Welcome to my diary, I'd like to state right away that I am not working for or on behalf of anyone involved with the Lessig exploratory committee or campaign. I am a blogger/netizen, like you, who is hoping to help push a man of integrity and intellect into an institution that is in dire need of both. That being said, I hope the Kos community will see that the values of Mr. Lessig are our own.
I'm writing this diary in the hope that you will support Larry Lessig's potential bid for California's 12th Congressional District.
Mr. Lessig has fought for you and I, digital consumers, by creating an alternative copyrighting scheme called Creative Commons to offer a choice for those who choose to publish intellectual property and make it available to us, the consumers, for republishing, remixing, and reinventing that intellectual property. In short, he has given us a way to keep innovation alive and from being stifled by belligerent copyright laws pushed by companies with too many lawyers.
Mr. Lessig is a principal member of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the ACLU of the internet. These were the guys who fought, won, and set a precedent for the inclusion of bloggers in the same Reporter's Shield laws that protect the pen and paper reporters from prosecution and disclosure of confidential sources. Click the link above for a more comprehensive list of victories that the EFF has won.
Mr. Lessig wants to change the power of money in Washington. He spells this out clearly in three major points:
- A pledge to not take money from PACS/lobbyists
- A pledge to ban earmarks
- Supports public financing of campaigns
Thank you for reading this. Below is a video announcement from Mr. Lessig on his views of why he wants to run. Below the video I have included some links, to his website, to his to his wiki page and to other speeches he has given.
Lessig 08
Wiki
TED Conference
Anti-Corruption Talk
Facebook Group
I'd like to end this diary by asking that everyone please take a moment to read the bio of recently deceased Representative Tom Lantos. Some words from Rep. Lantos:
"It is only in the United States that a penniless survivor of the Holocaust and a fighter in the anti-Nazi underground could have received an education, raised a family, and had the privilege of serving the last three decades of his life as a Member of Congress," he said. "I will never be able to express fully my profoundly felt gratitude to this great country."