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Why I Fight: The Open Internet Has Changed My Life
I'm not what you'd consider a super activist. I don't sign every petition I receive, I don't attend every protest or rally I'm invited to, I don't donate to every organization that solicits me. But it's because of the Internet that I can fight for what I believe in.
And that's why I fight for real #NetNeutrality -- to ensure that the Internet remains a space where free expression can flourish.
Jan 03, 2015
I'm not what you'd consider a super activist. I don't sign every petition I receive, I don't attend every protest or rally I'm invited to, I don't donate to every organization that solicits me. But it's because of the Internet that I can fight for what I believe in.
And that's why I fight for real #NetNeutrality -- to ensure that the Internet remains a space where free expression can flourish.
The open Internet has changed my life in profound ways. I didn't get to grow up with my sister, who's seven years older than me. We lost out on many, many years together. But thanks to the Internet, we've been able to connect and bond in a way that I don't think would have been possible before. It was her birthday recently and although she lives in Puerto Rico I was able to share in her special day, in real time.
Having an open Internet is priceless, but that doesn't mean that Internet service providers have the right to control how I connect with my sister. This is why I fight for Net Neutrality every day at Free Press.
When I'm not working at Free Press or teaching Zumba, I'm online connecting with groups like ColorOfChange.org, which works hard to strengthen Black America's political voice. These organizations educate me on important human rights and social justice issues so that I can take action and be part of a larger community fighting for the greater good. And I can fight for the causes I care about online by signing petitions, sharing messages and donating.
The Internet allows me the freedom to financially support the causes I care most about, like the AIDS Foundation of Western Massachusetts and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Having lost my father to AIDS and watched a good friend battle (and beat!) breast cancer, it's very important to me that I do what I can to help find a cure for both diseases. It's also fitting that I would use the Internet to fight for Internet freedom, press freedom and a stronger democracy: This is why I don't just work at Free Press -- I also support it.
I fight because if I don't I'm giving the groups that want to kill Net Neutrality more power and I will not be the reason we don't win real Net Neutrality!
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License.
Yesenia Perez
Yesenia Perez works with the development team to implement all fundraising efforts for Free Press and the Free Press Action Fund. She has over 12 years of experience in content management and fundraising. Yesenia comes to Free Press from the Institute for Community Economics. She received her B.S. in business administration from Bernard M. Baruch College.
I'm not what you'd consider a super activist. I don't sign every petition I receive, I don't attend every protest or rally I'm invited to, I don't donate to every organization that solicits me. But it's because of the Internet that I can fight for what I believe in.
And that's why I fight for real #NetNeutrality -- to ensure that the Internet remains a space where free expression can flourish.
The open Internet has changed my life in profound ways. I didn't get to grow up with my sister, who's seven years older than me. We lost out on many, many years together. But thanks to the Internet, we've been able to connect and bond in a way that I don't think would have been possible before. It was her birthday recently and although she lives in Puerto Rico I was able to share in her special day, in real time.
Having an open Internet is priceless, but that doesn't mean that Internet service providers have the right to control how I connect with my sister. This is why I fight for Net Neutrality every day at Free Press.
When I'm not working at Free Press or teaching Zumba, I'm online connecting with groups like ColorOfChange.org, which works hard to strengthen Black America's political voice. These organizations educate me on important human rights and social justice issues so that I can take action and be part of a larger community fighting for the greater good. And I can fight for the causes I care about online by signing petitions, sharing messages and donating.
The Internet allows me the freedom to financially support the causes I care most about, like the AIDS Foundation of Western Massachusetts and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Having lost my father to AIDS and watched a good friend battle (and beat!) breast cancer, it's very important to me that I do what I can to help find a cure for both diseases. It's also fitting that I would use the Internet to fight for Internet freedom, press freedom and a stronger democracy: This is why I don't just work at Free Press -- I also support it.
I fight because if I don't I'm giving the groups that want to kill Net Neutrality more power and I will not be the reason we don't win real Net Neutrality!
Yesenia Perez
Yesenia Perez works with the development team to implement all fundraising efforts for Free Press and the Free Press Action Fund. She has over 12 years of experience in content management and fundraising. Yesenia comes to Free Press from the Institute for Community Economics. She received her B.S. in business administration from Bernard M. Baruch College.
I'm not what you'd consider a super activist. I don't sign every petition I receive, I don't attend every protest or rally I'm invited to, I don't donate to every organization that solicits me. But it's because of the Internet that I can fight for what I believe in.
And that's why I fight for real #NetNeutrality -- to ensure that the Internet remains a space where free expression can flourish.
The open Internet has changed my life in profound ways. I didn't get to grow up with my sister, who's seven years older than me. We lost out on many, many years together. But thanks to the Internet, we've been able to connect and bond in a way that I don't think would have been possible before. It was her birthday recently and although she lives in Puerto Rico I was able to share in her special day, in real time.
Having an open Internet is priceless, but that doesn't mean that Internet service providers have the right to control how I connect with my sister. This is why I fight for Net Neutrality every day at Free Press.
When I'm not working at Free Press or teaching Zumba, I'm online connecting with groups like ColorOfChange.org, which works hard to strengthen Black America's political voice. These organizations educate me on important human rights and social justice issues so that I can take action and be part of a larger community fighting for the greater good. And I can fight for the causes I care about online by signing petitions, sharing messages and donating.
The Internet allows me the freedom to financially support the causes I care most about, like the AIDS Foundation of Western Massachusetts and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Having lost my father to AIDS and watched a good friend battle (and beat!) breast cancer, it's very important to me that I do what I can to help find a cure for both diseases. It's also fitting that I would use the Internet to fight for Internet freedom, press freedom and a stronger democracy: This is why I don't just work at Free Press -- I also support it.
I fight because if I don't I'm giving the groups that want to kill Net Neutrality more power and I will not be the reason we don't win real Net Neutrality!
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