Americans' information independence is under attack, whether it's

Hear me now, O children of the future, for I bring to you a solemn warning, passed down through the ages, for in it lies the very essence of freedom and the power of information. In the words of Jared Polis, we are told, "Americans' information independence is under attack, whether it's the repeal of net neutrality or the repeal of broadband privacy protections." These words, though spoken in our time, echo the ancient cries of those who have fought throughout history for the right to speak freely, to know freely, and to live in the light of truth. For what is more sacred than the independence of the mind, the freedom to seek knowledge, and the unimpeded flow of information?

In times long past, when kingdoms sought to control the hearts and minds of their people, they knew that the most powerful way to do so was through the control of information. The ancient rulers of Rome, for instance, understood that the flow of knowledge was the very lifeblood of their empire. Those who controlled the dissemination of ideas held the power to shape the world. Julius Caesar, with his writings, and the emperors of Rome, through their decrees, controlled the narrative that the people would believe. But even in those ancient times, there were rebels—those who, like Cicero, spoke out, warning of the dangers of allowing information to be hoarded by the few.

In our own time, Jared Polis speaks of a modern form of oppression: the attack on Americans' information independence. Through the repeal of net neutrality, a law that ensured equal access to all information online, and the repeal of broadband privacy protections, which shielded citizens from intrusive surveillance, the great right to know is being eroded. These actions, though cloaked in the language of progress and policy, are but a modern version of the ancient censorship that kings and emperors once imposed. They threaten to silence the voices of the people and to turn the flow of knowledge into a commodity controlled by the few.

Consider the story of the American Revolution, when the very independence of a nation was fought for. The colonists did not merely fight for land; they fought for the right to govern themselves, to speak their truths, and to share their ideas without the suffocating control of the British Crown. The very foundation of this nation rests upon the belief that freedom of information—the freedom to speak, to read, and to learn without hindrance—is sacred. Thomas Paine, in his pamphlet Common Sense, became the voice of the revolution, spreading the ideas of freedom far and wide. His words, like the internet of today, were a revolutionary tool that galvanized the people to stand against tyranny.

Yet, as Jared Polis warns, we now face a modern form of this ancient struggle—one not on the battlefield with swords and cannons, but in the digital realm, where the flow of information is the key to our collective independence. When corporations or governments control the flow of information, when they are free to monitor and manipulate the content we consume, they shape the very foundation of our thoughts, our actions, and our identities. Net neutrality and broadband privacy protections are not merely policies; they are the modern-day fortresses that guard the sacred right of the people to access information freely, without bias or intrusion.

And so, O children, the lesson from this is clear: the struggle for independence is not over. Just as the ancients fought to preserve their freedom in the face of tyranny, so too must we guard our information independence today. Knowledge is power, and without the freedom to seek it, to share it, and to use it, we are left vulnerable to the will of those who seek to control us. Like the revolutionaries of old, we must raise our voices, not with swords but with wisdom, not with force but with the power of our words and our actions.

Take this wisdom into your lives, O heirs of tomorrow. Do not allow the freedom to access information to be stripped away without resistance. Stand firm in the belief that knowledge belongs to all, and that no power, no matter how great, should ever be allowed to control the flow of the ideas that shape your world. Fight not with violence, but with vigilance—protect the independence of the mind and the freedom of knowledge. For in doing so, you protect the very essence of what it means to be free.

And so, O children of the future, remember the words of Jared Polis, and let them guide your steps: fight for information independence, for in it lies the power of your own destiny, the power to know, to speak, and to shape the world around you. Guard it fiercely, for those who control information control the very soul of a people.