The next steps to fighting PIPA and SOPA: Show them that they can't stop the signal
Just last week, there were only five U.S. Senators publicly opposing the Protect IP Act.
In the wake of the widespread Internet blackout day on Wednesday, Jan. 18, there are now 36.
It would take only 41 "no" votes to permanently stall PIPA and the Stop Online Piracy Act in the Senate.
But we can't get complacent, because the multinational media corporations that are throwing their weight behind PIPA and SOPA will not stop pushing for these bills to pass, and the Senate is expected to vote on PIPA on Tuesday, Jan. 24.
Members of Congress know PIPA and SOPA are unpopular, but they don't necessarily understand why, so they could be duped by superficial changes to those bills, which the forces behind PIPA and SOPA are sure to make to gain the votes to pass those bills.
Here's what you can do, in the real world, to fight back against the forces that would end the freedom of the Internet:
1. Call your Senators' offices every day, from now through the day of the PIPA vote on Tuesday, Jan. 24, until you know they'll vote "no" on cloture. If your site participated in the Internet blackout day, consider running a "Call the Senate" link during those days as well.
2. Visit your Senators' district offices (use Google or your local phonebook to find the addresses) to tell them that you oppose PIPA and urge them to vote "no" on cloture. Stopping by to talk to them in person makes the online protests more tangible and credible to them.
You can check the Protect IP Act Senate whip count for continuous updates on everyone in the Senate who supports or opposes PIPA, as well as those who are still undeclared or have yet to be contacted. Phone numbers are listed for all the Senators' district and D.C. offices, next to direct links to their Congressional email addresses, along with tips on how to talk and write to them persuasively.
NEVER FORGET FOR WHAT YOU FIGHT:
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