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An Open Letter to Senator Collins, Senator Lieberman and the Members of the Senate.
Over the last few days, we have seen the unrest in Egypt. One of the most disturbing aspects of this crisis has been the reaction of the Egyptian government. On January 27th, the Egyptian government shut down the Internet in the country, along with cell phone services. The purpose of the shut down was to stop the free communication between groups seeking political change.
In this country, the Internet has revolutionized everything from commerce to democracy. Political parties and groups use the Internet for everything from fund raising to communications to presenting news. While our founding fathers could not have conceived of the Internet when they wrote the First Amendment, if they were alive today, they would certainly embrace the freedom the Internet now gives us.
Senators Collins and Lieberman have introduced a bill entitled, “Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act.” In the blogosphere, we are referring to it as “the Internet Kill Switch bill.”
Those of us who operate groups or businesses online, particularly those who deal with issues of free speech and politics, are extremely concerned about this bill. It gives the President almost unfettered discretion in a national emergency to shut down parts of the Internet. What is even more disturbing is under the most recent version of this bill, the Federal Courts are denied jurisdiction to review a Presidential decision. This bill presents a huge potential for abuse, and could be almost a virtual repeal of the First Amendment. Put another way, could we ever conceive of a bill from Congress that authorized the President to shut down newspapers?
There is no doubt that there are forces out there that would like to harm our Internet infrastructure. We need to protect that infrastructure, but not at the cost of our basic freedoms.
Tea Party Nation, World Net Daily, Gradegov, Rick Scarbrough and Vision America Action, and Bishop E.W. Jackson of the Conservative Emergency Taskforce call upon Senators Collins and Lieberman to immediately withdraw the Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act. Should they elect not to, we call on the members of the United States Senate to openly place a HOLD on this bill under the new Senate procedures. We would also encourage those Senators to issue press statements as to why this HOLD is necessary."
In the last twenty years, our First Amendment freedoms have changed. Instead of the traditional newspapers or even broadcasting, most Americans now get their information from online sources.
Our First Amendment rights are too valuable to allow a national leader to repeal on because they are offended by political speech or news, Our founding fathers knew to limit the power given a leader who would be angered because that political speech or news was a threat to them. This bill gives too much unfettered power to one person. This is something our founding fathers feared.
To our elected Senators, we say, “Kill this bill!”
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by ANDREW SCHRAG on -
AMEN! THOSE WHO FAVOR THIS BILL SHOULD BE SCHEDULED FOR REMOVAL IN 2012.
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Permalink Reply by B. Mitchell Loebel on
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We should all be taking names.
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Permalink Reply by Sandra Grillette on
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WE ARE TAKING NAMES!!!!!!!!
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Permalink Reply by Michael C. Lagree on
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Those who favor this bill should have been scheduled for removal decades ago.
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Permalink Reply by Yolanda Buchanan on
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I would certainly sign a petition to kill this bill. God Bless
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Permalink Reply by norman scott osborne on
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Amen
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Permalink Reply by William T. Olson on
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would be riots in the streets in Washington if this passes (just a prediction).
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Permalink Reply by Dr. Rich Swier on -
Bad analogy but great analysis. In Egypt there is an Islamic state, which has been under siege by the Muslim Brotherhood.The Muslim Brotherhood has used the internet to recruit and train. In America this is taking place via the Muslim Students Associations (MSA) on our nation's university and college campuses. Watch for the demonstrations supported by the MSA in support of the Brotherhood.
Here we have the 1st Amendment, however, at what point is the internet used as a means to preach sedition and allow radicalized youth to become terrorists? While I fully support keeping the internet free of taxation and allow it to grow as a means of commerce, there is a need to monitor it for subversive activities.
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Permalink Reply by Judson Phillips on -
The analogy is not the conditions that cause the crisis. The analogy is that Murbarak by fiat ordered the Internet shut down in Egypt. This bill gives the President the same power. Do we really trust Obama with that power?
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Permalink Reply by James May on
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Hell no. He is planning to shut our all our freedoms and I can't understand how sjupposed intelligence ;people can go along with his policies.
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Permalink Reply by Randa Perry on
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So?.. It is better to be able to SEE so called "sedition" on the internet than be unaware of the problem. By the way.. Sedition is applicable to those sitting in the oval office as well... and we do "see it" and want to be able to always "see" the innerworkings of our elected and "appointed" government... Thanks to the Internet... certainly not the main stream bought off newspapers in this country. You . Dr... cannot fool us.
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Permalink Reply by james stamulis on -
yes but i can easily see where obama and his cronies would love to shut down all kinds of conservative websites using a lame excuse that we were planing violence just like we were responsible for the arizona shootings.
© 2012 Created by Judson Phillips.
