Internet Access Is Not A Human Right

With everyone on their iPhones and Blackberry's, it seems as if internet access is something that we can no longer live without. But the question that this article asks is whether or not internet access is a human right, such as freedom of speech or the right to an attorney. Especially with the uprisings in foreign countries such as Egypt and Libya in the past year, internet access has been a major contributor in the overall success of those movements. People feel that they deserve the right to internet access, as it allows them to come together as a people and truly voice their opinions about what is right and what is not right. But in some cases, the government has denied people the right to internet access, as they feel that it is a privilege and not a right at all. In my opinion, while internet access is very handy and seemingly everywhere in the U.S., it is still not a right at all. In fact, I agree with Vinton Cerf, who wrote this article, that the internet access is not a right, but it is an enabler of rights.

Cerf's technique in this article is to focus on his readers emotions mainly, but he does so by using logic. He quotes facts and statistics that make it feel as if people need internet access, which makes them angry when they do not receive it freely. Also, by playing on the examples of Libya and Egypt, he brings up memories of turmoil and destruction, as well as determination, which play on both good and bad emotions of the reader, truly engulfing them in his topic.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/05/opinion/internet-access-is-not-a-human-right.html?ref=contributors