This week I am going to tell you how you can do something that is integral to our political process – contacting your representative.
This could be your local city planner, your state congressman, or a federal senator. Believe it or not, it’s not all that hard.
But before I get into the process, let me give you a reason to contact your senator to ask them to not pass recent legislation
CISPA
The “Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act,” or CISPA, is a proposed bill that is currently in the process of becoming law. It is designed to be an addition to the National Security Act of 1947, which does not contain language pertaining to cybercrime. It has passed Congress and is currently being debated in the Senate.
Why should you care about this law?
If you are linked to the Internet to any degree it is likely you heard about SOPA/PIPA a few months ago. These laws were designed to provide security in the Internet, but due to broad language and heavilly debated interpretations of the 5th Amendment, the bills were down voted.
Now CISPA enters into the voting docket, and let me tell you the language is more sweeping and the invasion of personal privacy is much deeper than SOPA/PIPA ever were.
In short, the bill allows for the government and private companies to access personal information in order to detect cyber security threats. If a threat is found, the bill also provides channels in which that information can be shared with agencies of the Federal Government.
You may say, “This is no big deal, I don’t threaten people on the Internet.”
Are you sure?
One of the private companies that has supported this bill is Facebook. It would also be on the list of companies granted the right to search for cyber threats on the Internet. What does this mean?
Let’s say you just finished paying your taxes and it was higher than you expected. You’re probably not too happy about it. Of course, you go on to Facebook and let your rage spill over in the hopes of getting comfort from your online friends. Instead, Facebook interprets your rant against taxes as a threat to the government. Next thing you know, you get a knock on your door and the Secret Service would like to have a word with you.
You think I’m joking or blowing this out of proportion? Just last week Ted Nugent got a visit from the Secret Service for inflammatory remarks he made. Of course, no action could be taken against him because he is a celebrity and people would get upset if he were wronged. Do you enjoy that same celebrity? Are you going to be protected if the Secret Service or Homeland Security decided you were a threat?
You may be thinking “There are laws on the books to protect me from such invasion of personal property.”
Wrong.
While there are laws that do just that, again the wording of CISPA protects agencies and private companies from legal blowback. First off, surveillance may be conducted regardless of previously established laws. Second, companies can report their suspicious activities to the government without identifying themselves, meaning an accused person would not have the right to see his accuser.
I don’t want to come off as a crazy on this, but I’m only applying the letter of the law to an everyday circumstance. I’m not alone.
The ACLU, The Center for Democracy and Technology, and The Constitution Project are just a few of the many organizations opposing the bill on the grounds that it negates privacy rights and gives too much power of surveillance to federal agencies and private companies.
I don’t have the time now to tell you all the evils of this bill. Let me encourage you to simply Google “CISPA” and briefly educate yourself. Then you’ll see where I’m coming from.
Contact Your Senator
So the bill is now going to be discussed in the Senate. This is the last chance for you as a voting citizen to voice your concerns directly to your representative. There are three ways to do it, each to your preference and you can choose whichever you believe to be the most effective.
You can call, e-mail, or write your senator. Here’s a real simple guide to the whole process.
It isn’t hard to send off a quick e-mail, or make a phone call. If you’re really committed, nothing says “I care about this bill” like a written letter of complaint.
Don’t let this bill pass under the radar like NDAA (a separate bill that took away your right to trial). If you care about your liberty, you must defend it. You must view this as an assault on your freedoms – because it is! Take the time and the effort to keep it.
It is harder to gain back freedoms lost than to protect freedoms already earned.