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A simple explanation of how the Net Neutrality repeal will affect you (this is about porn, y’all)

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I didn’t want to have to go here, I honestly didn’t. After the open comment period on the FCC’s plans to roll back Net Neutrality rulings, I thought I might not have to. A lot of folks out there in America clearly understand what is at stake, and have repeatedly contacted both the FCC and their representatives in Congress to indicate their stance that Net Neutrality matters to them, that a repeal will affect their ability to gather information, to make their voices heard, and to effectively conduct their business in an increasingly internet-dependant world.

This isn’t for those people. This is for the rest of you, the ones going “nerd war, blah blah blah”. You want to know how this can possibly affect you personally. Well, here we go. Let’s talk about porn.

I know you don’t like porn. Nobody likes porn. That’s why it’s one of the top-grossing internet industries: because nobody likes it. But let’s pretend for a minute that you do. Let’s pretend, just for the sake of argument, that you occasionally indulge in some photos or video or even written erotica that might be considered…déclassé in today’s terribly civilized world. This is how a repeal of Net Neutrality might affect you.

It’s been a long day, and late in the evening you’re feeling stressed and desperately need to wind down. You’ve gone through your usual stress-management repertoire (I sincerely do not care if this means yoga or a gun range, y’all…this is an American issue, and it’s time we got inclusive). Point is, it’s 10:00 at night and you’re still wound up tighter than a Chihuahua on amphetamines. Reluctantly, you turn on your computer and go for your last resort: that website that engages you in a way that, for a few moments at least, will let you forget about your mundane stresses and lose yourself in a brief rush of fantasy-filled satisfaction.

Yes, I’m talking about your favourite jack stop. Again, don’t care if it’s a cam girl or Harry Potter “fan fic”. Again, this is America. Let’s be inclusive.

The problem is that when you hit that link…it don’t hit. It loads and loads and the anticipation builds and builds…and continues…and continues…and suddenly you’re watching your cat kick its butt and the site still isn’t loaded and your cat is still licking his butt and your night is blown. In a bad way. And you’re wondering what the hell just happened.

Funny thing is, playboy.com loads just fine. Hustler.com loads fine, too. For that matter, you can Google anything and Fox News and CNN both load like champs. It’s just your favorite porn sites that don’t. What gives?

The FCC has fucked you, that’s what. They have ditched Net Neutrality, which means your internet service provider is now able to charge websites for preferential loading speeds, which means puddingbuns.com can’t afford to compete. Playboy will suck it up and pay for fast loading times, but puddingbuns can’t afford the surcharge, so…they’re back at dial-up speeds for you.

Enjoy your mainstream, corporate-enforced porn, y’all.

You don’t like this future? You better do something, and do it now. Don’t let us be taken back to the dark ages of one-size-fits-all, gas station magazine rack pornography. This is America, and America is about freedom. Freedom means the ability to choose your kink and watch/read it whenever you want. We don’t let anybody choose our kinks for us! Do it for America!

Go here to submit your protest for all those other sad, porn-consuming Americans (who are totally not you):

Call your representatives through https://www.battleforthenet.com/

Sign a petition: http://sign.demandprogress.org/Save/Net-Neutrality

Also, talk to people, share this article, write your own! This does matter, we can win, but only if we all come together and harass the hell out of Congress and the FCC and let them know we’re watching.

NC Moves Toward Labeling Protestors “Economic Terrorists”

On March 2, 2017 NC Representative John Torbett introduced legislature in the House which clearly aims to crack down on and intimidate protestors in North Carolina. Entitled AN ACT TO CREATE THE CRIMINAL OFFENSE OF ECONOMIC TERRORISM, TO ESTABLISH CIVIL LIABILITY FOR ECONOMIC TERRORISM, TO CREATE A DUTY FOR A RESPONSIBLE PUBLIC OFFICIAL TO TAKE ACTION TO CLEAR TRAFFIC OBSTRUCTIONS RESULTING FROM UNLAWFUL ACTIVITIES, TO INCREASE CRIMINAL PENALTIES FOR OBSTRUCTING TRAFFIC WHILE PARTICIPATING IN UNLAWFUL ACTIVITIES, AND TO PROVIDE CIVIL LIABILITY FOR THE COSTS OF RESPONDING TO TRAFFIC OBSTRUCTIONS AND CERTAIN OTHER UNLAWFUL ACTIVITIES.

That’s an impressively long title, so let’s quickly break it down. This bill, H.B. 249, sets out to do several things. First, it establishes the crime of “economic terrorism”, which comprises: • a person willfully commits a criminal offense (say…trespassing) that impedes or disrupts the normal course of business • that disruption results in damages of more than one thousand dollars • the act is done with the intent to intimidate civilians (either at large or an identifiable group such as shareholders) or to influence some level of government in some way

Secondly, it makes this new crime a felony. Thirdly, it establishes that anyone whose person or property is injured by a “terrorist” may sue that person for damages, up to three times the actual damages sustained or $50,000, whichever is greater. Fourth, it establishes that if a person is convicted of participating in an unlawful assembly, riot, or obstructing traffic, they can be held legally liable for the cost of the police who arrested them. It then goes on to clarify the definition of second degree trespassing, just so we’re all on the same page about the kind of “terrorism” we’re talking about, here. And finally, it expands to explain that it is illegal to block the roads. Particularly, over 10 people standing in the road is a “mass traffic obstruction”, which is now a misdemeanor. And which we all assume will not be applied to the line from overflowing civic centers when Bob Dylan comes to town.

So let’s quickly sum this up: the folks down in Raleigh want to create a new crime called “economic terrorism”, which would make actual “terrorists” of protestors who assemble in any manner which can be deemed “unlawful”. This could include a group of folks meeting up spontaneously outside a business they feel has behaved illegally, or inside an airport to protest the acts of a government they feel are immoral. Just to add insult to injury, they may lose any property they had on them at the time and then be required to pay for the police who arrested them. And finally, they should be very careful about crossing the street.

We’ve been trying to shunt free speech into smaller and smaller spaces for some time, but this bill clearly tries to intimidate would-be protestors into just staying home. Making minor law infringements in the course of protesting into felony charges of “terrorism” is a blatant attempt at intimidation and overly harsh prosecution. Many well-meaning citizens are likely to think twice about acts like filling the airports to protest Trump’s travel ban if it means they might wind up being legally labeled a Terrorist, with their felony conviction limiting their freedom for the rest of their life. And the “mass traffic obstruction” section is clearly designed to prevent protestors marching in the streets…an act of resistance that has been often debated in our court system, but is not definitively illegal (expect to see it come up again if this bill passes).

The core problem is that no one is suggesting that it is acceptable to damage property or attack people during a protest. In fact, there are already laws in place that cover those crimes. But presenting legislation where protestors who have been told to leave a location and refuse can be charged with terrorism or we have special charges for protestors who stand in the street is not about keeping people and property safe: it’s about stifling the will of the citizens to protest. And that’s why you need to write or call your Representative right now and tell them to fight H.B. 249 with everything they have. If they’re a Republican, they should object to the unnecessary legal bloat and the prospect of shutting down effective protest efforts which they may one day find need of again. And if they’re Democrat…well, they’re probably already on it, but it doesn’t hurt to make sure they hear your voice. And if you’re from out of state…won’t you write some of our Representatives, anyway, and let them know you’re watching, and they are on the national stage as they propose to stifle free speech in North Carolina? We could definitely use your help.