SOPA and PIPA Ted Talk Response

Congress' most recent evolution of laws that attempt to restrict our right to create and share are SOPA and PIPA. They present a major threat to everyday internet users of both this country, and the world. It threatens to remove our right to create and share. The strength of the restrictions would most likely be enough for most people to abandon ship and nearly stop using the internet, or at least stop creating on it. People wouldn't be able to create anything that even slightly related to something already done by the media business, not even modifications of pre-existing characters for no profit. My own behavior, though, wouldn't change at all. SOPA, at least, is now dead. But, if it were to have passed, I am proud to say I would be one of the rebels, doing anything in my power to circumvent the law -- to fight it -- as was done in the days of prohibition. I, along with many other internet users, would form and underground sort of resistance to make the government regret ever trying to do something so blatantly unethical and unconstitutional.

There is one thing that I can say good about SOPA. It was born in the mindset of doing good. It is true that piracy is something to scorn, and it is admirable that SOPA attempts to fix this problem. It is all tied up in digital ethics -- of privacy, appropriate use, and property. For that reason alone, I hold a shred of respect for those who came up with the bill -- only for it to be blown away by their obstinance in supporting such a crime against humanity. Just in case anything like this comes up again, I want to make my stance clear: those in our generation are referred to as "Digital Natives" for a reason. SOPA and PIPA are invasions of our home turf -- our country, if you will -- and I, at least, will respond as any citizen would at invasion. With resistance.