Free Speech, Basic Human Right

By Cara Anderson
IG: @carajojo

On December 14th, the Federal Communications Committee will vote to eliminate net neutrality; thus limiting free speech and access to knowledge. The government wants to put gates back on the internet.

Taking away net neutrality will allow internet services providers and search engines like Google to limit your access. In other words, ISPs will be able to slow down certain people’s internet, slow down specific sites, and only show you what they want you to see. Removing net neutrality means returning to previous internet regulations; it means censorship.

Look at what Twitter has done for our world. Twitter provides a free platform for people to share real time information without censorship. For minorities that are underrepresented by the news, Twitter, among other social media networks, has allowed for injustice to be uncovered.

With net neutrality, citizens are able to band behind hashtags, movements, spread information, warn others, share petitions, etc.

Without net neutrality, the internet maybe become tiered; certain websites like Twitter may end up running you an additional cost, thus inaccessible to impoverished people. Rescinding net neutrality would limit the progress of social justice; we just can’t let that happen, there is so much work yet to do.

The government wants to take access away from people who use the internet to protect and represent their communities.

In short, Trump administration wants to censor the internet and limit access for marginalized and impoverished people, but it will affect all of us. Right now, the internet is free; we can exercise our free speech, you know, our basic human rights.

Pause. Wait. Yeah, he wants to take away our basic human rights. Again.

Did you almost forget that Trump tried to defund Planned Parenthood? Did you stop worrying about the fact that his administration wants to limit women’s access to healthcare? Did you forget all of the racist things that he’s said? Did you forget all of the times he’s supported White Supremacist groups that, um, ahem, want to threaten BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS?

Hopefully this isn’t the first time you’ve considered that Trump doesn’t care about our basic human rights.

But of course, considering the increased outings of public-figure-sexual-offenders, it’s not a surprise that the sexual abuser, pedophile, and rapist,  dolot who is current President of the United States, wants to censor the internet and limit free speech.

I digress.

Social justice movements won’t be the only ones affected by this vote. I mean, maybe you don’t care about minorities or marginalized people. Maybe you’re just a white dude who wants to cash in on the cannabis industry, like Ex-Police Chief Fantino. Net neutrality will still screw with your life.

Finally, on a weed note.

The cannabis legalization and deschedualization will be affected detrimentally. A large part of the progress of cannabis legalization is due to the ability we have to freely share, publish, and view information about cannabis and news. If you live in a state that hasn’t legalized, your access to info about cannabis could be blocked. Imagine not being able to look up medical marijuana legislation progress. Imagine not being able to research cannabis healing testimonies and studies. Think about all of the people who were ill, Googled alternative healing or healing with cannabis, and were able to cure themselves with cannabis.

And of course, cannabis businesses. If net neutrality is taken away or reduced, it will absolutely have a negative impact on small businesses. Many companies rely on growing their business with social media marketing, online sales, and SEO.

I am so hopeful that net neutrality doesn’t get removed. However, if it does, and we are censored online, I promise we will always be publishing the truth in the print version of Candid Chronicle.

Sign the petition:

www.battleforthenet.com