SOPA, PIPA Blackouts and Attacks on Facts Show Disregard for Civil Discourse

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. —Jan. 29, 2012— While the long-term impact of Wednesday’s online protests against the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA) is unknown, what’s clear is opponents for both sides will go to extremes to get their messages heard, including attacking others’ viewpoints.

“The blackouts staged by Wikipedia, Reddit and other popular websites got the attention of everyone, but in no way did they qualify as effective civil discourse,” said Paige Maurer-Wheeler, owner of the nonpartisan letter-writing service PurpleLetter.org. “Everyone has their opinions, and it seems both sides are guilty of skewing facts to incite support. But what we need to know is what the people want – not what the Googles and Craigslists of the world want.”

SOPA and PIPA are designed to stop online piracy of movies, music and related products. If passed, the bills could change the way the Internet operates because website owners would be held liable for content posted by users.

Corporate heavyweights have expressed support on both sides of the issue. And although their opinions on the bills vary, one constant remains – opponents and proponents want supporters to contact Congress to help create a meaningful solution.

“We’ve seen the Internet is a valuable tool for learning about and expressing opinions on these bills,” Maurer-Wheeler said. “And although petitions were available online, including on Google where more than 7 million signatures were collected, you can’t argue with the benefits of voicing your concerns directly to your representatives.”

Wheeler believes the best way to handle this task is through a traditional first-class letter via http://www.PurpleLetter.org. The service’s 21st century social media communication tool bridges the gap between the pubic and Washington by disseminating individuals’ unique voices and creating transparency, responsiveness and accountability. Users need only an opinion; PurpleLetter.org prints, stuffs, stamps and sends the users’ content on eye-catching purple stationery.

“PurpleLetter.org’s traditional first-class letters are the most effective and efficient form of civil discourse because online communication is too easy to lose or ignore,” stressed Maurer-Wheeler, adding that PurpleLetter.org letters have received responses from President Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Sarah Palin and many members of Congress. “Also, you can’t share e-mail communications sent to our government on Facebook, Twitter or e-mail like you can on PurpleLetter.org.”

Furthermore, Maurer-Wheeler said U.S. mail letters carry more influence with Congress members, as time is needed to validate the credibility of Internet communications (due to spam). “The added value is not only can people exercise their right to democracy, but they now have a means to share it, receive online comments, and record the occurrence to the media, other members of congress and their peers in the community,” Maurer-Wheeler said.

For a limited time, new PurpleLetter.org members who use the promo code “SOPA” at checkout can write up to two letters; select recipients from the continually updated database of more than 200,000 U.S. government representatives, public officials and media members; and get their first-class postage paid. Wheeler suggests users write their representatives and send the same letter to a favorite media member.

In addition to going to recipients via first-class mail, the letter can be posted in a letter gallery, making them accessible on the website and online search engines. Users also receive recipients’ e-mail addresses and phone numbers for follow-up, and they can expand the letter’s reach over time by copying media members, as well as through PurpleLetter.org’s e-mail, Facebook and Twitter sharing tools.

About PurpleLetter.org

PurpleLetter.org is a nonpartisan letter-writing service offering an easy way for people to get their ideas in front of members of the U.S. government, public officials, media outlets and more. For a minimal fee, PurpleLetter.org’s letter-writing technology helps users craft letters, find the appropriate recipients and addresses, and send each correspondence via first-class mail and e-mail. Users can also register to vote and change political party affiliations on the site. Registering for PurpleLetter.org is free and can be done through Facebook. More information is available at http://www.PurpleLetter.org .