#fuck online censors

[dimonds456]

ATTENTION MINORS

I know you guys have been seeing the posts going around about Earn-It and KOSA and things of the like, and talking about how bad those things are. And you're right, they're really, really bad. But, you're not old enough to help participate in helping out, right, since you're a minor? 

WRONG.

Minors out there who are concerned about these issues: YOU CAN HELP US. KOSA and CSAM specifically are acts to create widespread censorship and invasion of privacy to "protect kids," so if anything, your younger voices are stronger than ours! 

I've compiled some resources for you guys to help out. Note that if you sound old enough, you do not have to disclose your age if you don't want to. The point is that there is a public outcry, not that you're under 18.

If you don't know what the bills are or what they do, here's a Doc that explains all that with links to different reading material where you can learn all about it there (note: as of posting this, the Restrict Act is not currently updated. Check back in the future for updates to the doc). 

The two we really need to worry about right now are KOSA and CSAM. 

KOSA is a bill being passed that would effectively let the government censor anything they want online, which can and will include minority voices, LGBTQ content, and anything they deem "unsafe" for kids (such as the suicide hotline).  

CSAM is another law that preaches about protecting kids, but would actually be used to spy on everyone. It's a trojan horse. 

There are a couple more, which are all covered more in-depth here on this site (scroll down):

Here's a few more resources for you guys, and then I'll get into how you guys can help!

KOSA

CSAM

EARN-It

(Light flash warning for this one, just in case)

RESTRICT Act

Alright, with all the reading out of the way, let's get into what to do.

How YOU can help!

Minors: you are not helpless. You are not powerless. The point is that there is a public outcry, and the fact that you are so young could be an advantage to stopping bills like KOSA and CSAM. 

If your voice can pass as an adult's, YOU CAN CALL. If you don't think your voice can pass, YOU CAN EMAIL, TEXT, SIGN PETITIONS, and honestly, you MAY STILL be able to call. 

Here's how calling works. It's gonna be scary the first time around, I know, but you've got this.

First: find out who your representatives are. This website right here makes that very easy. Go to the dropdown for your state and find it, and your two reps should automatically pop up.

Next, see if they're a Republican or a Democrat. This should be in parenthesis next to their names. Here's Michigan's and Mississippi's reps as examples of what that looks like:

How you phrase your words will differ depending on the party they're in, this is important.

Next, you'll see under their names an address, phone number, and some bibliography. (I kept using the Michigan ones cuz I was already on their page, so if you're from Michigan, here's the numbers right here.)

Let's get ready to call now.

Now, when I say "call," I don't mean exclusively by phone. You can also fax them or email them. 

Here's a website you can use to fax them.

To find their email address, google it. [Name] email, and if they've got one, it should pop up there. 

Now, the hard part: actually calling.

Before we go any further, reminder that these people are just that: people. They're not idols, they're not gods, they're not worth any more than you are. Dehumanize them as much as you need to in your head. They're not scary, they're human. 

Now, for each bill, you can either make it all separate or keep all your words in one email, as it were. How you want to do this is up to you. But, if you're feeling lost for words, there are also scripts you can use as a base. 

Here's an email to a Democrat about KOSA, for example:

And this one has emails for both sides:

The long and short of it goes like this:

Your name and something about you (I'm a retail worker) (I'm a minor) (I go to [name] school)

Explain why you're calling (I urge you to stop [bill])

Explain why the issue matters to YOU. (I am a minor, and pushing this law would do irreparable damage, not help us. Here's a bit of why.)

Ask the representative you're calling to help 

Thank them for listening. 

Keep it courteous- they'll be more likely to listen to you if you're calm and collected. I know emotions are high right now, and it's okay to let desperation in, but don't yell or scream at them, you'll only drive them away from trying to stop anything. 

More than likely, you won't be speaking to that rep directly, but the message should still be clear and reach them. 

If you're faxing or emailing, there's more room to go off about issues in more depth, since there isn't someone on the other end of the line. You can say as much as you'd like, but still try to keep it polite. 

You guys are powerful, and your young voices can add to this fight. You do not have to be an adult to call something unjust. Stand with us. Together, your voices will make us stronger.

[starlover2]

Hey! Please sign this petition against KOSA or Kids Online Safety Act. This bill will endanger children and teens instead of protecting them. It will grant state attorney generals too much power over the internet, and it will do more harm to the youth and the internet as a whole The Hertiage Foundation has also openly stated they will use it to censor all queer and trans content

[melanorhynchus-side]

to me censored is like if you fed a lot of images of carmen into a neural network and put a horror filter over the final result

[unityrain24]

obviously kosa is going to really dangerous for minorities and such but shouldn't it be enraging republicans as well? if you guys distrust the government so much why are you trusting them with and ACTUAL CENSORSHIP BILL. maybe someone should tell them that's what's happening. that's it's trying to take away their constitutional rights of free speech.

[asterias-corner]

lil psa, because some people need to hear this.

self harm scars, no matter how bad- If they’re fully healed? They do not need to be fucking covered or require a trigger warning for your comfort, end of discussion. I don’t give a shit if they are wide, or long, or fucking red- scars can heal differently and change colors in different temperatures. I have scars, and I’m not going to cover up because you can’t handle seeing HEALED scars wider than a hair strand.

[cold-knees]

we've reached new levels of self censorship - just witnessed someone censor "suicide" by writing "sewerside" but in leetspeak (s3w3rs1d3)

[tigwex]

the d*nm*shi fandom climate is genuinely so fucking putrid and infighting-heavy it actively kind of reminds me of what d*eam smp was like before it died miserably

[danijam]

i remember i used to think that people who said that the american flag is racist were kinda overkill until i actually fucking thought about it for like, 2 seconds

the american flag is pretty much a bragging symbol of “hey look at how much g3n0cide we comitted! Look at how many people we erased from history! look at how much land we stole!”

fucking disgusting

[noblest-roman-of-them-all]

I've seen a lot of posts and polls lately asking stuff like "would you be interested in XYZ", and like...while I understand wanting that external validation and wanting people to be interested in and passionate about your projects and all ofnthose things, it is your blog. You know that, right?

I don't mean that to sound condescending, but I genuinely think that sometimes folks, myself included, can forget that these are our blogs. Where we curate what we love on them.

Tumblr is a refuge of anonymity where you can post about whatever it is that makes you happy for no reason at all and no one can say anything about it. Because you can block people and anons, you can turn off anon and messaging and submissions.

You can create a refuge for youself here and if people don't like it then they can move on and curate their own experiences and learn to regulate and take responsibility for themselves. (Which they need to be doing anyway. Don't let anyone bully you into taking responsibility for their online experiences.)

You don't have to ask permission to share your passion projects here.

Asking permission from followers, trying to appease followers and gain their approval is going to kill your creativity.

I know first hand how badly it feels when things don't take off the way you want them too. But don't let that discourage you from being passionate and creative.

If you love what you're doing then that's enough.

[hekateisconfused]

?!!!!?!!?!!!!!!??!??!??!?

I- HI NI NO KUNI FANS--

OH MY GOD WHAT IS HAPPENING IN I JUST POSTED THE CHALLENGES I'D DO ONCE I FINISH 100% AND NOW I'M GETTING SEEN BY NNK SENPAIS OH WOW

[msclaritea]

Oh dear, that Sunday Times article must be devastating for you.

Benedict Cumberbatch talks extensively and fondly about his children and parents. No mention of his mother abusing him, in fact quite the opposite, he talks about what wonderful, supportive, loving parents he has.

And other people from the film also talk a lot about his family, wife and children. Almost as if the actual people who spend time with him have no hesitation in acknowledging the reality of his three lovely boys.

HERE'S MY ANSWER. YOU STUPID FUCKERS WANT TO KEEP POKING THE BEAR, THEN THAT BEAR IS GOING TO MAKE SURE THE PUBLIC KNOWS THAT A BUS LOAD OF CREEPS ARE ATTACHED TO THIS PROJECT. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!

[blue-jester]

I feel sick

[cosmic-latt3]

probably going back to E///D inpatient, potentially as early as before Xmas. So that's fucking fun. Last time I was there they wouldn't let me outside for over a month because of my ""noncompliance"". I might be in SEED protocol this time (even though I don't meet the definition? I'm almost 30 but I've only had it 4 yrs. IDK why they said that so 🤞) so hopefully they'll be willing to give the barest accommodations to my other disabilities. Last time I had to advocate for myself to be able to... cross my legs at meals. Don't get me wrong I'm grateful I have access to one of the less bad programs in the country and probably the only one with mandatory masks 🎉 and hope to use this time to work on certain projects with fewer electronic distractions, and but... yea

[halfricanloveyou]

what if i don’t have balls? hmm? what then? will this white man with a gun still try to cuntkick me or what

[feline-evil]

Testosterone alone won't do it i need a special strain that'll make me look like Peter Steele for all to be right with the world