We have 14 days left to stop cable companies from controlling the Internet

[marym625]

Battle For The Net has an easy way for you to tell your representatives and the FCC we don't want Comcast, Time Warner and AT&T telling us what we can access.

On Feb 26 the FCC will vote to save net neutrality or let Comcast and other ISPs create Internet slow lanes. Some members of Congress, on behalf of their Cable donors, are trying to stop the FCC from protecting the Internet we love. There isn't much time to stop them, contact them now.

https://www.battleforthenet.com/

The site has a letter you can sign and it sends to your representatives, a script to use to call your representatives. It will even dial the phone for you to each one. Can't possibly be easier.

Just over 13 days left. Take action.

[brooklynite]

1. Isn't this a little out of date?

I haven't seen any sign that Wheeler's net neutrality proposal won't be adopted.

[marym625]

2. no.

They vote in 14 days.

[marym625]

14. I just deleted my reply

Because I said what I was trying to say very badly.

[merrily]

3. I sent a few internet letters to Wheeler last year.

I do things like that because --I guess I can't really explain it.

I don't think federal elected officials change their votes on the basis of our calls, emails or internet "signatures." With potential corporate donors like Comcast and their Party's caucus on one side and a call, email or internet petition from some fraction of their constituents on the other side, I don't the internet petitioners have a prayer in hell.

I think all these urgent sounding internet please do accomplish two things, though. One is put my contact info on someone's list, so they can dun me for donations relative to something they now know I care about and without paying someone else to acquire my contact info. The other thing I know they accomplish is to give a lot of us an illusion of control.

Gee, if only I got more people to sign that petition. If only I spent more hours phone banking. If only I drove more people to the polls to vote in this 1.25 party system.

However, as I said, I do it and I can't really explain why. But, there really is no reason for anyone to give out personal contact info in order to contact your own Senators or Representative. You can do it at senate.gov and/or house.gov. (Then, I guess only the US government gets to sell your contact info.)

[marym625]

4. You obviously don't have to use their links

The script they give is a great guideline to call or write yourself.

I will say that I have not once been hit up from this site for a donation. Unlike every single democratic candidate and other similar places looking for money.

You do it, I assume, for the same reason I do. Because to do nothing is not responsible. Whether or not we make an impact, if we completely give up, then what's the point? Why even be here?

[RiverLover]

5. +1 nt

[marym625]

6. Thanks.

Not going to lie, RiverLover. The lack of attention the net neutrality posts are getting is a little frightening to me. Not just my post. None in the last few days have done well.

[RiverLover]

7. If this doesn't go our way, the importance will s-s-sloooo-w-l-e-e-e

dawn on people as our internet slows to a crawl if we don't pay $200/mo or whatever they choose for faster internet...

I signed it. Thanks for posting.

[marym625]

9. THANK YOU!

Yep. I am actually more afraid of what will be hidden than what will be slow. Rewriting history is a commonplace thing. With this we take the chance that it needn't be rewritten. Just block access to the truth. How long would it take to be found out? And then fought?

Most kids don't have a clue how to research without the Internet. Imagine what will happen. It's so frightening.

[yeoman6987]

12. I pay 186 dollars now for cable and Internet

And I have a speed one below fastest. Do you think it is only going to raise to 200 dollars? I think it will be way more then that which is why it must stop. Don't we already pay more for Internet then the rest of the entire World?

[merrily]

10. Don't know if that's my reason. Spinning my wheels does not feel lto me like I'm being

responsible. But, whatever my reason, I think/hope I do it with no illusions that I am in control, even to the extent of a fraction consisting of one over 350 million. IMO, that illusion is not good for the 99%.

If we are ever actually going to get change, I think we need to realize that posting and signing internet petitions is not going to do the job. Not even close.

[marym625]

13. I completely agree

I realize this is just semantics, but it isn't a petition. It's a letter sent directly to the representatives.

I do agree with you. I still think that doing nothing is irresponsible. Whatever that something is.

Protesters are being met with violence and there's very little coverage

http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/29075-protesters-crash-fcc-as-gop-scrambles-against-net-neutrality

[merrily]

16. No, it is not an online petition. Violence. They stop at nothing.

BTW, my rep and Senators do often vote as I would like and I contact them anyway.

[marym625]

18. Thanks!

Well, Mark Kirk is one of my Senators. Have to say, as Republicans go, he's not the worst. But I make sure to contact him on everything. Durbin I don't have to worry about. I usually just thank him.

[merrily]

19. Warren, Markey and Lynch.

Lynch was a union worker who became a Congressional Rep supporter of unions and workers. He became more liberal culturally while in office, esp. when he ran against Markey for the Senate. This is no small part of why I love living in Boston. To win here, you almost HAVE to be left or "go there."

[marym625]

20. Ah! Boston

The east Chicago

Kidding. Chicago seems to be a little right of where we once were but still very left leaning. It's downstate that just makes Illinois swing so much. They want the Chicago tax dollars but within their control

[merrily]

21. And so it is in many places. Boston, Manhattan, blue states generally.

They hate, hate, hate us and our politics and want to boot us out of everything, except the Department of Revenue, the IRA, spending tourist dollars, etc.

[marym625]

23. +1

Too bad our money doesn't have control.

[Kelvin Mace]

8. Always time to get the fix in

Vigilance!

[WillyT]

15. HUGE K & R !!! - THANK YOU !!!

[marym625]

17. Thanks so much, Willy T!

[KoKo]

22. Great Post... Just because Wheeler has spoken out in favor of NN...

doesn't mean he has the votes. The public has to keep at it.

[marym625]

24. Thank you!

Yep. Exactly!