An Open Letter to My Congresspersuns
Nov. 17th, 2011 02:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mercy_angel_09Dear Congresspersuns,
I write this in response to the proposed legislation SOPA and PROTECT-IP, two bills that are touted as "anti-piracy" but are actually censorship legislation.
Both bills propose changes to how Americans access the internet, using tactics that are already employed in countries such as China, Iran and Syria. That particular revelation caused my jaw to drop, that our great nation would actually go so far, in the name of shutting down online piracy, as to use the exact same tactics employed by countries we often openly condemn for their lack of personal freedoms and backwards thinking. I am astounded that anyone would actually support that.
And yet most of congress does. Why is that? Is it because the large record companies and the MPAA are promising you big, fat checks? Does that mean that their money is worth more to you than the well being of your constituents? I wasn't aware that you worked for the record companies and the MPAA. I suppose, in some form or another you do, but you also work for every single American who will be affected by this ridiculous legislation. SOPA and PROTECT-IP merely block access pirated content, they do not care if the accusation is hurled around willy-nilly nor do they actually stop piracy. I cannot imagine that your voting public will be pleased to know that you actively supported the censoring of the internet. Please remember that in this state, the record companies and the MPAA cannot get you re-elected. If you anger your voters, we will have no issues with kicking you out of office in the next election season in favor of someone who believes that the internet should never, ever be censored.
I see SOPA and PROTECT-IP as the Prohibition Act of your generation. The way I see it, you may proceed in one of two ways. Support it and watch an explosion of underground, illegal activity that will be enormously difficult to stop, or call the bills on shenanigans and stop them, and find a better way to deal with online piracy. You know, something that actually stops and actively tries to prevent it.
Censoring the internet is not the answer. Anything that goes so far as to actively block content based on what is out there is no better than banning books from libraries. And do you really want to be remembered for banning books? That's not exactly a legacy to be proud of. Really, it's not. History has a way of making people who do such things look like a fool.
I encourage all of you to very carefully consider what the broad language of the bill encompasses, and if that's really what America needs. Censorship has never been the answer before, and it clearly is not the answer now.
Respectfully your constituent,
Megan L. Fullmer
I write this in response to the proposed legislation SOPA and PROTECT-IP, two bills that are touted as "anti-piracy" but are actually censorship legislation.
Both bills propose changes to how Americans access the internet, using tactics that are already employed in countries such as China, Iran and Syria. That particular revelation caused my jaw to drop, that our great nation would actually go so far, in the name of shutting down online piracy, as to use the exact same tactics employed by countries we often openly condemn for their lack of personal freedoms and backwards thinking. I am astounded that anyone would actually support that.
And yet most of congress does. Why is that? Is it because the large record companies and the MPAA are promising you big, fat checks? Does that mean that their money is worth more to you than the well being of your constituents? I wasn't aware that you worked for the record companies and the MPAA. I suppose, in some form or another you do, but you also work for every single American who will be affected by this ridiculous legislation. SOPA and PROTECT-IP merely block access pirated content, they do not care if the accusation is hurled around willy-nilly nor do they actually stop piracy. I cannot imagine that your voting public will be pleased to know that you actively supported the censoring of the internet. Please remember that in this state, the record companies and the MPAA cannot get you re-elected. If you anger your voters, we will have no issues with kicking you out of office in the next election season in favor of someone who believes that the internet should never, ever be censored.
I see SOPA and PROTECT-IP as the Prohibition Act of your generation. The way I see it, you may proceed in one of two ways. Support it and watch an explosion of underground, illegal activity that will be enormously difficult to stop, or call the bills on shenanigans and stop them, and find a better way to deal with online piracy. You know, something that actually stops and actively tries to prevent it.
Censoring the internet is not the answer. Anything that goes so far as to actively block content based on what is out there is no better than banning books from libraries. And do you really want to be remembered for banning books? That's not exactly a legacy to be proud of. Really, it's not. History has a way of making people who do such things look like a fool.
I encourage all of you to very carefully consider what the broad language of the bill encompasses, and if that's really what America needs. Censorship has never been the answer before, and it clearly is not the answer now.
Respectfully your constituent,
Megan L. Fullmer
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no subject
Date: 2011-11-17 11:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-11-17 11:21 pm (UTC)