Net neutrality (the principle that Internet service providers and governments should treat all data on the Internet equally) is an issue that has been circling around the internet for the past couple of years.
The idea is that we as people and consumers have the right to go to whatever website we want without being blocked, slowed down, penalized, or anything else that is being dictated by a higher company.
The internet is a space for people around the world to buy or sell items and services, meet people, find almost anything about everything, and just a big open pool of information.
To restrict a person’s access to these kinds of services seems to be a blatant disregard of that freedom.
Many laws and bills have been trying to get through that would effectively do this, including SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act.) All of these kinds of have been turned down, but that doesn’t mean they should be ignored or forgotten.
Finally, President Obama decided to speak about Net Neutrality on Nov. 10, 2014.
On the website whitehouse.gov, Obama released a written and a video statement on the issue.
He believes that the internet should be the free market of information that it always has been.
“We cannot allow Internet service providers (ISPs) to restrict the best access or to pick winners and losers in the online marketplace for services and ideas,” said President Obama.
Obama is taking steps to ensure that the future of the internet will be free of ISP interference and interruptions.
“…I am asking the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to answer the call of almost 4 million public comments, and implement the strongest possible rules to protect net neutrality,” said Obama.
Hopefully with the backing of President Obama, the internet will finally continue to be the free open source of information that it always has been.
As President Obama put it, “The Internet has been one of the greatest gifts our economy — and our society — has ever known.” Now let’s keep it that way.
President Obama also spoke on the issue of immigration following his executive order on taking action. In another video on the web site of the White House, the president speaks about why he took executive action.
He speaks about his attempts to fix the broken immigration system, but had to take executive action because the bill was being blocked from congress.
These are the main points of his action from the speech:
“First, we’ll build on our progress at the border with additional resources for our law enforcement personnel so that they can stem the flow of illegal crossings, and speed the return of those who do cross over.
Second, I’ll make it easier and faster for high-skilled immigrants, graduates, and entrepreneurs to stay and contribute to our economy, as so many business leaders have proposed.
Third, we’ll take steps to deal responsibly with the millions of undocumented immigrants who already live in our country.”
