Home
Archive
Columnists
Video
Blogs
Discuss
About
Search
Donate
Advertise
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Register to Vote: Rock the Vote, powered by Working Assets Wireless
Advertisement
  • AlterNetYour turn

Support AlterNet
Do you value the information you're getting from AlterNet? Please show your support with a tax-deductible donation.


Feedback
Tell us how we're doing.

Oppose Net Neutrality at your peril

Posted by Timothy Karr at 6:59 AM on February 20, 2007.


Tim Karr: Victory for blogs, victory for America...
s2917press03
The Christian Coalition's Michele Combs delivers one million petitions to Congress -- with MoveOn's Joan Blades and Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine)

Share and save this post:
Digg iconDelicious iconReddit iconFark iconYahoo! iconNewsvine! iconFacebook iconNewsTrust icon

Got a tip for a post?:
Email us | Anonymous form

Get PEEK in your
mailbox!

 

Guest post from Tim Karr.

Opposing Net Neutrality has become a political third rail for candidates who seek elected office, according to a story today in the Washington Post.

Post writer Charles Babington praised SavetheInternet.com Coalition efforts to mobilize the netroots and other Internet activists around this issue.

The Christian Coalition's Michele Combs delivers one million petitions to Congress -- with MoveOn's Joan Blades and Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine)

Net Neutrality "was hardly a household term" before the spring of 2006, Babington writes. Yet, now, every major Democratic presidential candidate has endorsed it as have much of the new leadership in Congress.

Many on the other side of the aisle are coming around to the issue as well. A veteran political campaign consultant told Babington, "if you're not for net neutrality, then the blogs will kick your [ass]."

That this issue has grown to such prominence is a testament to our efforts, writes Babington:

"Last spring, the debate over net neutrality barely scratched the consciousness of Congress, let alone the general public, after a House subcommittee defeated an effort to add net-neutrality restrictions to a multi-faceted telecommunications bill. The 23 to 8 vote goaded more than 850 interest groups, many, but not all, politically left of center, to form a coalition called SavetheInternet.com."

Our coalition includes groups from across the political spectrum. Michele Combs of the Christian Coalition of America told the Post that Net Neutrality is a nonpartisan issue and that "the conservative side has not been educated on the issue."

Still, the Christian Coalition along with the Gun Owners of America have successfully rallied support from their membership calling Net Neutrality an issue for conservatives, libertarians, and other champions of free speech and the free market.

"As long as Congress is making the rules for a handful of major companies in providing the infrastructure, it has to make certain those companies give equal access to all comers," wrote Gun Owners Internet director Craig Fields. "That's the way it has been for the very lifetime of the free and open Internet we're all interested in maintaining."

MoveOn.org's Adam Green added that Net Neutrality should transcend political lines. "An issue like Net Neutrality, which directly taps into Internet issues. . . could have a special energy in the political season," he said. "Every Republican and Democrat who uses the Internet is threatened by corporations that want to control which Web sites people can access."

Digg!

Tagged as: net neutrality

Timothy Karr is the campaign director of Free Press. He blogs at MediaCitizen.


Hagee's Revenge? Videos Of Controversial Pastor Removed From YouTube
As Christians United for Israel summit approaches, copyright and PR trump evangelism.
Post by Sam Stein. July 8, 2008.
White House Briefing Materials Describe Italian PM as "Amateur", "Hated by Many"
WH apologizes to PM Berlusconi, a close ally of Bush and backer of Iraq war.
Post by Lindsay Beyerstein. July 8, 2008.
Rep. Waxman Threatens to Hold Contempt Vote on AG Mukasey
Mukasey must produce FBI interview with Cheney, or face the consequences.
Post by Satyam Khanna. July 8, 2008.

Comments Turn comments off sitewide Give us feedback »
Comments closed.
The comments for this story have been closed. Thank you to everyone who participated.
View:
Last Thread
Posted by: NoPCZone on Feb 20, 2007 7:29 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
The open internet is the last form of media not under the thumb of a handful of media titans and is the most democratic form of media yet devised. It is also the last communications form available to counter big media spin and infotainment. If net neutrality goes away you can kiss it all goodbye.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

» RE: Last Thread Posted by: Alan8
» RE: Last Thread Posted by: Techubus