Help Save Net Neutrality!
Dear Renegade Waiter Blog Reader,
First, thank you for reading!
Second, “Net Neutrality” is in grave jeopardy, and needs your help. Net Neutrality is the application of common carrier rules to Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and broadband telecommunications carriers. These rules under which the internet is currently governed require ISPs to manage all Internet traffic on equal terms. Without such rules, ISPs could charge differently for or block traffic that has particular content or originates from a particular source. (wikipedia)
Since the internet has become an indispensable tool of the poor, voiceless, and political left to get and disseminate information and organize for change, you can imagine the far-reaching political ramifications of losing Net Neutrality. We may effectively lose the internet, and that of course is the objective, aside from becoming more obscenely rich, of those seeking to turn the internet superhighway into a series of elitist-only toll booths.
Net neutrality supporters are gearing up against a Senate vote on Sen. Ted “The Internet is a Series of Tubes” Stevens’ telecommunications bill (S 2686). This bad bill fails to protect Net Neutrality. To preserve Internet freedom, we need to be sure that this bill gets overhauled or stopped in its tracks.
Today, we launched a Senate map that makes it ridiculously easy to a) figure out where your Senators stand, and b) urge them to take a public stance in support of Internet freedom. The goal is to get as many senators on the record as possible before any vote on the Senate floor. You (and your readers) can help the cause by checking out the map and flooding the Senate with calls.
July is a pivotal month. The Senate leadership won’t schedule a vote on Stevens’ bad bill unless 60 senators say they’ll vote for it. Now’s the time to call senators and tell them to support Net Neutrality instead — and to oppose last-ditch industry efforts to push through a bill that more and more Americans are turning against.
We’re not the only ones who’ve been busy; there’s lots of creative work being produced in support of Net Neutrality. Check out this techno remix of Sen. Stevens’ recent speech, a slew of new clips on the SavetheInternet.com videos page and other artistic output at the SavetheInternet.com blog.
We need more creativity like this to call attention to what the telcos are trying to get away with — but eventually it all boils down to what the Senate does. So don’t forget to check out the map, call your Senators, and encourage your friends to do the same.
With your help, we can match the millions of dollars spent by AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth with millions of citizens speaking up for Internet freedom.
I’ve called my senators. Will you call yours now?
Thanks!
Mitch, a.k.a. Renegade Waiter
