My letter. I spent plenty of time on it. It should make good virtual birdcage liner for all the virtual parrots at the White House:
"Mr. President,
I, like many, helped to vote you into office in 2008, because I believed you represented a new paradigm of politics. Certainly, in that election, many people projected their own hopes and values onto you, and no doubt to some extent I did as well. However, I have been extremely disappointed with your positions on copyright law issues so far.
Not only have you appointed numerous officials from the RIAA and MPAA, but you have recently commented that the US needs to support the extremely invasive ACTA treaty provisions. No doubt this position came after many discussions with your RIAA and MPAA appointees, and Vice President Biden. Mr. Biden has consistently voted in favor of expanding copyright protections, even when they detract from fair use, always in favor of industry interests.
Make no mistake, Mr. President--you are choosing to support big business at the expense of your constituency. Copyright is a necessary fact of life, but because it is a monopoly, the Constitution made it a pragmatic right, not an inalienable one-- it must be limited only to the extent it "promotes progress."
Copyright law now is far removed from that vision. Instead, the MPAA and RIAA lobby for tougher and tougher laws. They do not this to "promote progress," but rather to ensure they reap a greater and greater amount of consumer's money. Congress, and indeed, most former presidents, have also sided with the industry. Recently, however, the heretofore unrepresented public has organized and opposed or severely limited copyright legislation.
ACTA and similar treaties are a new strategy, meant to bypass the congressional process. They launder policy. In backroom sessions, outside of public comment or attention, these treaties propose extremely invasive and draconian measures that the RIAA and MPAA could only dream of. Measures such as a "3 strikes" internet disconnect rule, a rule that completely undermines the American judicial system and puts enormous power into private industry hands. And the public can only hope for a leak or other glimpse at these bills before they are enacted and passed onto Congress for a vote--a vote which all but must pass because now they are "treaty obligations."
The fact that you could support this abominable secret treaty is utterly disheartening. If you continue to stand by this position, you will not have my vote in 2012, no matter how progressive you are on other issues.
Sincerely,
(me)"