Letters on FCC Internet policy, guns on campus

FCC needs light-touch policy on Internet

Congress held a hearing recently to examine whether or not the Federal Communications Commission’s policies serve the best interest of consumers and businesses. During the hearing, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler told Congress that America is facing a “crisis” in Internet deployment to rural America and that there is “a lot of work left to do to ensure that rural schools, libraries and small businesses are not left behind.”

I agree. This is a crucial issue for Wichita and all people in Kansas.

However, despite the chairman’s concerns about broadband deployment in rural areas, the FCC recently adopted a rash of expensive regulations that run counter to the goal of expanding high-speed Internet services to rural areas. These rules were designed decades ago to regulate the old telephone monopoly. Applying these old rules to new technologies will only create another obstacle that keeps the people in our community from gaining access to the latest Internet technology.

As a business owner, I can attest that a light-touch government approach has helped grow my business in Kansas. Government overreach like this will undermine this success and dampen the innovation and private investment that grow the economy for us all.

Everyone deserves the benefits that come from high-speed Internet service. I encourage the FCC to reinstitute the successful light-touch policy that has driven the nation’s Internet investments and put consumers and workers first.

Driven by fear

Regarding “University of Kansas chancellor opposes guns on campus” (Dec. 9 Eagle): A student at KU said he would have no problem with people carrying guns on campus.

“Most talk of gun control comes from fear,” he said. “People don’t understand guns so they fear them. At the end of the day, no legislation, no sign on the door, is going to stop someone from committing some heinous act. I would much rather have the option to protect myself.”

He wants to protect himself, presumably out of fear. Apparently other people fear; but he has no fear, but enough fear to carry a gun.

I don’t carry a gun and, yes, I do fear: I fear hotheaded, gun-toting reactionaries – so-called all-Americans.

Fear in one’s life feeds on the prejudice or judgment of others. Acceptance of others, without fear, puts one at no greater risk of death than the KU student himself fears.

Terrorist guns blazing through the door of a classroom would give the student little time to assess what’s going on, and recognize who and where the enemy is, before he even pulls his gun. The student might save his own life, but he will be no hero. Just a man who feared.

This story was originally published December 28, 2015 at 6:04 PM with the headline "Letters on FCC Internet policy, guns on campus."