We are researchers not lobbyists...

Dear fellow academics,

Many of us try to distance ourselves from politics - we are researchers not lobbyists I was once told, but now is not the time to assume that your absence in the debate will not be missed. There are two pieces of legislation being proposed in Washington that will drastically alter the Internet as we know it. Because the Internet in the US (as of right now) is uncensored I would encourage you to spend a few minutes researching the Protect IP Act and the Stop Online Piracy Act. My point is not to sway you with this email to support or oppose either of these items (I will do that in person). I want to remind everyone that even if we are not lobbyists we still have a responsibility as researchers to make our voices heard so that some logic and thoughtful reasoning goes into the laws that govern the country we all share.

~Eric Gavaletz