Re: Note to QC & PG

[Roy and/or Janet Miller <millers@inetnebr.com>]

**** **** wrote:

> Liam,
>     I don't agree with you. But I think you are rather reasonable, and if it
> were up to you to write these laws, I'd find them more or less tolerable.
> Again, we both know this will never be the case, and the market price of IP
> legislation is more than I can afford. Besides, Disney is always willing to
> outbid you. Let me tell you a little secret.
>
> Congress is a joke.

In November, only about half of all who are eligible to vote will vote. In off
year elections, it is far lower. In short, those who run our country are chosen
by, at most, 25% of those 18 years old and older who have the right to vote. The
"joke" is that so few of us care, care enough to register to vote, care enough
to vote and even fewer care enough to study the issues and the candidates to
make intelligent decisions about how to vote. The people who make and enforce
our laws do respond when there is pressure, but the pressure has to be large
enough, and it has to threaten the only thing that matters to most politicians -
reelection. Want to make an impression? Write a letter, in long hand, if
legible, and that tells the politician that there are people out there who care,
for your letter represents many, many people who are silent. Now, get five or
ten friends in the same political unit to write letters expressing the same
ideas, but in different words (preprinted or canned letters get file 13ed.) You
have influenced one congressman/woman. 235 to go. And 51 senators. Can you get
people to do the same elsewhere? Can you get newspapers to write columns, like
technology columns, on this issue? Letters to the editor in the paper? Then, and
only then might you get a change made. But, since most people don't care, it
isn't likely to happen, so don't hold your breath.

And that is the sad joke.

Roy

>
>
>     I believe that I can say the following and still be quite modest. I
> could easily make a wiser decision on any given topic, than Congress will
> from now on until it's gone. I don't believe I am alone in this ability, it
> seems you might also be capable of the same (note that I say this even
> though it seems you are on the "opposite side").
>
>     That said, let's try to stay on topic. I'm as bad as everyone else about
> this, I know, but we really need to try harder.
>
> John