NNSquad - Network Neutrality Squad
[ NNSquad ] Re: More on Stanford NN hearing ("George Ford booed and heckled")
I was there, too. It's simply untrue from the perspective of anyone in the room that Ford "could barely be heard over the heckling and boos."
That the audience got involved at moments is standard fare for public hearings. That anyone was shouted down or drowned out by a chorus of boos and heckling is a gross mischaracterization.
I heard Ford loud and clear from the back of the auditorium -- even the part where he admitted to receiving money from many of the network operators who have a stake in the FCC decision.
Public hearings and town halls are a healthy part of our democratic process. The commission should be commended for taking these issues out of Washington back rooms and weighing different and local perspectives before deciding. Even the side conversations at Harvard and Stanford, between people of opposing views, have been constructive outcomes of these events.
To paint them as a circus or accuse one group of orchestrating insults from the crowd is a serious matter. Hopefully, as more people take part in these hearings (yes, we should have more!), these sorts of unsubstantiated broadsides will be seen for what they are.
= = = = =
Timothy Karr
Campaign Director
Free Press
www.freepress.net
SavetheInternet.com
201.533.8838
The National Conference for Media Reform
June 6-8, 2008 :: Minneapolis
www.freepress.net/conference
________________________________________
From: nnsquad-bounces+tkarr=freepress.net@nnsquad.org [nnsquad-bounces+tkarr=freepress.net@nnsquad.org] On Behalf Of Lauren Weinstein [lauren@vortex.com]
Sent: Friday, April 18, 2008 11:13 AM
To: nnsquad@nnsquad.org
Cc: lauren@vortex.com
Subject: [ NNSquad ] More on Stanford NN hearing ("George Ford booed and heckled")
------- Forwarded Message
From: David Farber <dave@farber.net>
To: "ip" <ip@v2.listbox.com>
Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2008 02:45:42 -0700
Subject: [IP] Re: George Ford is getting booed and heckled
________________________________________
From: Brett Glass [brett@lariat.net]
Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2008 10:19 PM
To: David Farber; ip
Subject: Re: [IP] George Ford is getting booed and heckled
At 06:58 PM 4/17/2008, David Farber wrote:
>"It is pretty sad that the only economist here today could barely
> be heard over the heckling and boos. This event is really a farce."
I was there. And, yes, he was booed and heckled, basically for being
pro-market and anti-regulation. It's a good thing that Tom Hazlett
didn't show; they might have thrown things. ;-)
The room -- where, ironically, I both performed music and spoke when
I attended Stanford 25 years ago -- was not full. Most of the crowd
that did attend was marshalled by a group called "Save the
Internet," which fed them talking points and much incorrect
information. The crowd was uncivil and booed anyone who appeared not
to favor an expansive and radical definition of Network Neutrality.
(Except for me.... They kind of didn't know what to make of me. I
wasn't representing a corporate behemoth but also was not an
unqualified advocate of their agenda. One speaker did attack me
during the public comment period, though.)
In any event, I was the sole representative of an Internet service
provider speaking at the hearing. I had quite a lot to say that was
unique and substantive and had not been heard by the Commissioners
before. Alas, while I would have liked to have enough time to cover
all of the major points, I only got to speak for 8 minutes. (Larry
Lessig got much, much longer because his group at the Law School was
hosting the hearing.) However, I did file written comments which
covered all of the points I intended to make.
- --Brett Glass
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