What If?

     All of us are pretty well accustomed to the Internet; it makes our lives easier. It makes research more efficient, networking faster...we can even shop online. You don't even have to leave your house anymore. The entire world comes to you. Personally, I can say that I don't watch the news on television anymore. It's much faster for me to read about what's going on the world online and then move on, not waiting for the other half of the story I'm listening to between weather and "How to Save Your Money" slots.
     Without the Internet, keeping in touch with people would be much slower, and far more expensive. Of course there would always be 'snail mail,' and the obvious telephone call. But what if you have friends in Georgia? New Zealand? China? Long distance and out of country phone calls rack up cash fast. With an Internet connection, one can simply pay a monthly bill and send as many Facebook posts, emails, or pictures as is possible. Instead of going on Ebay and buying a case of tennis balls and having it shipped to your house, you would have to actually leave, go to a local sporting goods store, and pay there.
     Americans are very proud of our right to be this lazy and impersonal. We take great pride in our freedom of speech, and thus our ability to be cowards and post on someone's wall what a loser we think they are. If the US pulled an Egypt, even for a day, you can bet there would be trouble stirring. There would surely be an uprising.
     Unfortunately, the thing most Americans don't know is that yes, they have the right to post and say what they please, but people are still punished for it. On top of that, what we see on the Internet and even on television every single day is censored. Things are made up. Propaganda is spread. Things are blown out of proportion.
     Most Americans take advantage of their first amendment rights, but how many are really aware that their rights are being taken away from them anyway?