Save Net Neutrality
Net neutrality is a law that affects us all. It gives us the right to watch our favorite shows on Netflix, say hello to our friends on Snapchat and look at funny pictures of cats online without being hindered by big corporations. It gives us the right to use the Internet as we please to do whatever we see fit, so long as it is within legal boundaries. One could say that the net neutrality legislation is an extension of the First Amendment by giving us the right to express ourselves to the world freely and without hesitation.
But the legislation that gives us the freedom to use the Internet without barriers is in danger. Big cable companies, such as Time Warner and Comcast, are pressing the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Congress to repeal net neutrality. Ajit Pai, the head of the FCC, is more than willing to sacrifice your Internet rights just to collect money from lobbyists.
In fact, many (mostly Republican) congressmen and women are willing to collect paychecks from the major Internet service providers while leaving you under the greedy eyes of the corporate machine. As it stands on Dec. 2, the fight against the repealing of net neutrality is looking pretty bleak. Thousands of campaigns, petitions and phone calls have been received by Congress, but it’s still very likely that the legislation will be repealed. If net neutrality is indeed repealed, that’s bad news for those of us who are used to using the Internet without barriers.
What would an Internet without net neutrality look like? Imagine paying extra to access basic social services like Facebook. Imagine being charged every time you wanted to watch a YouTube video. Imagine companies like Comcast deciding what you can and cannot do on the Internet. It sounds like something straight out of a dystopian novel, but the scariest part is that this is most definitely going to happen.
Truthfully, it’s startling to see such an abuse of power being supported by Congress and the FCC. Corporate lobbying, something that so blatantly violates the freedom and rights of Americans, is an undemocratic travesty. Net neutrality’s repealing is yet another sign that our Republican-controlled Congress really doesn’t care all that much about the American people—they clearly care more about the corporations that bolster their paychecks than the people who elect them. We see this in other areas of Republican lawmakers. Take, for example, the new, incomplete tax bill that’s already raced through Congress. Even that bill offers breaks to corporations while doing little to nothing for the middle class.
The repealing of net neutrality should be a wakeup call to all Americans, reminding us that lobbyists should not run Congress. Instead, we should. Corporations should not control our Congress, but no progress in getting rid of wealthy lobbyists can be made if people turn a blind eye to them. It’s up to us to change this, and with enough work, we definitely can.