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[SOPA] My final letter

Blogs > Chargelot
Post a Reply
Chargelot
Profile Blog Joined December 2010
2275 Posts
January 18 2012 11:48 GMT
#1
This is my final letter to my Senators regarding SOPA/PIPA. Feel free to edit/customize this and reuse it. I think I did a pretty good job with this one.

Senator Carper,

With the SOPA/PIPA votes just around the corner, I am sure you have many of these messages to read, and perhaps some you need to respond to, so I will try to be brief.

There is a scourge upon the internet, which goes by the name piracy. These so-called pirates have formed a faction, and they do what they want, when they want. This is surely a problem which must be solved. But as is, I do not believe that SOPA or PIPA amount to appropriate answers.

On Thursday, the 22nd of November, 1787, a wiser man than us had his paper, "The Utility of the Union as a Safeguard Against Domestic Faction and Insurrection (continued)" published, which is typically referred to as "The Federalist No. 10" today. In this paper, James Madison, a founding father, and one of the biggest names behind the Constitution of the United States of America said:

"There are two methods of curing the mischiefs of faction: the one, by removing its causes; the other, by controlling its effects.

There are again two methods of removing the causes of faction: the one, by destroying the liberty which is essential to its existence; the other, by giving to every citizen the same opinions, the same passions, and the same interests.

It could never be more truly said than of the first remedy, that it was worse than the disease. Liberty is to faction what air is to fire, an aliment without which it instantly expires. But it could not be less folly to abolish liberty, which is essential to political life, because it nourishes faction, than it would be to wish the annihilation of air, which is essential to animal life, because it imparts to fire its destructive agency."

Senator Carper, I implore you, when the time comes for you to make a decision, remember these words: it is better to have piracy than oppression. We are the United States of America, we have some of the most brilliant minds in all the world within our borders. Surely, some man or woman, some elder or child, someone, somewhere, has a better, more valid option.

This faction is a minority faction. They will be rooted out in time. That is, after all, how democracy and capitalism work, and it is one of the reasons these two systems blend together so well.

This shortcut to a good solution will only hurt the majority of people. There has been a never-ending stream of professionals and experts who have claimed this to be true. Most oppose this bill, and it is indeed most likely true that once the majority understands completely what this bill will mean for Americans, none will stand beside it. That is, of course, with the exception of the multibillion dollar corporations supporting the bill.

So I must ask, Senator, will you be on the side of liberty? Will you stand triumphantly with the vox populi and deny the abolition of our "air", as Madison compared it to? Or will you vote in favor of the largest bank account, which seeks to further its own interests at the expense of the interests of an uncountable number of others?

Again, this is a true problem, which needs a true solution. But the solution cannot be to simply steamroll -- for lack of a better term -- every other company and industry which relies on the internet. The answer isn't to give up personal and political liberties in the name of preventing crimes. What the answer is, however, only time will tell.

Thank you for your time and consideration,
Jesse John Spillane,
Soon to be first time voter.


***
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Praetorial
Profile Blog Joined May 2011
United States4241 Posts
January 18 2012 11:55 GMT
#2
"scourge"? I guess appealing to the corporate view is all right as long as the message gets across...
FOR GREAT JUSTICE! Bans for the ban gods!
MtlGuitarist97
Profile Blog Joined July 2011
United States1539 Posts
January 18 2012 11:56 GMT
#3
Pretty good letter imo.A little cheesy in the beginning, I don't think you need the whole "there is a scourge on the internet. It goes by the name of piracy..." thing, but it's not bad. Overall pretty good though. I liked how you explained that America is based on freedom of speech and such and that it is more important than piracy. Pretty good. 5/5
Chargelot
Profile Blog Joined December 2010
2275 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-01-18 12:19:49
January 18 2012 11:57 GMT
#4
On January 18 2012 20:55 Praetorial wrote:
"scourge"? I guess appealing to the corporate view is all right as long as the message gets across...


It is designed to appeal to both supporters and opponents of SOPA. I'm thinking most Congresspeople disagree with the act of piracy in and of itself, and probably don't even truly understand it.

But yes, to open an argument by appeasing the recipient is probably the best way to go about doing this. You don't want to put them on the defensive. You want to, as another founder said, Set them straight to the facts, pardon, and pacify them.
if (post == "stupid") { document.getElementById('post').style.display = 'none'; }
Mobius_1
Profile Blog Joined April 2011
United Kingdom2763 Posts
January 18 2012 12:28 GMT
#5
Well said. The correct way to deal with with scourge is not with false guardians. There are zealots on both sides of the argument and a decision cannot be put to a single arbiter or tribunal. The internet is much more than a nexus of crime or a hive of piracy. It is a factory of ideas, an academy of knowledge, a depot of wisdom and a citadel of communications. You do not deal with pirates roving in corsairs by nuking the oceans.
Starleague Forever. RIP KT Violet~
paddyz
Profile Joined May 2011
Ireland628 Posts
January 18 2012 12:39 GMT
#6
Between "There is a scourge upon the internet upon the internet" and "We are the United States of America, we have some of the most brilliant minds in all the world within our borders". I couldn't take this all too seriously but it does get the message accross that people oppose SOPA clearly enough.
Chargelot
Profile Blog Joined December 2010
2275 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-01-18 12:47:00
January 18 2012 12:46 GMT
#7
On January 18 2012 21:28 Mobius_1 wrote:
Well said. The correct way to deal with with scourge is not with false guardians. There are zealots on both sides of the argument and a decision cannot be put to a single arbiter or tribunal. The internet is much more than a nexus of crime or a hive of piracy. It is a factory of ideas, an academy of knowledge, a depot of wisdom and a citadel of communications. You do not deal with pirates roving in corsairs by nuking the oceans.


lol that was pretty good.

On January 18 2012 21:39 paddyz wrote:
Between "There is a scourge upon the internet upon the internet" and "We are the United States of America, we have some of the most brilliant minds in all the world within our borders". I couldn't take this all too seriously but it does get the message accross that people oppose SOPA clearly enough.


Good thing you're not an American politician then.
if (post == "stupid") { document.getElementById('post').style.display = 'none'; }
TheToast
Profile Blog Joined August 2010
United States4808 Posts
January 18 2012 15:10 GMT
#8
It's a good letter, but more than likely no one is ever going to read it. I'm sure Senators are getting a lot of letters over SOPA (in addition to the piles of letters they get every week about everything). Might get skimmed by a staff member, then tossed into a pile to be recycled later.

I think it's good you've put so much thought into this, but with issues like this it's the volume, not quality, of the letters that really matters.
I like the way the walls go out. Gives you an open feeling. Firefly's a good design. People don't appreciate the substance of things. Objects in space. People miss out on what's solid.
Vertig0
Profile Joined March 2009
United States196 Posts
January 18 2012 15:46 GMT
#9
Thank you for writing to your senators! We'll need all the help we can get.
#1 Fruitdealer fan!
Geordie
Profile Blog Joined April 2011
United Kingdom653 Posts
January 18 2012 15:55 GMT
#10
Looks good. I am not American myself so this doesn't affect me, but it really will be a shame if most of the websites I frequent are hit by the bill. Thank you.
jubil
Profile Blog Joined March 2011
United States2602 Posts
January 18 2012 16:02 GMT
#11
On January 19 2012 00:10 TheToast wrote:
It's a good letter, but more than likely no one is ever going to read it. I'm sure Senators are getting a lot of letters over SOPA (in addition to the piles of letters they get every week about everything). Might get skimmed by a staff member, then tossed into a pile to be recycled later.

I think it's good you've put so much thought into this, but with issues like this it's the volume, not quality, of the letters that really matters.


Sadly this is true, although I believe the way it probably works, from what I've heard of how they handle mail at the White House, is that they have enough staff to read every letter and yours will put a +1 in the "opposes SOPA" column for the day's letters, and the staff will pick a few representative letters from the entire day to give the senator. Whether he actually reads them or not, well, who can say.....
Marineking-Polt-Maru-Fantasy-Solar-Xenocider-Suppy fighting!
Arisen
Profile Blog Joined October 2010
United States2382 Posts
January 18 2012 17:15 GMT
#12
I think too many people get too worked up about sopa. There's a very small chance it will actually happen, and if it does, it will be brought before the courts the same damn day because it's not legal. I suppose that it's cool to be active in contacting your congressmen to let them know though.
"If you're not angry, you're not paying attention"
Rainmaker5
Profile Blog Joined April 2009
United States1027 Posts
January 18 2012 18:38 GMT
#13
On January 19 2012 02:15 Arisen wrote:
I think too many people get too worked up about sopa. There's a very small chance it will actually happen, and if it does, it will be brought before the courts the same damn day because it's not legal. I suppose that it's cool to be active in contacting your congressmen to let them know though.

The quote in your signature doesn't really reflect your world view.
(-_(-_(-_(^_(-_(-_(-_-)_-)_-)_-)_-)_-)_-) CJ Fighting! "Beer -> soju -> whisky is a terrible build"~~ Scrarecrow.
Roe
Profile Blog Joined June 2010
Canada6002 Posts
January 18 2012 19:28 GMT
#14
On January 19 2012 02:15 Arisen wrote:
I think too many people get too worked up about sopa. There's a very small chance it will actually happen, and if it does, it will be brought before the courts the same damn day because it's not legal. I suppose that it's cool to be active in contacting your congressmen to let them know though.

Lots of things are illegal but still active.
Zealously
Profile Blog Joined October 2011
East Gorteau22261 Posts
January 18 2012 19:42 GMT
#15
On January 19 2012 02:15 Arisen wrote:
I think too many people get too worked up about sopa. There's a very small chance it will actually happen, and if it does, it will be brought before the courts the same damn day because it's not legal. I suppose that it's cool to be active in contacting your congressmen to let them know though.


So, if the bill passes, what exactly do you think will happen to it being illegal?
AdministratorBreak the chains
ryndaris
Profile Blog Joined October 2010
263 Posts
January 19 2012 11:04 GMT
#16
Kudos to you OP, very well written. Let's hope it doesn't fall on deaf ears.
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