Are you angry that politicians aren't listing? You should be. They aren't. Turn that anger and frustration into real change.
If you, like me, are a customer of Cingular, AT&T or Vorizon, who are lobbying congress for immunity from lawsuits for giving out your private information to Bush, then you, like me, are implicity supporting this policy.
Support the movement to take $1,000,000 from phone companies by the end of the year. You can make a real difference. There are better cell phone companies out there. We'll help you find them.
I'm a Mergers and Acquisitions Attorney, so I love to talk to my friends who think all corporations are evil. What I tell them is, "Corporations aren't even real." They're things we made up as a society on pieces of paper that make innovation and productivity easier. People who ran Enron and Tyco? Ok, you got me there. Evil.
But "corporations" aren't the problem. It's certain, definable groups of people who are. They are the ones who think they have the monopoly on power. They are wrong.
I wrote a diary yesterday beginning a movement that is pretty simple. The response was good. If you, like me, use one of the phone companies that gave information to Bush without a warrant, think about switching. Our goal is to take $1,000,000 of yearly revenue from these companies by the end of the year.
You alone switching will donate whatever you pay a month times 12. In other words, you donate to the cause your old phone bill. For me, that's a political donation of over $700. Sounds like a lot of money? It is. They'll listen. You can help.
Change cell phones. We're planning to switch sometime in the next month. New Phone, New Country. Put it up to your ear, and know every time you do so, you're changing this country to the tune of hundreds of dollars at a time. And tell everyone. Let's get to $1,000,000.
Some FAQs:
Q: I don't know much about this issue. What's going on?
A: After 9/11, the White House requested customer information from a wide array of phone companies for anti-terrorism purposes. Some complied, and some did not. The problem was the While House didn't have a warrant, it was probably illegal or a breach of contract for the phone companies to comply, and now those phone companies are getting sued for doing it. In response, the phone companies are trying to get a law passed which would deny anyone the ability to sue and stop these phone companies from this practice.
Q: You're a corporate attorney. How valid are these lawsuits against AT&T and Verizon?
A: I don't do litigation, so I don't know for sure (can you tell I'm a lawyer yet?) I can say though, that if the phone companies are pushing this hard to deny us the ability to even try to sue, they probably have some merit. The best way to win a lawsuit is to deny the cause of action in the first place. And even if the phone companies win every single lawsuit, doesn't it make you angry that they would do such a thing, and that your representative is going along with it? Next to your home and internet, your phone is where you divulge more of your personal info than any other place. And it goes to Bush. Blech!!
Q: Who can I switch to? I might do it, but I don't know the good from the bad.
A: We are working to get a complete and definitive answer to this, and we'll keep you updated. Just support us in the meantime. We want to make this big. We are thinking of planning one big day when a lot of people switch at once, for maximum impact.
One good one is Credo Mobile, and they advertise on this very site (I know, I sometimes ignore the ads too). We also know that if you are an AT&T or Vorizon customer, you, like me, implicitly support this bill and this spying, since you pay them hundreds of dollars a year.
Q: What about the cost and service? I'm on a tight budget.
A: We're going to keep you updated on how you can save. Everyone has a different plan. Take five minutes to shop around for your particular needs, and please, tell us what you find.
Q: And the cancellation cost? What about that?
If your contract expires before the end of the year, you're who we want most. If you just signed a new one, like me, give yourself a good "doh!" and consider it a donation to a cause you believe in. I'm even thinking of just refusing to pay the cancellation cost, because, as an attorney, I think they are the ones who breached the contract first. That is just my position, however, and I'm going to do some more research and try to find out more before I go that route. I'm not advising you to do such a thing, nor is that part of the cause. I'm just an attorney, so I think that sort of thing is kind of fun in a wierd, sick way.
Q: I support this issue, but I don't know if it can make that much of a difference. What can we do about it?
A: Recommend this diary and stay tuned. Inform yourself of how Congress is on the wrong side of this issue. You have information that no one else does that will help as many people enlist as possible. The more people it works for with their special, individual needs, the bigger the impact. Keep listening, and stay excited. Send a link about this issue. Post any relevant information you have and confirm someone else's for a maximum impact.
Q: I support this issue, but you're an lawyer, and I hate lawyers! Help!
A: Lionel Hutz once said that if there's one thing this world needs, it's more lawyers. Consider enrolling in a law class or meeting up with local attorneys to absolve this irrational fear. As one of my professors once said, you should either be a lawyer, or have one.