The FCC’s recent repeal of net neutrality was alarming for a number of reasons, not just because our access to the full extent of the internet has become compromised. Although 80 percent of Americans, myself included, believed in the importance of having unrestricted access to every corner of the internet, the FCC disappointed us all by ignoring our desires as a nation. While the American government has never been perfect, their policies have begun to infringe upon the very tenets of democracy, as the will of the majority is ignored in favor of individual interests.

As a member of Generation X, unrestricted access to the internet has been a part of my entire life. For those in my generation and beyond, the internet has become a place of refuge for so many, a way for us to message our friends near and far, learn about places we never may visit and connect with others who share similar interests. Privatizing the biggest forum in the world is a threat to everyone who enjoys partaking in the aforementioned activities. I am truly upset that in this new world without net neutrality, many of these activities will gradually become more expensive or restricted altogether if Internet Service Providers (ISPs) choose to slow down sites.

An ISP is no different than any other utility provider, such as the water or power company. That automatically implies that the same way the water company cannot dictate which faucet I buy, my ISP should not dictate which search engine I should go to. Permitting such providers to regulate more than they should can lead to less innovation and creativity. Had there been a preferential treatment to search behemoths like Yahoo and AltaVista when Google was a nascent startup, it could not have evolved into the technological giant it is today. By introducing a pay-to-play concept to use different facilities that the internet has to offer, ISPs would unfairly harm small companies and startups who cannot afford to pay their way to become accessible to the public. ISPs could legally be allowed to squash the core of innovation and hurt our economy in unimaginable ways. The majority opinion was against lifting net neutrality primarily due to its restrictions on upward mobility.

The current administration’s disregard for the voice of the people, however, does not stop at this FCC ruling. While 62 percent of Americans oppose cutting financial aid to Planned Parenthood, the federal government has proposed a series of bills to cut all funding for Planned Parenthood and similar entities that require government assistance to provide care for women.

This precedent set by the repeal of net neutrality concerns me for numerous reasons, as this pattern of disregarding the majority looks like it is here to stay. Infringing upon the people’s ideals to pass harmful legislation is unacceptable. For a country that prides itself on being the strongest democracy in the world, this trend of putting the desires of a few over the wishes of many alarms me and should alarm others who value autonomy as well.

In this day and age of information and education, the voice of the majority is crucial to the progress of democracy. When we begin to favor the opinions of the elite over those of the common man, we move further away from the basic principles of our nation.