Stuart,
As math-and-computer-geeks-turned-grassroots-activists, Demand Progress's staff appreciates the absurdity and audacity of the business lobbyists who've called us cyberbullies -- on so many levels.
It's ridiculous and maybe a bit offensive, but it's a clear indication that we're having a real impact on lawmakers and lobbyists in DC.
If you haven't donated yet, can you do so as we gear up for key battles this spring? We'll be fighting censorship, Internet snooping, indefinite detention, and more. You can click here to chip in 5, 10, or 25 dollars.
Thanks so much,
Demand Progress
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Here are more details, from the email we sent on Friday:
The best way to know that we're having an impact? When our opponents lash out at us. And boy did they ever.
Politico wrote an article that highlights some of the work we've done in opposition to CISPA -- including our campaign to call Mark Zuckerberg out on lining up Facebook in support of the bill:
Facebook, IBM and other firms — along with lawmakers — have been targeted this week in attacks on Twitter and Facebook, via email and online petitions.
What do the powers-that-be think of our grassroots activism?
“Cyberbullying,” one tech company insider dubbed it.
Right on. We want to be free to 'bully' mega corporations and politicians whenever they deserve it. And your donations keep us independent and make it possible for us to do so.
We need your support to pay our campaigners, designers, and coders as we take on CISPA and other threats to civil liberties and Internet freedom. Please click here to chip in $10.
We haven't won yet, but they're calling us cyberbullies because we're having a tangible impact on the workings on Capitol Hill.
We're making it harder for big businesses to push a pro-corporate, anti-Internet, anti-consumer agenda.
Over the last month alone we've generated more than 300,000 emails to Congress, nearly 200,000 signatures on our open letter to Facebook, and more than 15,000 phone calls to lawmakers.
And we've seen tangible results:
  • Amendments were adopted that made CISPA (marginally) better.
  • Earlier this month CISPA was supposed to sail through, but we helped foment real opposition, and the House vote was far closer than anybody could have imagined even a couple of weeks ago.
  • Most Democrats held firm in opposition, and more than two dozen libertarian-leaning Republicans defied their leadership and vote no.
  • Most importantly, President Obama has threatened to veto CISPA.
Will you support our continued organizing as the Senate gears up to work on cyber security legislation? Please click here to chip in $10.
Thanks so much for your support!
-Demand Progress
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