My Open Letter to MN Senators Al Franken, Amy Klobuchar and MN Congressman Timothy Walz
Rethinking the 1%'s SOPA/PIPA and the 99%'s Social Media Literacy
Dear Honorable MN Senators Al Franken, Amy Klobuchar, and MN Congressman Timothy Walz
As I'm sure you're aware today there are thousands of websites across the internet attempting to raise awareness today by participating in the SOPA Blackout.
Good Work
I do not believe it's right to debase a man's good name. I believe that it is our duty to God and ourselves to secure the good work of our neighbors, friends, and business in society. This is where faith begins. This is where our culture and way of life begins building our future.
How are we to move forward? How are we to know that the platform we work tirelessly day and night, year to year building for ourselves and our family, won't be pulled out from under us in the blink of an eye. Should I not have a chance to defend it first?
Awareness
By status quo I'm an uneducated man. I have no degree. However, over the last 5 years I have become more aware of my world and my place in it than my grandfather could have in a lifetime. We are approaching a great awakening.
I can barely code a website from memory, but at the same time from my humble home in Blue Earth, MN I'm about to launch a social media network for my county. One that allows friends and family to build webpages, create groups, and update a county newsfeed with their latest announcements. But more importantly, share the truth as they see it.
I'm technically not a professional. Yet I've gained insight from some of my industries brightest thinkers. I've chatted with celebrities. I was 380th person to be followed by NBC news on twitter (out of, as of now, around 2,200). I've chatted with CNN producers. Not because I was important, but because the open internet allowed me seek and to become aware of what was important to share.
As you know our media sphere is the battle field of light and dark ideas and perspective. Everybody has their causes and their politics. My great boon in all my work is that there really are no right or wrong views. The only mistake is to stop looking.
The internet's first search engines use to serve pages based on the search engines interpretation of it's academic accuracy as related to your search request. But, then came google. Google's basic boon was in deciding to serve pages based on how many other pages linked to it. Whether it was good or bad information wasn't the point. The point was how many of us feel it's important! This in itself is a basic mechanism of enlightenment.
When something is important we must have to right to share it. To spread the truly "good" news. To share essential information.
What happens when there is only one mechanism on earth holding the means to all knowledge. One book. Who holds the key to it's pages? What if this book has been copyrighted? Who has the right to say whether I should or shouldn't share it's truth and good news?
Debate
I've been watching the GOP presidential race closely and the bias of mainstream media has become borderline criminal. Rather than giving these entities more power we must do the opposite. No one should be allowed a monopoly on speech. These corporate media machines are too big and some would argue they should be broken up.
What if I want to share with my family and friends via my web page on our local network that CNN has been airing lies about issues important to our county. I record their broadcasts and edit my own video in order to present it as I see it to my friends. Then many agree and it gets shared all through the county network. I'm not a reporter. I'm not a blogger. I'm just a man trying doing my duty to God and Society to share the "good" news.
If the internet is empowered with freedoms as we were when the country was founded, then it will rise up to balance their reach.
But, if SOPA passes CNN would have grounds to request the shut down of our network.
Free Market
If CNN want's to claim a copyright violation then take me to court. There are laws for that. They have to do the leg work. SOPA is a lazy mans law.
Times are changing. Life is bigger that what was. These media corporations must play by free market rules and accept that their models are soon to be archaic. Instead of denying it, complaining about it, and burying their heads in the sand for a decade they should have been pivoting. Now they're going to suffer for their shortsightedness.
This is just how we communicate and is ultimately a digital manifestation of its' reality.
Please exercise your foresight, seek more academic and technical support, and rethink online copyright issues. More importantly lets not take the lead from 1% media dinosaurs and really try to understand the boon presented by the other 99% of internet content producers. There is no immediate need for this, but I'm asking you to PLEASE keep looking! As you know this argument will not go away.
I would ask that we take principle from the constitution and seek to find solutions that provide tools to restrict censorship born out of the ideals of free speech and free trade, not embolden it with ideas born out of protectionism.
Lets really talk about how the future of sharing media outside the restraints of today political climate. Lets exercise our vision and pass legislation that empowers communication and awareness.
My true position is. If I paid for witnessed it. It's my choice to do what I want with right to share it. Simple I know. But, I feel we're reaching the end of intellectual property right adventurism. The truth should be free. Enlightenment should be free. By God it is free.
Thank you for your time.
Best Regards,
Dustin Goerndt
