SOPA/PIPA uproar as an example of how to make change

You've been on Facebook, or on NYTimes.com, or talked to someone who uses a computer regularly and you've heard about SOPA/PIPA. 

Maybe you don't know exactly what it is all about, but the general gist you've gathered is that people are worried about having a censored internet.

Today Wikipedia is "dark" for the day in protest of SOPA/PIPA.  If you need to find out random facts, or want to "create your own album title by using he random articles link" you will have to google or wait until tomorrow.

Obama just released that he does not support this piracy legisaltion, so you can take a deep breath that for now our internet access won't change for the time being.

My understanding is part of the actual purpose of SOPA/PIPA is to cut down on the types of sites that allow for large amounts of pirating of information (music, movies, etc), which are typically not US based websites.  What has a lot of people upset is the implications of what else they could censor, and the fact that nothing should be censored, we're freaking America.

While I'm not really thrilled at the idea of having less access to free stuff, if there are copyright infringements, then frankly there probably SHOULD be some regulation to be taking better care of these things.  Think of your friends who are local artists and how they will now have a much harder time making any money on the album they put together because people can download pirated copies versus paying a buck a song on iTunes.  This relly hurts the little guys.  The big stars make most of their money doing tours and concerts, and frankly that change came when lovely Napster reared its ugly (but at the time awesome) head.  But still, if we aren't paying for what we consume, it hurts someone, likely the little guy.

The big internet guys - Facebook, Google, Reddit, etc. have come out and said that the current legislation that is trying to be passed isn't good enough, and that a lot of revisions would need to be made to make sure that the consumer and the web based companies are both protected but also remain with free will/access to whatever they please. 

This is a funny "Day the Music Died" parody abou SOPA/PIPA.

The reason I'm posting about this is not because I'm worried about the internet.  I think that it will work out, we're loud enough as a community (the internet community) to really make changes.  Look what happens when some large websites protest, and people spread the word on things like twitter/facebook.  Everyone knows about it, people are up in arms, and then Obama, or whoever is forced to take a stand about it. 

This is true with anything. 

If we make enough noise we can make change happen. 

The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

I have to be honest.  While I really am anti censorship and stand behind making sure the regulations are fair and realistic, I'm a little embarrased by the sheer volume of outrage at this legislation compared to other issues.

Why?

Because I have never seen so many FB statuses, so much discussion, etc about ANY other cause/legislation/etc. 

Even the Occupy movement was more splintered and there were a fair amount of people who posted about it that were annoyed about the change trying to be made (or maybe just the way it's being gone about), but even something bigger, dealing with something bigger, didn't get as much of a push as SOPA/PIPA is.

When we feel our day to day life is threatened, when we worry that we won't be able to read Perez at work, or when we worry that we might have to pay for those movie downloads, we act out.  I'm not saying we shouldn't act out...but where are our values, what is most important to us?  What about the people who don't have much of a voice, people without internet, what about their struggles?

Why are we not as motivated or pushed to raise our voices all together to call for change about education in this country, or about the poverty we have IN this country, or about woman's rights, equal rights, etc etc etc etc...nevermind all the things/aweful scenerios we can get upset about happening abroad.

I don't know. 

I feel it's necissary we stand up for what we feel is important...but when did the internet trump actual human issues?  I'm guilty of it too...this isn't about you, it's about all of us. 

I use Facebook a lot.  I blog.  I email.  I read my news online...But I also think it's important that we get this loud about things that are more fundamental like health, wellness, education, etc.

Look what is already happening from our voices about SOPA/PIPA.

Imagine what we could do if we all came together like this and were really loud about something else, something more...important, dare I say.

Until next time (if I'm not censored),

E

ps.  Can Pippa sue the SOPA/PIPA legislation for accidental defamation of character? I bet it has some people confused. :) 

Excuse me...

I feel like I get asked things on the street by strangers very frequently...more than the average person.  I guess I have nothing to compare it to because I don't know how often you're stopped on the street, but either way, it feels like a lot.  

Maybe I look really unassuming, or as if I know where I'm going, maybe it's because they see I'm in a rush and know that I need to be slowed down a bit for my own sanity...and for whatever reason today was no exception.  

Typically I get asked for the time, directions, "do you know where XYZ is?" etc, like it was today (twice).  Sometimes it is really random things, or people make a comment about something you both witness.  Recently I was waiting for the train and someone walked by who was dressed, how do you say, like a person who doesn't own a mirror and shops at a costume store?  The guy standing next to me looked at me and said "Ooof, what happened there?".  I laughed and I was glad that my own attire lead him to believe that I'd agree with him.

Many times it's not so much by chance, but you're hunted by those sweet but tortured souls asking for signatures and/or money for causes...

Admittedly they are tricky and have managed to seep into my chest and pull at my heart strings from time to time.

"Excuse me, do you care about starving children?" Um, yeah, obviously.

"Excuse me, do you want the earth to keep being polluted?" No, I'm pro-Earth.

"Excuse me, do you have time to hear about this aweful thing that is going on even though your life is stressful and you listen to awful things all day long for your job?" Okay they don't really say that but essentially that is the message.

Right now my typical response is "I'm sorry...you have a hard job!".  That definitely doesn't answer their questions, and it only minimizes my guilt slightly, as I walk past them and into my coffee shop, book store or CVS. 

Okay well really, if I wasn't a student and had a decent paying job (c'mon May/June...no whammy, no whammy!) there are several causes, I'm sure, I would support without hesitance.  I'm just not sure what those are.

So while I'm not the most educated/cultured/worldly person out there, I'd say I'm educated, I'm a bit cultured and worldly enough that I'm slightly ashamed to say:  I'm not really sure what causes I'd really like to support. 

I do some stuff...I always vote locally, I've written to my local representatives about local issues that come up or issues in legislation that I think are important, I've helped my mom who does a lot for the environmental movement...and I'm sure there are other things, too.

I do secretly (not so secret anymore) wish I was a true NPR snob, I mean buff, because I feel like then I'd really know more about the world, and sound smarter.  But really, I enjoy it and listen in the car or on my Droid NPR app whenever I can (yes even through their annoying week long, now 4 day long, fund raisers).  And, who doesn't love, "Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me"?

Anyway, so I would probably support NPR.

So what are other things I find important?

-Health Care - Mental Health - facilities/access/local community support centers, etc

-Environmentally conscious and improving companies, building, technology, etc

-Education/children - but no idea what would be helpful at this point...I have a hard time thinking I want to give money to my undergraduate university or my graduate school, they've gotten enough from me...

-Internationally?  Well there are so many needs even here in the States, and really so many elsewhere I don't know where to start...Some organizations I know about (and importantly I've heard are trustworthy) are Heifer International www.heifer.org and OXFAM International www.oxfam.org. 

I got an email yesterday saying that today was the sign up for Alternative Spring Break which I got totally excited about, I had assumed registration was months ago.  I thought "perfect I can finally do something cool, to help people and go somewhere different!"  Well by 9am this morning all the slots were full.  The good news is there are a lot of people that want to help, the bad news is I'm not going on alternative spring break. I wonder if I should take that as a sign to go away and find a beach somewhere instead?  

I guess by posting this, I'm trying to put out my feelers to see what I want to be involved in, even if it's not monetarily.

What's your cause? I'd like to hear!

Until next time,

E

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