This is a reminder that today is "blackout day" for many websites protesting the proposed USAmerican SOPA / PIPA bills. This site will not be engaging in the blackout because I already had an author interview scheduled today before the blackout was coordinated. However, I strongly oppose these bills as a major threat to free speech and a bypass around due process.
If you are a USAmerican, please consider writing your Senators and Representatives and asking them to oppose these bills.
12 comments:
More information here: http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com/2012/01/open-thread_18.html
And a very valuable graphic here: http://boingboing.net/2012/01/14/boing-boing-will-go-dark-on-ja.html
I have signed several petitions, but I am very afraid to try calling- I am terrible on the phone. Phones make me nervous, I stutter, and I also worry that I don't know enough of the talking points in order to sound good. However, as this bill has been explained to me, I cannot help but see it as a slippery slope to allowing corporations the chance to own the internet more than they already do. Is there anything else that could be recommended?
Email, maybe?
I am *terrible* on the phone - I feel anxiety every time I have to answer one - but email's a little better. I don't even talk much about why I don't like the bill: something along the lines of "I feel strongly that the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) will be ineffective in stopping piracy while actively harming groups that the government should protect, like whistleblowers. I also have concerns that the bill will violate freedom of speech and further pave the wave for intrusive legislation. I urge you to oppose the SOPA/PIPA legislation, and do everything in your power to stop its passage. Sincerely, [Dav]"
I suspect that a tally mark is all most emails get anyway, and plenty of other people will be more eloquent than me.
And then my brain reminds me that it really really wants a sopapilla, which is all I see when I read "SOPA/PIPA". Do you have any idea how many thousands of miles I'd have to travel from the Great White Midwest to get a proper green chile enchilada and sopas?
I've done some emailing, too. *shrugs* I'm especially flustered because I've seen my Congressman (Bob Corker) in person and know that he's an ass. He was unhappy that I didn't know who he was, tried to check him in at the museum I worked at, and that I stopped him, period. I had no VIP list and had no idea who he was. He tried to have me fired. *shrugs* I was quite polite to him, just asked him to stop and check in- which was my job. I kept the job, thankfully, but someone who tries to get someone else fired? For doing hir job? Good grief.
Ah, he sounds like a delight. Entitlement, much? My senators are hit or miss personality and policy-wise, but I've had good luck with my district reps over the years. I'm not terribly good at recognizing people in general, much less famous people - the only local congressperson I've had that I could reliably pick out of a lineup was Earl Blumenauer, who looks rather like Bill Nye. (And that would rely on Earl wearing his bowtie, so . . . yeah.)
I can recognize my current local representative, but neither of my senators, on sight. And I'd have to meet my representative in a context that I was expecting to - on the street, or at my job, I'd have no clue.
It is very likely that your call is recorded only as "issue" plus "for or against", so it does not matter if you are eloquent or tongue-tied. Apparently calls do count for more than emails. But if calling has a high personal price, it's a lot better to email than to do nothing.
I have been told, though do not know for sure, that handwritten letters get weighted pretty well. Of course in that case you need time for it to arrive.
I don't ever call, either, because I'm convinced a staffer will try to argue with me and that would be very distressing for me (I do not like confrontation with strangers). I think MaryKaye is right, though, that it probably just goes into the for/against pile ultimately. :)
(Didn't know that about hand-written letters, though!)
The one phone answerer I know is an intern, and spends a significant portion of her day being yelled at by constituents. She's just grateful when people are polite when they call.
I would guess US politics are just like UK politics in that there will be someone whose job it is to answer phone calls from constituents, and that their job is simply to record your views in as much detail as you choose to give them (and to take your name and address to confirm that you are a constituent) and then to thank you for calling. Whether that person agrees or disagrees with your views, you are very unlikely ever to know - the MP might argue with a constituent, assistants - paid or unpaid - will have strict instructions to say "Thank you for your views!" no matter what you say, just about.
I have very, very, very, very mean things to say about SOPA and PIPA. I have even meaner things to say about the politicians that came up with SOPA and PIPA. The things that I have to say are so mean that Bella Swan's internal monologue would resemble Mother Teresa in comparison.
So, I'm going to be respectful and not say anything. Not so much in terms of 'if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all'. But, rather, in terms of the mass censoring that the acts would bring about. In a way, I'm "celebrating" just like Google, Wikipedia, etc.
See? I can be nice. I can be hypothetical. I can be a Good Girl.
*goes on silent*
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