A number of prominent websites are trying to push the SOPA/PIPA laws into the non-political and non-geek consciousness. Big players like Wikipedia, Google, Reddit, Mozilla, Gizmodo, and many, many others are either shutting down their sites or are in some noticeable way drawing attention to the issue today, and encouraging users to contact Congress in opposition to the bills. With the profligate use of the Internet on a daily basis by millions of Americans, it looks like this effort is having some strong effect:
SOPA Outrage Is Breaking the Senate's Websites
Mark Begich (D - AK)? His site's down completely. Barbara Boxer (D - CA)? Her is loading like it's hosted on a Palm Pilot. And yes, Patrick Leahy (D - VT), you who co-sponsored PIPA—your site is all the way down. Dead. Gone.
This might make it harder for the SOPA opposition to voice its dissent, but it also sends a message louder than any one email. But don't stop trying—keep the hammers hammering.
Due to this public outrage, several Senators have withdrawn their support, and some Reps have pulled back in the House, as well. Let's be clear - this isn't a Republican or Democrat issue! This Internet censorship bill has support from both sides of the aisle in Congress (even some normally reliable conservatives). It also has public opposition from voters and citizens of all political affiliations. The bottom line is that the American public is united in opposition to the whole of Congress, and that's an exceedingly rare thing. The key is to direct this opposition into action, so pick up the phone and send an email.
No, I mean it: literally, you should pick up the phone and call your elected representatives RIGHT NOW. If you don't have the numbers, go to Wikipedia and plug in your zip code and they'll give you not only the phone numbers of your reps, but also what you should say. If the lines are busy, keep trying. While you're trying, send an email (you can find your Senators' contact pages here, and your Representative's contact page here).
Call and email...if you can't get through, keep trying until you do. The busier the phones are, the more likely it is that these destructive bills will be killed. I believe that RedState is keeping tabs on who bails (and who doesn't) throughout the day, so if you want to know which side your own reps are on, check them out here.
Keep it up!
For more background info on SOPA/PIPA, check out my previous posts:
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