I'm not all that big on storming the castle of Congress with protests — and not because I can't find plenty to protest but because I don't think it does a lot of good. I believe elected officials do pretty much what they want to do. When it corresponds to the polls, they announce they are listening to the voice of The People. And when it isn't what the polls say most of us want, they take credit for not being "poll-driven" and for being too courageous to let a little thing like the opinions of their constituents affect them.
The recent F.C.C. decision that will allow media conglomerates to get bigger is a perfect example of really not giving a damn about The People. I've tried to look at it from every possible interpretation, groping for the silver lining within. I cannot fathom any way by which we as a nation will be better-off because the likes of Rupert Murdoch, Disney, ClearChannel and Time-Warner will be able to get larger and to drive more independents out of the already-squeezed TV-radio market. The excuse that the Internet and other new technologies will compensate by providing alternative forums is a pretty feeble rationale. This ruling was passed because a small group of men in Washington thought it would help their own political and perhaps financial interests.
Perhaps most maddening is that it was done on the sly; that they tried to do it with as little attention as possible to minimize objections. The conventional hearing process was by-passed. Even folks who hold ClearChannel stock and stand to get richer are having a tough time rationalizing that one. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), chairman of the Commerce Committee, has scheduled a June 19 vote on a proposal to undo what the F.C.C. has done.
I don't know if messages to your representatives will change the outcome but it is in our national interest for this matter to get as much attention as possible. If Murdoch is going to get his windfall from the government, let it be done in broad daylight and with elected officials voting on the record for it.
There are many ways you can use the Internet to protest. Common Cause provides one of the simplest means of sending a protest by fax or e-mail here. An even better way would be to use that link to get the phone number of your Senators and Congressperson and actually call their office. Some people think this is a difficult process but I have found it's pretty simple. You dial the number, a secretary answers and you say, "Hello. I am represented by Senator [or Congressperson] So-and-So. I would like to urge him/her to vote to undo the F.C.C. giveaway." The person answering the phone will almost certainly know exactly what you're talking about, and probably has a little tally sheet right in front of them. They'll say, "I will record your viewpoint. Thank you for calling," and that's all it takes.
Do it now. Tomorrow, every channel on your dial could be Fox.