Net Neutrality
As The American Legion move forward into the new information age and take advantage of the Internet, we inevitably encounter familiar territories where we must take a stand. We, the members of The American Legion’s pioneer post, swore to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States. We believe in the inalienable rights of men and women to freely and openly express ourselves online without unjust taxation. This is the exact ideal fought for by our funding fathers, to be liberated from taxation without representation.
We are faced with the same injustice in nature. Large corporations who want to control and thereof tax Internet traffic jeopardize our online activities. They are lobbying in Congress to gain strict management in sectors of network communications, and therefore will be able to charge websites, bloggers, and everyday online users such as you and I a fee for faster service.
Net neutrality is the concept that no matter who you are, your website receives the same high quality and speed it deserves. This “almost seemed too fair”. That is why large communication companies wants the right to set a restricted access traffic lane for their customers who pay a large fee for this high speed traffic control to their sites. This turns over to the large communication companies what use to be a free and open online space. This is quite simply, monopolistic.
We believe that the Internet is a frontier deserving no master. It is the only space where your opinion means as much as anyone else’s. It is a place where money should not be used to restrict your opinions. However, if net neutrality is jeopardized, your opinions will be restricted and the final frontiers of free speech will be annexed by the imperials of communication companies.
We therefore encourage you to contact your local Congressional Representatives and let them know your opinions about Net Neutrality. We ask you to burden yourself once more with defending the ideals your forefathers have paid for with their lives. We need you to empower yourself and your fellow Legionnaires by taking a stand to defend the freedom of expression from unfair taxation. --jin