OPINION
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The Chronicle
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Ernest H. Pitt
Donna Rogers
Elaine Pitt
Publisher/Co-Founder
Managing Editor
Business Manager
Our Mission
The Chronicle is dedicated to serving the
residents of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County
by giving voice to the voiceless, speaking truth
to power, standing for integrity and
encouraging open communication and
lively debate throughout the community.
Check to see
how Congress
handles 'net
neutrality'
Imagine that you were driving on the interstate
like everyone else, then a big semi-truck slows down
in front of you, making you slow down. You ask,
"Why is this happening?" Then imagine the answer
is: Because you are not paying enough for access to
the highway.
Think of "net neutrality" in that way. The Federal
Communications Commission voted last month on
the issue. This month, congressional hearings on the
issue are expected to start on March 18. Republican
lawmakers say they will push for a legislative fix.
The FCC voted to prevent cable and wireless
companies who provide much of the broadband con
nections to the Internet, or "the highway," from con
trolling the flow of data based on money. Some
companies want to slow the flow of data for people
who cannot pay more for Internet access. The FCC
said companies who provide Internet access are like
telephone companies and should be treated as public
utilities. That means that the companies must not do
anything considered "unjust and unreasonable" and
must not work outside the public interest.
Right now, the Internet generally is being operat
ed on equal footing. Companies are operating on a
"net neutrality" premise in that they don't show
favoritism among similar types of Web traffic, and
don't intentionally slow or block data.
However, YouTube and Netflix, as in on-demand
video, have been hogging bandwidth, and some
providers were found to be manipulating traffic
without telling consumers.
The FCC's vote on Thursday, Feb. 26, was
intended to erase any legal ambiguity by setting
clear rules on what broadband providers can do.
Broadband companies want to make more
money from customers who are willing to pay more
for their Internet connections. They are expected to
sue, which will delay a resolution tcf the issue. It's
likely they will seek a review by a judge and ask for
a delay in implementing the rules. That could mean
a resolution in 2016 or beyond.
New customers could be the ones affected the
most by the slow resolution. Providers could be
much less willing to offer new services to consumers
if they think the FCC might get involved, industry
officials say.
The Associated Press says that small Internet
based companies won a fight in Washington without
deep pockets and lots of lobbyists. They did it by
drumming up support among average Americans,
who flooded the FCC with a record-breaking num
ber of public comments. As an executive at Mozilla
put it. "millions of people stood together as citizens
of the Web to demand those strong protections."
President Barack Obama gushed that the FCC deci
sion "wouldn't have happened without Americans
like you."
The FCC prevented the quick implementation of
the rules, but Republicans in Congress, who tend to
lean toward Big Business, want to put in their own
regulations.
People should monitor the congressional hear
ings this month and contact their U.S. lawmakers to
launch a similar "keep net neutrality" campaign.
? fEEGUSOB WP.WaUCE PEPKgncn"
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
A matter of respect
toward Israel
To the Editor:
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu
addressed a joint session of Congress
on March 3:
I am deeply troubled by the pro
found disrespect that Speaker
Boehner has shown towards the
President and the blatant politiciza
tion of the U.S.-Israel relationship.
By inviting
Prime Minister
Netanyahu,
Speaker
Boehner vio
lated long
established
diplomatic
protocols.
Making U.S. -
Israeli rela
tions a partisan
issue could
have lasting.
detrimental repercussions and
Speaker Boehner's decision to not
include the White House or
Democratic Leadership in his plans
was irresponsible and I disagree with
the process.
However, my decision to attend
today's [March 3] speech was a mat
ter of respect for our greatest ally in
the Middle East, Israel. Forty years
as a professor and member of the
Academy has taught me how critical
ly important and valuable it is to lis
ten - even to opinions and people I
might not necessarily agree with.
While 1 did not agree with the
process, 1 felt it necessary to listen.
U.S. Rep. Alma Adams,
N.C. District 12
Adams
Republican Party
officials speak
about Selma
To the Editor:
Fifty years ago this Sunday, the
eyes of the nation were on Selma. As
we commemorate Bloody Sunday,
we honor-the marchers and we
remember their bravery. They faced
down those who would deny them
their rights, there at the Edmund
Pettus Bridge and across their state.
So determined were the marchers
that only tear gas and billy clubs
could
turn them
away ?
and only
for a day.
And just
two
weeks
later, they
finished
what they began, marching from
Selma to Montgomery, this time not
600-strong but 25,000-strong as sup
porters joined from across the coun
ty
Today we celebrate the spirit of
Selma. America owes a great debt to
the marchers who shone a light on
injustice with their own selflessness
and sacrifice. We are a better nation
for that 54-mile joumey.
Our country has come a long
way in fifty years, and America has
overcome much. But there is still
work to be done to expand opportu
nity for all. To protect the voting
rights for which Americans marched
in 1965, Congressmen, like
Republican Jim Sensenbrenner, have
introduced legislation to combat dis
crimination while also protecting
against fraud. The right to vote is a
sacred American right, for which
many have bled ? in foreign battle
fields and on the Edmund Pettus
Bridge.
RNC Chairman Reince Priebus.
"It is my prayer today that as we
mark this anniversary all Americans
will remember the important place
that Selma has in our history. We
remember the American heroes who
, stood on that bridge, who endured
brutal beatings and violence, and
who opened our nation's eyes to the
injustice in our country. We give
thanks for their bravery, and we must
always honor them."
Co-Chairman Sharon Day
*
Rand, Rubio and the
RNC celebrate Selma...
just not it's outcome
To the Editor:
Sen. Rand Paul, self-appointed
civil rights hero, gave a glowing
interview released today [Friday,
March 6] about the importance of
Selma.
"(Bloody Sunday in Selma)
helped solidify (for) people that it
was really time to fix the tragedy of
separation and segregation," Paul
said.
Not to be outdone, Sen. Marco
Rubio released a statement on Selma
today that ignored his past endorse
ment of Florida's controversial voter
purge effort and past comments
blowing off concerns over voter ID
laws.
Meanwhile, RNC Chair Reince
Priebus, who has warned that elec
toral fraud is a "persistent threat to
our electoral system" and supports
voter ID laws, released this state
ment about the right to vote being
sacred:
'To protect the voting rights for
which Americans marched in 1965,
Congressmen, like Republican Jim
Sensenbrenner, have introduced leg
islation to combat discrimination
while also protecting against fraud.
The right to vote is a sacred
American right, for which many
have bled?in foreign battlefields
and on
the
Edmund
Pettus
Bridge."
Well,
. since
' Rand
Paul,
Marco
Kubio and the RNC are making such
affirmative statements about how
important Selma is, they would prob
ably do well to get that message out
to folks like ... Rand Paul, Marco
Rubio and the RNC.
After the Supreme Court gutted
the enforcement mechanisms for the
Voting Rights Act, here's Rand Paul
on why, actually, the outcome of
Selma isn't that important:
Paul: There was a time in our
country when 1 think the color of
your skin did need to factor into vot
ing, but I think we've really gotten
beyond that now. We have an
African-American president.
African-Americans are voting at a
higher percentage in the last election
than whites. There doesn't seem to
be any sort of systemic problem like
there was in the South with preclud
ing blacks from voting. So we're at a
point in time in our history where
the color of your skin should not be
taken into account with voting.
[Newsmax 6/25/13]
That came on top of Rand's now
famous skepticism about the Civil
Rights Act and his attacks on the
Fair Housing
Democratic National Committee
via http://factivistsdemocrats.org/