The internet is a human rights issue?

[Bastiat's The Law]

Had a progressive write this concerning Net Neutrality. How to respond without making her cry?

Human rights issues go far beyond things like businesses who won't sell a cake to a gay couple for their wedding.... the free market has done nothing to protect gay people from housing and job discrimination, it's the government who has stepped in to intervene there.

Protecting the internet is a human rights issue because of poverty and classism. Do kids deserve to not have the internet access necessary to complete their homework just because their parents are poor? They are disadvantaged enough as it is? Look at me, I haven't been able to afford internet at home in over a year. It was (still is) a struggle completing my college degree without access at home and, as a single mother, I don't have the freedom to leave home to go to a coffee shop to get internet in the evening.

In our culture, access to the internet is a necessity. It's necessary for school, finding a job, getting weather alerts and notifications of school closings. I get my work schedule through email every week. For my new job, all my paperwork was done online. You don't realize how culturally dependent we are on the internet until you don't have easy access to it.

Would our schools even be able to afford faster internet services for the students if it came to paying for speed? Some certainly wouldn't be able to, likely those in poor school districts that educate poor kids whose parents are too poor to afford good internet at home.

Private businesses would begin having things like X Coffee shop, where you get a code for the internet that lasts an hour, but only when you make a purchase.

The entire system would end up creating a further division of the classes and the free market would do $#@! because, in this case, it's not about choosing where to buy a product, it's about having the money to afford a cultural necessity.

[Root]

The last time I checked, the public libraries have (eh hem *cough* *cough*) "free" internet. Schools are already paying for internet based on both speed and capacity. Weather alerts? Watch the news, or better yet, open a $#@!ing window.

[Cabal]

There will be nothing gained by responding to such a person.

[acptulsa]

Yeah, this one doesn't have three brain cells to rub together. But she can understand this much, if she can pull her head out for just a minute: Net neutrality is about neither 'protecting' the internet nor giving it to poor people, and anyone who said otherwise lied to her.

[otherone]

Look at me, I haven't been able to afford internet at home in over a year. It was (still is) a struggle completing my college degree without access at home and, as a single mother, I don't have the freedom to leave home to go to a coffee shop to get internet in the evening.

"it is the government's job to protect me from the consequences of my poor decisions, and by extension, everyone's poor decisions."

[mrsat_98]

If you like your internet you can keep your internet.

[AuH20]

Any right that is dependent on other's surrendering their rights isn't a right, honey. I guess ISPs should just abandon their profit motive and get paid in good will? And they frequently refer to Libertarians as being selfish and myopic? Sheesh. I hope that makes sense.