of
      Columbia Affairs.   This Subcommittee has the responsibility for revitalizing
      the city of Washington, D.C.  They have been persuaded that Lisp, symbolic
      computing technology, and the applications that these make possible, could
      provide a key technological boost to this program.  For example, they have
      proposed starting four charter schools with Lisp as a component of the
      curriculum.

      We need to let the Subcommittee know that a broad and committed community of
      Lisp developers/users exists.  In your note to the Subcommittee, please
      include:

      1. Who you are: education, employment, where you live.
      2. Your desire to see Lisp and symbolic computing technology flourish, and to
      use Lisp in your own work.
      3. A successful Lisp application that you are associated with.
      4. Your estimate of Lisp as an important strategic technology.

      If you have easy fax access, please fax your note to:

      House Subcommittee for District of Columbia Affairs
      Attn: Roland Gunn
      Fax# 202-225-4960.

      If it's not easy for you to send a fax, please email your note to
      <pobox.com at davies> and I will pass it along.  Also, pass this request on to
      your Lisp colleagues.

      One result of this initiative will be increased funding for the continued
      development and standardization of Common Lisp and other Lisp dialects.  For
      example, with funding likely to be available, the ALU is now planning Lisp
      workshops for this summer to focus on Common Lisp standards for
      multiprocessing and distributed computing.

      This is an opportunity to overrule "worse is better" (Gabriel's explanation
      for why C beat Lisp).  Better is better!  And what's better is Lisp.

      Thank you for your help.

      Byron Davies, Ph.D.
      Director, Association of Lisp Users
      Motorola Semiconductor Products Sector

      ================

      Please note: This is not a call for spamming or letter bombing. Please 
      write to the House Subcommittee only if you believe Lisp deserves the
      recognition and support of the U.S. Government.
      =====================================================================