Congress is finally making an effort to control the economic deficit by cutting federal spending. However, the Republican dominated House of Representatives is endorsing a spending plan that disregards the needs of constituents. It is vital that Americans use the internet to retaliate and stand up for their needs and rights. Specifically, the House has endorsed the Pence amendment that will eliminate financing for Planned Parenthood. Through the use of new media websites, including Twitter, Facebook and Youtube, Americans are accumulating the support necessary to let the Senate know, before the bill reaches the Senate, that taking away Planned Parenthood funds would be undermining Americans’ rights to the health care opportunities that Planned Parenthood offers.
Today’s government has become too inundated with internal federal affairs to acknowledge the needs of constituents. Therefore, the internet and new media are necessary elements to successfully develop a campaign by and for citizens against legislative assault, like the movement against the Planned Parenthood bill has generated.
New media websites such as Facebook, Twitter and Youtube, that link together like-minded individuals are essential democratizing forces because they offer a completely open platform for the American public to unite and to make their voices heard. This is essential in strengthening the connection between the distant representatives of congress and their abstract relationships with their constituencies.
Activist groups, such as Advocates for Youth’s Youth Activist Network, have demonstrated the power of the internet as a resource to be a reactionary force. The group has established Amplifyyourvoice.org, which has set up blogs, blog-a-thons, and other easy-to-access methods to spread their message to overturn the Pence amendment via new media. These options include, “amplify on Twitter, Facebook and Youtube”. All major outlets have been targeted in order to reach those who will be impacted the most by this particular budget cut.
The movement has gained a vast following through new media websites such as Facebook. New media is a fundamental aspect of this campaign, especially given the disreputable nature of the topic. Individuals can join the 261,835 members who have already joined the “I stand with Planned Parenthood” Facebook group. Individuals also have the option to sign an anonymous petition via amplifyyourvoice.org. The message is quickly and efficiently being mobilized as the internet attempts to counter balance the imbalanced state of American government.
Planned Parenthood online has linked its “Call Congress” campaign to numerous Twitter accounts to draw more attention to the page. The page explains the repercussions of the Pence amendment, “The consequences of this bill are clear and they would be devastating. More women would have unintended pregnancies. Cancer would develop, undiagnosed, in countless women. There is no doubt: cutting off millions of women from care, that they have no other way to afford, places them at risk of sickness and death.” The site also offers talking points and phone numbers to call in order to protest the passage of the Pence amendment in the U.S. Senate.
Planned Parenthood also has its own channel available on Youtube.com. The channel offers a collection of homemade videos of supporters who stand with Planned Parenthood in their fight against the Pence act. The channel has had over 92,407 views since its start, and continues to communicate the importance of overturning the amendment.
The government will continue to ignore citizens’ needs if action is not taken. The most efficient means of action have clearly been demonstrated in the reaction towards the Pence amendment. Campaigns such as this one have the potential to permeate the system through the internet. The internet is universal and adds needed pressure to the federal government to acknowledge needs outside their own. If we are living in a country that is “for the people and by the people”, the internet is the most suitable entity to carry out this ideology. It is imperative that Americans get involved with the government to keep the government in check at this time.
The internet absolutely needs to be utilized by regular Americans, especially as politics become increasingly more partisan. All forms of social media should be used, like they were in the case of Planned Parenthood. There may be one problem though. Other constituents may be listening, but are our leaders in Washington?
ReplyDeleteAt the end of the day, the use of the internet will mean nothing if our leaders are not paying attention to what is being said on the internet.
I think the concept of the internet as a "democratizing force" is a very interesting one. I've actually been doing some research on the blog culture among Latin American intellectuals, and one of the pieces I've read addresses this very idea. The data shows its true--the Internet, particularly blogs, actually sort of levels the playing field for sharing ideas. A more realistically representative percentage of women, youth, and minorities are active in the sociopolitical blogosphere than they are in flesh-and-blood reality. However, what the article read talked about as the source of this democratization was the degree of anonymity provided by blogging. You're clearly addressing something different, actually what seems to me like the opposite of anonymity; the democratization in new technology is the ability to make yourself, your causes, and you identity known, just through modern technology that lacks the gender, age, racial, etc. barriers that exist in old school political mechanisms.
ReplyDeleteOn a personal note, I joined in on the I Stand With Planned Parenthood because I find the Pence act to be appalling. Honestly, I thought it was a tasteless joke at first. Here's to hoping it doesn't rear its ugly head again any time soon, but I know that's wishful thinking.
Also, a Pence and new-media related video that may interest you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaxBR1AiFS4