Spread the Alarm

Wake up, webloggers! Dust the Apple Jacks from your pajamas and write a letter to the FEC immediately! Read more about it at Instapundit, Kos, or RedState - suffice to say bloggers of all varieties can agree on the need to act now before the government attempts to regulate political speech online. My letter:

I am writing to express my grave concern about the proposal to broaden campaign finance regulation to include the realm of Internet-based communication.

Political weblogs have become an extremely important element of American civic discourse. They are the latest and best example of first amendment rights being exercised through the benefit of technology. They extend the voices of average citizens, groups, and corporations alike on equal terms. Indeed they can even function in an important corrective role to the errors or excesses of larger organizations, such as corporate media. And weblogs are consistent with an American heritage that includes patriot Thomas Paine, one of our original independent voices.

While I appreciate the need to monitor campaign finance matters, I am far more troubled by the damage that new regulation could do to this vital new avenue for participatory civic debate. And I have some concern that the information presented to the commission doesn't represent a modern understanding of the ecology of communication that takes place among weblogs. It is an area where the credibility of the participant is much more of a salient factor in attracting attention than whatever financial backing he or she may enjoy. This dynamic is a safeguard against abuses and allows our online environment to flourish without the need for regulation.

As a citizen, weblogger, and true believer in democracy, I urge the commission to dismiss the proposed amendment to 11 CFR 100.26.

Here’s the email address for commentary. At the end of your message make sure and add your real name and postal address, and don’t include any file attachments that are not .PDF or .DOC. You only have until June 3rd to act in defense of your rights.