New Jersey: Rally outside Senate offices in Newark -- Friday, Jan. 20th, 1 p.m.

Rally in Newark!

A rally is been organized outside the offices fo Sens. Lautenberg and Menendez in response to them ignoring their constituents' meeting requests. Friday, January 20, 1:00PM at 1 Gateway Center, Newark. 

Click here to RSVP for the rally via Facebook.

 Keep trying to schedule meetings:

• Fill out this form or fax a letter c/o Maria Almeda to: 973-645-0502 to meet with Senator Menendez, who is a co-sponsor of PIPA.
• Email ellen_nedrow@lautenberg.senate.gov and call (973) 639-8700 to meet with Senator Lautenberg, who has no public position on PIPA yet.

Be polite and professional, and request a meeting on behalf of New Jersey for Internet Freedom (the folks in this forum) to discuss the PROTECT IP Act and SOPA.  Make it clear that you want to meet with the Senator during the January recess, and that you'll be bringing others from your group.  Have your calendar open when you call, so you can pick a time that works for you.  When finished, post a report-back. 

For example: "Hi, my name is ________, I'm with New Jersey for Internet freedom, and I'm calling to request a meeting with Senator _______ during the January recess.  The PROTECT IP vote is happening on January 24th, and I wanted the Senator to understand my concerns before the vote happens."

Report back by posting a comment below

IMPORTANT: If you do get a meeting, post another message. That way others can join you in your meeting.  If there's any other specific information we should include in this post, message us and we can add it. 

Coda181

Request to meet with Senator Menendez sent!

StopSOPA-HQ

Excellent! Make sure to post any response here.

PlasmaRoar

Due to circumstances, I believe it will be unlikely for me to schedule a meeting. However, I do have some tips.

There is numerous sites out there where they give you tips on how to persuade and get people to see your point of view. Google it. Here, I'l give you one: http://www.ehow.com/how_2129445_persuade-readersaudience.html

tornadoallie

here is the letter I sent: 

"Hi, my name is Allison *******. I'm with New Jersey for Internet freedom, and I'm calling to request a meeting with Senator Lautenberg during the January recess.  The PROTECT IP vote is happening on January 24th, and I wanted the Senator to understand my concerns before he casts his vote. If you would be so kind as to give me a time and date to meet at the state house, I'd be more than happy to work within the constraints of Senator Lautenberg's schedule. 

Thank you for your time

tornadoallie

@stopsopa, what is the top three things you stand against when it comes to SOPA?

IPGhoster

I just sent a request to Senator Menendez in NJ and will let you know what I hear back.

StopSOPA-HQ

@tornadoallie - 

1. SOPA and PIPA represent an unprecedented attack on American's right to free speech. Constitutional scholar Marvin Ammori firmly believes SOPA and PIPA are unconstitutional due to their violation of the 1st amendment. Even though their might be some outright piracy on YouTube, the majority of users are there to look at or upload original content. Lip Synchs, video mash-ups, hilarious news clips, Lets Plays (commentary of video games while they are being played), small children dancing to Prince, etc are all examples of innocent YouTube use that would be banned under SOPA and PIPA. 

2. SOPA and PIPA pose a serious threat to the overall safety of the Internet. Lots and lots of TCP/IP specialists, including the head of The Center for Computer Sciences and Information Technologies at the Sandia National Laboratory, think that SOPA and PIPA will work against the implementation of DNSSEC and seriously harm U.S users personal online security.

3. SOPA and PIPA are advertised as job creating bills when they actually kill more jobs than they save. The theory is that Internet piracy hurts entertainment companies SO BAD that they are losing money and thus can't pay their employees. In reality, movie studios have been hiring less people since 1995 while increasing their overall revenues and massively increasing executive salaries. Meanwhile, tech companies that could be affected by the DNS blocking provisions in SOPA and PIPA have been hiring like crazy, and now make up a significant portion of our overall GDPs. Not to mention the burgeoning new market for start-up companies... The Internet is currently a streamlined version of the American Dream. Can you imagine companies like YouTube or Grooveshark forming if SOPA and PIPA had been in effect???

Bonus extra reason to stand against SOPA/PIPA:

THEY DON'T WORK. The genius users of Reddit have already come up with a way to bypass the DNS blocking system SOPA and PIPA would implement. If it's not going to stop piracy, than what is it going to do?

Fitcharoo

Sent requests to both Senators Menendez and Lautenberg with the following copy (or close to it):

"Greetings from __________,

My name is Thomas ________ ________, I'm with New Jersey for Internet freedom, and I'm contacting you to request a meeting with Senator Frank Lautenberg during the January recess. The PROTECT IP vote is happening on January 24th, and I wanted the Senator to understand my concerns before the vote happens.

I firmly believe that the introduction of this type of regulatory encroachment into the last frontier of free speech will lead to a compromised environment where free speech and web entrepreneurship will be in danger of falling to corporate interests.  Were you aware that there exists a multitude of individuals strongly opposed to these measures?  The fact that even anti-regulation Republicans are backing this regulatory intrusion should give you a reason to reassess your own views.

Simply put, PROTECT IP and SOPA will provide an avenue for corporations, politicians and legal entities to impose restrictions on and meter out punishments for perceived infringements.  I have read the copy of the bill and I understand the veneer of "anti-piracy" and "creative protection", but this really is just the media companies and interested parties failing to modernize their sales models and instead blaming their ineptitude on "piracy".

While I work a full time job during the daytime hours of a standard business week, I will make the time to meet to discuss the many negative impacts of PROTECT IP Act and SOPA.  I will gladly bring research materials and answer any questions anyone might have.

Thanks and Regards,

Thomas _. _______"

I'll keep you posted on anything that crops up as far as responses or replies.

Fitcharoo

Just received this from the email to Senator Lautenberg:

"Thomas,

Thank you for writing in to our office. If I may, a
number of your members have contacted me to set up a meeting, I would
suggest getting together collectively and asking for a group meeting
rather than an individual meeting with our office. This would be much
more effective.

Thank you."

I'm willing to take time to get together as a group if anyone is available next week at some point.

StopSOPA-HQ

@Fitcharoo - Tell him that, as a grass-roots organization, there is no office space for New Jersey for Internet Freedom (unless you or someone you know can easily reserve a conference room), and that we can better organize our members to meet at one of his offices if he provides us with a date and a time. 

If he says that his schedule is too busy for that, tell him that we're also happy to meet with one of his aides.

Fitcharoo

How many people are able to or would be willing to make the time to meet in Trenton or wherever it would be?  I'll certainly explain the situation, but I would imagine a handful of members would be sufficient. In the meantime I'll reply and explain that something on the calendar later next week would be great and that the location can be of the Senator's choosing.

If you have any additional input or recommendations, feel free to let me know and I'll send my response in an hour or two.

StopSOPA-HQ

@Fitcharoo - not sure you're going to have a solid response in terms of how many people can attend. NJ is a pretty small state, so at least some people can commute, depending on the date and time. It might also be better to ask them for a range of times between Monday (the 9th) and the 23rd (although many Senators go back before then).

cstar4004

The power of the people is unstoppable. We will grow. We will collapse the system of greed and corporate flaws. We the people can only take so much.

Elliotsta

@Fitcharoo id be willing to, as long as it's before the 22nd, i leave for FL after that.
anyone got something from Menendez yet?

SF1eagles

@Fitcharoo that's no small task to get people organized for this. I think if you send an e-mail to the operators of this site, they could help you organize a NJ meetup advertisement more prominently on this page. (StopSOPA-HQ is helping I see).

Perhaps we can set up a reasonable Google Calendar with times that can be inputted. 

As for myself, I am available

StopSOPA-HQ

@SF1eagles - its also possible to private message users by clicking on their name of avatar. I'd recommend exchanging e-mails that way. FFTF is a very small organization, so we're only able to give limited attention to individual meet-ups. We'll try and help in anyway possible though!

Doctor_S

Both Menendez and Lautenberg have offices in One Gateway Center in Newark, so I think we should offer to meet with them there.

Fitcharoo

I sent a new message this morning requesting a few possible options (date/time/location) for meetings and left the logistics up to their offices. I'll post whatever I get as far as a response and we can go from there.

StopSOPA-HQ

@Fitcharoo if you don't hear back, giving them a call to follow up might work well

Fitcharoo

Will do.

smkhy

the offices near newark would be best for me, but any location is worth going to. I'm available any day except the 22nd. Thats my birthday :). 

The more people who send emails and show up the more provocative and meaningful our meeting and purpose will be. So please make it your best effort to go.

Lisa

I've written Senator Menendez, written Lautenberg, signed the petition, posted on facebook, twitter, linkedin, added the plugin of STOP SOPA to my website. PLUG IN HERE: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/stop-sopa-ribbon/

Gooseus

I'm available and I could possibly mobilize a few of my friends... do we have a date/time for a meeting?  I'll need to know like 2 days ahead of time.

Also, if anyone here operates a blog with any traffic, or has influence with someone who does, please show solidarity with Reddit next Wednesday and blackout your website with anti-SOPA/PIPA content:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2012/01/11/reddits-sopa-blackout-admirable-but-google-and-facebook-must-follow/

I'm trying to get reddit to release any propaganda page they make to github so that it can be duplicated easily.  Please spread the word, Reddit will be great and Google/Facebook would be AMAZING, but thousands of smaller blogs can only help.

DavidM

I am game to join any meeting as well. Just tell me when and where!

StopSOPA-HQ

@Gooseus @DavidM @smkhy and the rest of those waiting for meeting announcements: one of the major take-aways from the briefing call with Public Knowledge was that you don't have to set up a formal meeting to come in and talk to someone in a Senator's local office - you can just show up! So if the meeting requests don't seem to be going anywhere: just find the location of your closest office, recruit a friend or two, and get in there to tell them how you feel about PIPA! (politely, of course)

CrackedCoco

I called and expressed opposition. They took down my zip code as a constituent and thanked me for my concern. 

I hope they cared enough and are keeping a tally of people calling opposing this bill. 

ryanlucht

Please keep us posted on any meeting dates/times, I would be very interested in attending if possible. 

mstolzer

Same here. I'll be in NJ on Monday (1/17) and possibly Tuesday (1/18), but after that, I return to school in Pittsburgh.

Starhero

ditto, I would at least attend since I do want to express that I have  concern over all this myself. I have already called and left my name and zip..

If this pass, I hope porn is affected, congress would be flooded. Just saying, think of that, it won't stand.

ballistic

i work for the state of NJ, but won't go into any more detail than that. i sent an email to menendez (Maria_Almeida@menendez.senate.gov) and she mailed me back, telling me she'd schedule the meeting as soon as she is able. haven't heard back from lautenberg yet, though.

if you are from jersey, and you're interested how this goes, email me: erowid@inbox.lv - shady email address, i know.. anonymity is the name of the game. i hate to sound like a douche, but: if any one of a hundred meeting requests is granted, it's probably gonna be mine. if this goes anywhere, i'll be more detailed with those who email me.

/seriously

midi002

Hi, it seems that this simple thread is the strongest thing unifying web posters in New Jersey against SOPA.

Senator Lautenberg's assistants are suggesting we make a group meeting in one of 3 offices: Newark, Camden, and Washington D.C.

Is there a focused group that is making a meeting with Senator Lautenberg?

DMH

In Ohio we used a Doodle poll to figure out a good meeting time for folks. Just a suggestion.

StopSOPA-HQ

@ballistic - if this is true, this is awesome (please don't take that rudely, we've had a number of unverified claims that have been made on this board). Please keep us updated as much as possible and we'll help you organize a great meeting. If you'd like, we'll be hosting a briefing phone call on Monday at noon. Check the box on the top right of this page for more info. We're excited about the possibility of have a "mole" in NJ. Keep up the good work!

pszypiotko

I have a phone interview scheduled for Next Wednesday with "Andrew Geibel" who identified his title as an "LC for Judicary and Immigration affairs. I'm not exactly sure how my request ended up with him, however I do know that I plan to follow through. If anyone would like to conference in on the call, or would like to contribute sentiments or important points, please email me: 

pszypiotko@gmail.com

HopeZ

I've emailed Menendez & Lautenberg with my concerns and offered to meet with them to discuss. I could meet in Newark. I work full time in Bridgewater, but would take time off to do this.

HopeZ

@midi002   Can you schedule the meeting in Newark and notify all here?

Lisa

Someone named ANDREW from Senator Menendez's office called me personally today to have a conversation and I explained how SOPA will really effect the way businesses and the internet run and how it will effect other people. He listed, we had a conversation about it, and he said he would tell Senator Menendez personally about what we talked about and my concerns.

elinga

I'll show up for the meeting in any of the locations in NJ. Please post the date when you'll know it. Tx!

BroccoliSpinach

@elinga @Lisa @HopeZ @pszypiotko @StopSOPA-HQ @ballistic @midi002 @starhero @ryanlucht @crackedcoco @davidm @gooseus @fitcharoo @sf1eagles @elliotsa

Hi all - last chance to make our solidarity known to the NJ senators -- 
http://www.meetup.com/ny-tech/events/48078952/

When: Friday, January 20, 2012

Time 1:00-2:30PM

Where: 1 Gateway Center, Newark, NJ 07102 – the offices of New Jersey Senators Menendez and Lautenberg

RSVP on Meetup please. I hope we can reach out to the NYC crowd too, as Newark is just 1 PATH train out of Manhattan.

StopSOPA-HQ

@Lisa - that's awesome to hear! Thanks for taking the time to do this. You are REALLY helping to make a huge difference!

@Pszypiotko - do you know if its possible to get more people on this call?

@midi002 - any updates? As you can see, @HopeZ is requesting Newark. 

@BroccoliSpinach - this is a great idea, however, reaching out to the NY crowd might not be AS effective. We really need constituents to voice their concerns, or else the senator's offices will likely ignore us.

BroccoliSpinach

@StopSOPA-HQ It's that there are hardly any NJ meetups-- a lot of commuters who live in NJ (hudson, bergen county) would be members of NYC meetups.

Either way-- this is the last week before the 24th. We may as well show up at their Newark offices on Friday, in as large a group as possible, if we can't get any in-person group meeting scheduled (seems like only 1 on 1 phone calls). 

This is based on : 

"you don't have to set up a formal meeting to come in and talk to someone in a Senator's local office - you can just show up!" -- 

What could make this something that fftf or anyone else can get behind?

StopSOPA-HQ

@BroccoliSpinach we're behind you all the way, we just want to prepare NY residents to be ignored by the Senator's Newark offices. It's pretty standard procedure to ask for addresses in order to establish that all vistors or protestors are actually constituents.

As for NJ residents going to NYC for the protests - do it big! The more people on the streets the better!

BroccoliSpinach

@StopSOPA-HQ Thanks-- duly noted. I've edited the language to be explicitly clear that it relates specifically to NJ residents. http://goo.gl/gaIFK

I am hoping all the people on this boards here will want to appear together at the Senators' Newark offices on that date/time -- Friday, January 20, 1:00PM at 1 Gateway Center, Newark -- provided that the senators won't grant us an audience on an earlier date this week (which isn't sounding likely).

milfordjames

I am not sure yet if I can make it on Friday.  So the senators confirmed this meeting date for sure, or are you still requesting that date?

HopeZ

Great! I'll be there on Friday Jan 20th 1:00, Senators' office in Newark. I will also be on the briefing call Monday, and will bring printed copies of the materials provided above to the Senator's office.

HopeZ

I've emailed Senator Menendez asking for a meeting on Friday, Jan 20th at 1:00. And also emailed requesting a meeting with Senator Lautenberg afterwards. Whether or not I get an answer, I will be visiting both offices at that time, stating my concerns and will leave materials with them. If anyone else can come, please email me by clicking my photo above and we can arrange to meet at One Gateway Center

Tcav80

Ill be going up Friday as well with whoever else is attending. I have made phone calls to both senators offices stating my opposition and some concerns while insisting that they meet with constituents. If i do not recieve a direct phone call or interview time from either office than I will be going Friday January 20th at 1pm. If anyone else is going this day, u can message me by clicking my name

Tcav80

i think that every NJ constituent that opposes this legislation should be at the Newark Senate offices at ONE GATEWAY CENTER on FRIDAY Jan 20th at 1pm and meet as a group. Time is ticking away and the vote is going to be here before we know it. We need to SHOW our opposition to this bill before it is passed and before our internet isnt ours anymore. The more people there on friday to oppose PIPA and SOPA, the more influence we will have. Nobody is going to protect OUR RIGHTS beside US. We need to stand up.

HopeZ

Gotcha! I'll be there!

BroccoliSpinach

@HopeZ @Tcav80 @milfordjames @StopSOPA-HQ

Everyone, I've just now created a basic event listing for this Friday. If anyone has any feedback or wants to be an organizer / host, let me know!! Also, we need an image to use for the event. The one that FFTF uses? Anyone got anything appropriate? We're getting ready to distribute the event info. 

www.facebook.com/events/262618450470170/

Go ahead and start RSVPing please!