Your Freedom of Speech Endangered, Today

Today! Not even next week! This is a call of some urgency: your freedom of speech in endangered. The minutemen of Concord and Lexington were on alert to rise to the needs of the American Revolution when the British were moving against the rebellious Massachusetts colonists. They were available on a moment’s notice, hence their name. In this moment of now, there is another need that calls for action.

Here is the assessment of https://www.savetheinternet.com/sti-home:

“Net Neutrality keeps the internet free and open — enabling anyone to share and access information of their choosing without interference from companies like AT&T, Comcast and Verizon. But the Trump administration wants to shut down the open internet.

The Federal Communications Commission passed historic rules protecting Net Neutrality in 2015, but Trump’s FCC chairman, Ajit Pai, wants to destroy them. Despite Net Neutrality’s popularity across the political spectrum, Pai is conspiring right now with industry lobbyists to take away these crucial protections."

On Thursday, Dec. 14, the FCC intends to vote on a plan to end “net neutrality.” There is a possibility that that vote may be delayed, but for now [as of 12/10/17] it is set to vote then. Admittedly there is confusion for the public on the details of the issue. “Title II” is more at the heart of the issue, and “net neutrality” is a term that has different meanings depending on who you talk to, or who you read. In context of the controversy, one thing is clear to me: net neutrality is essential to society and to democracy. One commentator noted, “we’ve seen time and time again that eventually there’s no limit to what companies will do that turns out to be ultimately harmful to consumers and harmful to innovation…In the end, the issue of net neutrality and Title II will have to be resolved by Congress.”

My bias is clear, despite the confusing mound of information and misinformation on the issue. The ability of ISP’s to slow down and/or block websites, or charge sites extra fees or even block web sites or apps, that ability needs to be restricted, completely. And, the time to defend that freedom is today. The vote is scheduled. The one way to oppose the taking away of your freedoms is by direct action, today: call your senators and representatives. The FCC board of five still requires Congress’ approval on any change that the FCC may propose.