I wrote today’s Letters2Trump and I feel good enough about it to share it here.

Dear American Internet Users,

You probably put up with the high cost of your internet service provider, or ISP, (as many of us do) because you can bop around the internet at will. We’re Americans and we like our freedoms. We enjoy access to just about any website 24/7. And there’s the immediacy factor also; we don’t like to wait. The faster the internet, the better. Unfortunately, we Americans are also quite reactionary. We are often apathetic until things get out of hand and then we jump into action, too often too late. I am writing to you today to ask for your quick action on a topic that could squelch your much-loved internet freedom and speed: Net Neutrality.

This week, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is voting on whether to change the regulation regarding Net Neutrality so that your ISP has the power to control your access to certain websites. They will also be able to slow the speed of your internet if they so choose. The commission that will decide is made up of three Republicans and headed by a Trump appointed Republican named Ajit Pai. It doesn’t look good for our free and speedy lives on the internet. If you are a fan of irony, the FCC has named the proceedings Restoring Internet Freedom, which is somewhere between ridiculous and sad.

My first request is that you get informed. I’ve included a few resources, below, and I suggest you search around for yourself also. When we start mixing technology, politics, economics, capitalism, government bureaucracy, and egos, the truth is elusive. From what I can tell, though, we have taken Net Neutrality for granted and if the FCC allows the ISPs to do what they want, they will. And it won’t be pretty.

A few resources:
* “What is Net Neutrality and What Will the Internet Look Like Without It” by KQED News
* “Net Neutrality Explained: What It Means (and Why It Matters)” by Fortune
* “Net Neutrality explained and why it matters” YouTube video by John Bain,the Cynical Brit
* “FCC explains how net neutrality will be protected without net neutrality rules” by ArsTechnica
* “Congress should block FCC’s Net Neutrality Vote” by USA Today

I also have a couple actions you can take. The first is to respond directly to the FCC. Here are some fairly straightforward steps for that process that I found on Facebook.

1. Go to http://gofccyourself.com (the shortcut John Oliver made to the hard-to-find FCC comment page)
2. Click on the 17-108 link (Restoring Internet Freedom)
3. Click on “express.”
4. Be sure to hit “ENTER” after you put in your name & info so it registers.
5. In the comment section write, “I strongly support net neutrality backed by Title 2 oversight of ISPs.”
6. Click to submit, done. – Make sure you hit submit at the end!

Link to John Oliver’s piece on net neutrality: https://youtu.be/92vuuZt7wak (f-word warning)

Finally, if you’re feeling a bit more revolutionary, go to the website called Break the Internet. If you scroll down on that page, you’ll find many ways to get involved over the next 48 hours in a phone call avalanche to get the point across to Congress.

I was an apathetic internet user like you at one time. I took the time to learn about the issue, which made me informed and angry. I’m participating in the push to keep Net Neutrality and I hope you will too. Thank you, ahead of time, for your efforts.

Sincerely,

Aram Kabodian