Day 10 - SOPA

Recently I heard that the US government wants to censor the Internet and pass SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act). If the act passes, it will be going against the First Amendment, which is the freedom of speech. If Americans lose the freedom of what they can say and do on the Internet, life in general will be a lot different. I’m hoping that the US government won’t be able to persuade Congress to pass SOPA because if they do, everyone’s life will change for the worse. People are able to express themselves everyday online whether it’s on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, or just plan old blogging. If SOPA is passed, it will give the US government permission to shut down any site if they think the site is guilty of plagiarism in any way. Even something as innocent as putting lyrics to your favorite song in one of your blog posts, or buying tickets to a movie that is coming out; you could be shut down or prevented from being allowed to do it.

Although I don’t necessarily agree with the government’s thoughts, I see where they’re coming from. The US government is trying to stop all the plagiarism that is currently going on in the US. If SOPA passes, it will prevent plagiarism from happening, but it won’t just shut one thing down, it’ll shut everything down that’s related to it in any way. Although SOPA can help in some ways such as preventing plagiarism, I still don’t think that the government has the right to take away the people’s freedom of speech.

If SOPA passes, I’m pretty sure that it will shut down one of my favorite websites, Tumblr. Tumblr is basically a website where people can express themselves by either posting or reblogging, pictures, videos, music, and writing. I can spend hours on Tumblr without even realizing it, so I would be devastated if it was shut down. I don’t particularly know why I love going on Tumblr so much, maybe it’s because it’s become part of my life or because it’s a way I can freely express myself to other people who do the same. I’m pretty sure that my life would be completely boring if Tumblr, Facebook, and YouTube were shut down. I mean I would have more time to spend hanging out with friends and getting exercise, but I would definitely miss the entertainment that Internet frequently gives to me. Up until now, I never realized how much the Internet is a part of my life and how important it is to me. After this small experience, I will no longer take the Internet for granted and am very grateful for what I have.

SOPA on Facebook

SOPA on Tumblr

SOPA on Twitter