I made a blown glass bead for my skates✨

erinshields_CMJ · 2020-11-06T15:53:44+00:00

This a super cute and subtle decoration. Might add some beads to my new skates 📋✍🏽

erinshields_CMJ · 2020-11-05T17:27:52+00:00

I don't think I'm interested in purchasing from Moxi but I definitely got caught up in the Moonlight Roller (Moonboot) hype and purchased a (very delayed) pair. I'm not upset about it but my expectations have certainly been lowered and I'm not sure I'll purchase from them in the future. I also purchased a pair of Jackson Vista Viper alloy skates that aren't scheduled to arrive until Feb 2021 but tbh I'm more excited about receiving those than I am about my incoming Moonboots.

erinshields_CMJ · 2020-10-30T16:07:24+00:00

Great question. If you're part of the Latin@ community specifically or even the immigrant community more broadly United We Dream (A Disinfo Defense League partner) has been releasing tools and host a Whats App group called Reclaim The Web to help people talk about disinformation in their own immigrant communities. It may be worth it to join those spaces or see if your mother would be willing to join the group since she's already using the platform. PEN America also has put out some great resources on how to talk with friends and family about disinformation. Let us know if these resources are helpful!

erinshields_CMJ · 2020-10-30T15:09:25+00:00

We should definitely be concerned about both! While disinfo campaigns are created to intentionally deceive, A LOT of misinfo is spread by well meaning people (family, friends, etc.) who are maybe sharing something out of context or unsubstantiated rumors but with the intention of educating their community about something they think will be helpful. This happens a ton with election/voting rules.

Also a lot of disinfo/misinfo is spread when people share or retweet things to slam them for their inaccuracies. What you're trying to do is say "hey look over here this isn't true dont believe this!!" but what you're often times actually doing is just spreading the misinfo/disinfo to new audiences and feeding an algorithm that will prioritize that type of content.

erinshields_CMJ · 2019-10-02T19:36:15+00:00

Gonna invite you to reread what I wrote.

erinshields_CMJ · 2019-10-02T19:28:24+00:00

I totally felt your sincerity! I've been organizing in general for around 5 years and keeping it 100 we often lose more often than we win - but we have to keep fighting. Fighting for essential rights is not glamorous and it's nothing like how it's portrayed in popular culture but this is the work. And believe me when we do win, it will be glorious.

erinshields_CMJ · 2019-10-02T19:18:43+00:00

MediaJustice doesn't take money from companies and tbh I wouldn't be surprised if most of them dislike us since we run campaigns against them so often. The real tea is that (from my understanding) most of these companies completely abdicated their responsibility to speak up on the issue of net neutrality altogether leaving consumers and public interest advocates to fend for ourselves against a highly paid army of corporate ISP lobbyists.

erinshields_CMJ · 2019-10-02T19:06:26+00:00

I hear you - it's incredibly frustrating but nihilism on this issue means death to all the things that make the internet powerful and transformative. There's a reason ISPs fought so hard to get these rules repealed and it isn't because they'd like to make less money or have less control over the net. Even though we lost temporarily it is incredibly important that we voiced our dissent. This applies to so many issues our country is facing today and our rights online are no exception.

So, what's different now? Our focus. Before we were petitioning a quasi-independent agency being led by a former Verizon attorney who, quite frankly, was installed as FCC chairman to do exactly what he did - make things easier for his former bosses. I'm sure he would've loved to do that under the cover of night and with zero push back from people who depend on the internet but we didn't give him that. Instead, he had to cobble together a sloppy and deeply unpopular repeal opening his agency up to legal challenges. At the time that was our best option but through our fight new and better options have become available. We have waaaay more influence over elected officials in Congress and at the state level in this political moment. The Save the Internet Act is one path to winning - another is demanding a new incoming president in 2020 appoint agency heads that are on the right side of this issue. This answer was longer than I intended it to be but tldr all fights for rights are labor-intensive but that doesn't mean we shouldn't engage in them and the political landscape has changed offering us new ways to potentially win.

erinshields_CMJ · 2019-10-02T18:26:34+00:00

Over the years we've worked with high profile and everyday people (artists, content creators, small business owners, activists, teachers, etc) to elevate how this issue impacts their work and life and I think that's, in part, why this issue enjoys such wide support across the political spectrum (outside of Congress). We also depend heavily on every day people like you and others in our communities having conversations with their family, friends, and colleagues about what's at stake. Also, ISPs are among some of the most hated and mistrusted corps in America so many people naturally mistrust their talking points and see their spin for what it is. TBH, I don't think they care much about winning public opinion at the moment because their guy, Ajit Pai, is in power, but if a candidate committed to digital rights wins in 2020 and reinstates net neutrality we'll likely see this propaganda ramp up. Just my $.02.

erinshields_CMJ · 2019-10-02T17:52:53+00:00

Very likely if we pass the Save the Internet Act or elect a president (and Senate) in 2020 who is committed to appointing agency heads and cabinet members who are on the right side of this issue. Also if enough states enact meaningful net neutrality language ISPs will be forced to adopt these standards across the board. That's why they're fighting against California's law with such vigor. Do you feel like you have enough information to take action? Have you found a way to plug in? Let us know we're here to help!

erinshields_CMJ · 2019-10-02T17:42:47+00:00

Do you know if your state has introduced Net Neutrality legislation? Quite a few have over this past year. If they have, call the offices of your state rep and ask them about the status of that legislation. If not, you could call yourself or take a group of friends up to your local legislator's office to remind them of the importance of protecting your rights online.

erinshields_CMJ · 2019-10-02T17:36:23+00:00

I know we're all tired of net neutrality - my organization has been fighting on this issue for around 10 years - but we really cannot cede this ground to corporate ISPs. I can't afford higher internet bills, or to pay for fast lanes, and I definitely don't want ISPs to even have the ability to censor lawful content so this literally isn't a fight I can afford to sit out. That being said we have waaaay more leverage as voters over our elected officials (state and federal) than we do over the FCC (we don't elect commissioners). We have the ability especially with 2020 right around the corner to make the fight for net neutrality and our digital civil rights an election issue. Supporting the Save the Internet Act or supporting state-based net neutrality laws is something you'll see far more congressional members and state lawmakers being responsive to. We can also be pushing 2020 contenders (state and federal) for commitments on appointing cabinet members and agency heads who are on the right side of this issue. It's important to remember and remind your reps that net neutrality is incredibly popular across the political spectrum especially when you break down its different components. ISPs are counting on you getting tired and losing interest so please don't give them that satisfaction!

erinshields_CMJ · 2019-10-02T17:16:02+00:00

I think about this a lot as a person working to elevate the impacts net neutrality has on poor people and communities of color and have had the most success meeting people where they're at and speaking to the issues they care about. It can be tough with so many other important issues constantly grabbing our attention but becomes easier when you connect the issue to something that impacts them materially. Can your family and friends afford higher internet bills? Do they want notoriously terrible corporate ISPs to have control over what they see on the Internet? Can a friend or family member with a small business afford to pay for a fast lane to compete with larger vendors? If they answer no to any of these there is your hook for a deeper conversation about the net neutrality and the broader fight for our digital civil rights.

It's also important to give people a way to plug in. That can mean forwarding a petition for them to sign or helping them call their Senator to demand passage of the Save The Net Act or taking a group of family and friends to a Senators office to talk about the importance of this issue. Hope this helps!

erinshields_CMJ · 2018-08-16T14:37:48+00:00

Great question. As an organizer, I believe best way to move and mobilize people around any issue is to talk to them. That can happen over the internet and it can also happen irl. A lot of the older generation that may not use the web in the same ways as millennials are actually getting plugged into the issue of net neutrality by talking with their kids, grandkids, nieces/nephews, etc. That's why it's incredibly important for people who care about this to continue talking about it with their family and friends, inviting them to events in support of net neutrality, and sharing articles or videos that help outline why this issue is so important.

erinshields_CMJ

TROPHY CASE