Why SOPA & PIPA Must Be Stopped

Today (Jan 18, 2012), Phoenix Real Estate Guy is “dark”.

No, we aren’t offline. But this post is the only post you will see here today. Every page, every article, the home search, everything is being redirected back to this page.

Why in the world would I do this? After all, this website is what allows my business to function. It generates sales prospects for our 34 real estate agents. It is my primary source of income.

SOPA and PIPA — two bills being considered by the U.S. Senate and Congress will, if passed, fundamentally change the way the Internet works.

For the worse.

Forget due process. Forget common sense. Forget the Internet as we know it.

SOPA and PIPA must be stopped if the Internet as we know it is to continue.

This may sound over-dramatic. It’s not.

My friend in Virginia, Jim Duncan, penned a great piece today — Why Stop SOPA.

Please, read it. Follow the links and educate yourself on SOPA. Contact your Senators and Representative.

This link from Jim’s article in particular, sums up the proposed legislation very well:

Chris Heald at Mashable wonderfully summarizes the bills and their impacts, closing with this (bolding is Jims Duncan’s. I concur.):

This bill turns us all into criminals. If it passes, then you either stop using the Internet, or you simply hope that you never end up in the crosshairs, because if you’re targeted, you will be destroyed by this bill. You don’t have to be a big, mean, nasty criminal ”” common Internet usage is effectively criminalized under this law. This bill will kill American innovation and development of the Internet, as it will become too risky to do anything of value. It is toxic and dangerous, and should not, under any circumstances, be supported.

Do something.

Do it now.

Things you can do to stop SOPA & PIPA

Contact your Congress people now at American Censorship’s site.

End Piracy, Not Liberty.

Read the Bills (Your Congressmen and Senators won’t):

SOPA Bill (House)

PIPA Bill (Senate)

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