Best of Stop the Slowdown: Part 1

It’s the bottom of the ninth, folks – time is running out.  It’s do-or-die, the 11th hour, sudden death in overtime. If you haven’t heard yet, we’re taking the fight over net neutrality right to the FCC’s doorstep in the form of a giant JUMBOTRON parked right outside of the Washington, D.C. HQ.  

We’re going to use this opportunity to beam comments straight from Internet users right to decision-makers at the FCC, who will be deciding on the fate of the open Internet next week. While the agency appears to be on the right path, it feels as though the Internet is collectively holding their breath as we wait to hear the final word.

Officially, the FCC has entered the phase where they are shielded from direct lobbying before their February 26th vote – which means that the JUMBOTRON will be the the closest they get to hearing from the public about how this decision affects them.

That’s why we’ve been asking our community to submit messages, images, memes and more so that when we go to Washington, we can bring many voices with us.

The responses we’ve received so far have been inspiring:

Enlightening:

“My husband is a programmer and I am a community service volunteer worker we both rely on the internet to provide a fast rate of information from an IT and referral perspective. There are a lot of poor people out there who need the internet to help get them through their day. We are a democratic state where everyone's voice counts and we have a right to high speed internet access.”

• Kerry via StopTheSlowdown.net

And sometimes weird:

We’re continuing to ask Internet users from across the world to submit comments straight through until next Thursday when the vote will take place, and will be curating the best of the best to go on our JUMBOTRON.  If you haven’t had a chance yet, make sure to submit your comment today through our website, or you can post on Facebook and Twitter using the hashtag #InternetCountdown and we’ll be sure to find your message.

You can check out the stream here, and see some of the best submissions below:

FCC: The internet is like having the Smithsonian Institution in your living room. Please don't limit our ability to learn. I support net neutrality.

• Christine via StopTheSlowdown.net
   

I am a Brazilian professor of math and I reach usually two, three hundred students a day with my lectures and study material in a web based in US. They will have hard to learn if Telecom business will decide the rules of the Internet.

• Tarcisio via StopTheSlowdown.net

Dear FCC: It's your job to serve the people NOT big telecom. Millions are speaking. Please listen! The world needs net neutrality. Keep it fast and free.

• Laurie via StopTheSlowdown.net

Dear FCC: We're counting on you to be modern day heroes. Say yes to keeping the internet available and open for everyone. Total integrity. Total creativity. Total availability.

• Katherine via StopTheSlowdown.net

Owning a toll road doesn't entitle you to decide what kind of vehicle goes through it. Similarly, no amounts of economical interests should hamper the free, equal Internet data flow in any way, shape or form.

• Ismaïl via StopTheSlowdown.net

The clock is ticking for net neutrality—join the #InternetCountdown and help win this fight! https://t.co/9f0xBYa39lpic.twitter.com/J5nCXMGaLG

— Josh Sherman (@joshtronic) February 19, 2015

Net neutrality a global bridge builder.#InternetCountdown

— Thorsteinn Arnarson (@ThorsteinnArnar) February 18, 2015