Think: Net Neutrality

You all may have noticed the giant freakin' banner at the top of my blog appear overnight, but I assure you, it is for a good reason!  I am participating in the Battle for the Net in order to protect a free and open internet for all U.S. citizens, not just those rich enough to afford it.  This is also known as net neutrality.

You may have heard that term before, but if you want to understand it better, I highly suggest this video from John Oliver of Last Week Tonight:

For the Battle of the Net, this is what is going to happen.  On September 10th of this year (tomorrow), participating websites, including Netflix, Reddit, Vimeo, Etsy, Credo, Upworthy, Tumblr, Digg, Foursquare, Kickstarter, Mozilla, Imgur, and many, many more will be displaying the same kind of loading icon I have at the top of my own blog in order to protest the idea of internet fast lanes.  Although these websites won't actually be slowing down their speeds (yours truly included), this kind of outpouring of support for net neutrality is huge and will surely cause people to take notice.

But getting attention isn't the main goal here.  We want U.S. citizens to contact their lawmakers and make a statement about what the internet should be like in this country.  Congressional action is how we will force our voices to be heard and it's one of the most powerful tools we have in our arsenal.  In order to ensure our Congresspeople are doing what we the people wish, we have to tell them first.

Use the widget at the top of the page to fill out a form letter and send it to your Congressperson.  Make phone calls to them as well.  Share on Twitter, Facebook, or your social media platform of choice.  Talk to your family and friends about this, especially those who aren't as connected to digital media and news as others may be.  Get the word out so we can fight what Team Cable has in store for us!

For more information on the Battle for the Net, go here.  This website goes in depth about this specific event and also includes known members of Team Cable and Team Internet (where does your lawmaker stand?) and tells you how to participate in the battle on September 10th.

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Think: The Modern-Day Exploitation of the U.S. Military - Part Two

In my last Think post, I talked about the growing disconnect between the civilian world and the military world and how that relates to homecoming exploitation.  Unfortunately, that kind of exploitation isn’t the only type that’s out there.  If you haven’t heard about it, there has been some controversy in the American media regarding military benefits and pay, particularly recently.  A Huffington Post article published at the beginning of this year titled “Defense Budget Faces Cuts to Personnel After Decade of War” talks about ever-expanding cost of military personnel and the “lavish” benefits they receive (the word “lavish” was edited out later, I’m assuming after the backlash of anger hit them square in the face).

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Think: The Modern-Day Exploitation of the U.S. Military - Part One

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We've all seen the YouTube videos and the TV shows revolving around the ever-present theme of military homecomings.  Spouses cry with happiness, children shriek with joy, and even dogs slobber with pure jubilation when their uniformed loved one comes home.  It strikes a chord in all of us collectively as a nation, and we feel that sharing that moment with those military members and their loved ones offers up a connection we wouldn't otherwise get.  They are feel-good stories, and while it is an incredibly emotional and wonderful experience for those parties involved, I have a bit of a different take on the situation because I actually consider it to be a form of exploitation.

Banned Books Week 2012

via bannedbooksweek.org

As a lifelong lover of books to the point that becoming a librarian might possibly be the path I'm meant to walk on, the idea of banning a book is incredibly frustrating to me.  As Bill Moyers, a journalist and the honorary co-chair of Banned Books Week, said in his video essay "The Bane of Banned Books," censorship is incredibly dangerous.  "Censorship is the enemy of truth," Moyers said, "even more than a lie.  A lie can be exposed; censorship can prevent us from knowing the difference."  Click on the video below to see more of Moyers' video essay (by the way, I'm sorry it keeps autoplaying -- not sure how to stop it!).

Think: Military Versus Civilian

My husband is the one percent.

via this link

Nooo, I don't mean Mr. L is a part of the nation's richest one percent. I mean he is a part of the one percent of our nation's population currently enlisted in the US military.

That means ninety-nine percent of our population actually isn't in the military.  When you include family of friends of military, the percentage probably changes a bit, but the point still stands that an overwhelming minority of our population is enlisted to defend this country at a moment's notice.

Think: Refusing Truth

It amazes me how blind people become when a truth they refuse to accept is shown to them.  Whether political, informational, or, in all actuality, any kind of category, it seems like they screw up their mouths, stick their fingers in their ears, and start screaming "LALALALA" over and over again, closing their minds to the situation entirely.  They literally lap up crap from the rumor mill while completely ignoring supported and checked factual information.

Think: About Kids, Education, and Reading

A few weeks back, at one of my sister-in-law's ultrasounds, her youngest brother commented to those of us in the waiting room (his mother, my mother, my sister-in-law, and me) how much he dislikes school, and that his favorite parts of the day were lunch and recess.  I could naturally relate to him, of course, considering I'd gone through the same grumblings and complaints about not liking school and generally how difficult it could be.

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