4/22 CISPA Page

Today many go dark on the net, again, to oppose an invasive law that destroys our rights as humans in the realm we spend an increasing amount of our lives in — our networks.

I’m tired and busy and frustrated, but I wanted to take a moment and remind you of something: you deserve better. But you aren’t going to get better until you begin, until you pour yourself into thoughts and actions and words, all pushing towards the better that you deserve. This, then, is the momentum that made not only the framework of our beloved rights centuries ago, but the net itself.

Do, before the forces of fear in the world undo.

I tried to write about CISPA specifically last year, but the ridiculousness of the situation stuck in my throat, and instead I wrote about the whole idea of these terrible laws:

Here We Go Again

DMCA, ACTA ,TPP, COICA, SOPA, PIPA, PCIPA –to the alphabet soup of civil rights destroying bills, add CISPA — the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act. It’s horrible, of course. It lets the government and companies spy on your communications with impunity, even if you’re not a cybersecurity threat. There’s no safeguards, accountability, or transparency built in. It would do the Stasi proud, and lets law enforcement round up file sharers, demonstrators, or whoever they don’t like this week. You should write your representative, blah blah blah.

Honestly, I’m tired of writing this article. I’ve been writing it for years, changing the name of the legislation and the order of the rights violations. We often win, and get to keep our rights to privacy and free speech, and then days later the whole thing starts again. It’s exhausting. Why are we stuck doing this?

Our country has real problems, and the internet isn’t one of them. Our schools suck, our infrastructure is failing, we have a crappy economy, high unemployment, and skyrocketing medical costs. In the middle of all that, why do we also have to fight our own government’s efforts to take away our rights?

Maybe the better question for our lawmakers this time isn’t “Will you oppose this latest Orwellian attempt to spy on the American people en masse?” but “Why do you keep treating everyone in America like an enemy?” That’s what all these bills have in common– we, the people just trying to get through our lives driving crumbling roads to our bad schools with crappy jobs and high medical bills– we’re who these bills are trying to defeat.

Tell your representative you’re not the enemy, you just want your internet, and not to be spied on. Pretty much the only fun thing left is the internet, which is why we fight so hard to keep it.

Seriously, Fuck CISPA.

One thought on “4/22 CISPA Page

  1. Bill Davis

    Wow, great article, and I could not agree more. Why do we have to have this fight? Because the ascendant power of the corporate entity has been allowed to screw over the rest of us for a few pennies more. Can we win, yes, eventually, and unfortunately, it will take many more of us getting pissed off enough to take to the street.

    But the world will become a better place after this transition, although if you are very well off now, that may not mean you will be better off after that change hits, especially if you are one of the 1%, as they pushed so hard to keep their ripped off profits, that many will judge them and find them wanting.

    It is time to end the corporate takeover of our society, and quit looking at corporations as people. If it comes down to corporate rights vs democracy, which seems to be where we are at, just remember, “if you don’t fight you lose”.

    Best of life to you Quinn, it is obvious you are blessed with your daughter. May it work out for you in all good ways.

    I remember Aaron!

    Bill Davis
    @kcbill13

    Reply

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