Stop American Censorship
Internet censorship is going to a vote in the Senate on January 24th (known as PIPA in the Senate and SOPA in the House). While Senators are in their home states for the January recess, we need to flood their public meetings and offices with our concerns about the bill. Learn More
Missouri for Internet Freedom
Top Priority for MO: Set up Meetings
There aren't any public events yet, so the most important thing is to get meetings with Senators. Here's what you need to do:
- Fill out this form or call 314-367-1364 to meet with Senator McCaskill, who has no public position on PIPA yet.
- Call (816) 471-7141 to meet with Senator Blunt, who is a co-sponsor of PIPA.
Be polite and professional, and request a meeting on behalf of Missouri 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 Missouri 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."
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.
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Comments
Would be willing to attend meeting if one can be arranged - don't know that Claire has a very good record for being accessible but I will go if possible.
If anyone gets a meeting set up, please make up a press release and give it to the news outlets. This is a story that has been needing local coverage.
KMBC's news tips email is news@kmbc.com
If you'd like to email me directly or just cc: it. My personal is eric.d.mackey@gmail.com
Thank you!
Just a thought, something else to get peope up to date on what is going on, you can also post on their facebook walls, with your request. Make it public, again be polite, but honest. I completely agree with everything going on right now in this country why is this even on the table. Everyone wants to talk about cutting back, why not stop wasting time on things that dont need attention. "if it ain't broke, dont fix it".
"I completely agree with everything going on right now in this country why is this even on the table."
Because it's the only way this piece of tyrannical garbage could ever possibly squeak by. Distraction techniques ftw! It's like trying to hide a fart by coughing at the same time. It just doesn't work, buddy.
We know why you refuse to meet on the PIPA bill. You got paid by the corporate giants NOT to listen to facts. You're just another puppet, dancing to whoever gives you more money. What a shame. That's why I think Capitol Hill now is nothing but a whore house.
Frankie
Just wanted to give you a call and discuss your scheduling request.
Unfortunately I do not have availability for the Senator this week to meet in
Missouri. But I’m happy to pass on your comments to one of our staff members
here in DC if you’re open to that. If you can give me a call back whenever you
get a chance. The number is 202-224-xxxx. Thank you. Bye.”
Senator Roy Blunt
Stay strong out there - we're making progress!
Claire McCaskill
Dear Miss Riebel,
Thank you for contacting me regarding the Protect IP Act, S. 968. I will not support the Protect IP Act as proposed, and I was pleased to see that the Senate decided not to proceed to voting on this bill.
I congratulate all of you who decided to get involved with your government and influenced the decisions made by Senate leadership about how to proceed on this legislation. You have had a real impact on the legislative process. As I watched my Twitter account explode, and reviewed the thousands of letters and calls coming into my Senate office, I couldn't help but grin. This is how it's supposed to work. Thousands of people, not lobbyists or organized special interest groups, began petitioning their government using all the means of modern communication. With lightning speed, and in great numbers, you typed and swiped, cut and pasted, Tweeted and Facebooked, and you killed a bill. Bravo.
As you may know, Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont introduced the Protect IP Act (PIPA) in the Senate to combat online piracy by foreign-based websites. Congressman Lamar Smith of Texas introduced a similar version of the legislation, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), in the House of Representatives. As a former prosecutor, I want to go after cheats and frauds. Illegal sale of counterfeit goods and piracy of intellectual property is a major problem that hurts our economy and undermines the belief that, as Americans, we are entitled to the fruits of our labor. We believe in the basic ethic of "work hard and play by the rules."
But every piece of legislation has to be examined carefully for its unintended consequences. PIPA was designed to stop foreign, rogue websites that are selling or providing access to illegal copies of video and audio content and counterfeited goods. These websites are stealing copyrighted material and selling it on the Internet. This hurts musicians and artists who own the rights to the content they have created as well as small businesses and retailers that want to legitimately sell their goods. Additionally, all of the people who support and work in these industries see their work diminished and their jobs negatively influenced. This is an issue we must address and we can address.
However, as drafted, PIPA created more problems than it was trying to solve. The Internet is a powerful tool and its unrestricted exchange of information has allowed all parts of the world to interact with each other, while growing the global economy. But the effect that PIPA would have on our current copyright laws and our ability to access the Internet is unclear. Many provisions in the bill were written too broadly. This could have resulted in increased litigation, the targeting of legitimate websites and more liability for reputable businesses.
There were, in short, too many unanswered questions about how PIPA would affect the operations of the Internet and the ramifications it could have on search engines and other providers. We need to go after thieves, but we don't want to kill a cockroach with a bazooka. Because there are many complicated technical and legal issues that still need to be addressed, I will not support PIPA as it is currently drafted and will not support any bill in the future that threatens the freedom of the Internet in such a broad and unpredictable way.
Should legislation similar to the Protect IP Act be considered by the Senate in the future, I will be sure to keep your views in mind.
Again, thank you for contacting me. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future if I can be of further assistance to you on this or any other issue.