by Andi Hopkins ‘14

The newest policy that Congress is trying to pass, called the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), is among the most preposterous things the government has ever suggested. The point of the act is to halt copyright infringement through federal legislation. However, if the act were passed, the government would be able to shut down entire websites. That means the citizens wouldn’t be able to access Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, YouTube and other media-sharing sites. Also, artists who perform cover songs from other artists would be forced to take down their video. This all sounds ridiculous and it violates the 1st Amendment right to freedom of speech. If the government takes away that freedom, by shutting down Americans’ key websites, the basic structure of the internet would crumble and Americans would be outraged. Luckily, President Obama doesn’t support the bill, and absolutely refuses to pass it if it were to make its way through Congress.