Yesterday’s topic of the day was sure clear if you spent any time on a few of the top internet destinations. Many of the heaviest trafficked websites such as Google, Wikipedia, Reddit, Craigslist and Wired shared with the world exactly how they feel about two pieces of legislation working their way through congress, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA, H.R. 3261) and Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA, S. 968). In case you missed it yesterday, here’s the link that Google’s blacked-out logo led to.

Both bills are aimed at changing the way our government enforces copyright laws by putting the burden of proof on the host of the content, not the owner. For a great (mostly unbiased) summary on what the bills say and how they might affect business and daily life for the average internet user, take a look here.

Like many issues that lead to such heated rhetoric, this isn’t a two sided issue in the sense that the opposing side believes copyright laws shouldn’t be enforced. And like them, we feel strongly that the rights of created content ought to belong to the person or organization that created it. Artists, directors, musicians and writers invest heavily into the works they produce, and their right to ownership of it as well as the law’s role to protect it from theft and misuse is valid and seems to be relatively undisputed by the opponents of SOPA and PIPA (despite what the lobbyists who pushed the bills might say).

There is good reason for the law to protect owners’ rights to their created works. However, protection at the expense of constitutional rights isn’t really protection at all. (For a historical perspective on the lobbying efforts of the MPAA and RIAA and how SOPA and PIPA would violate some key constitutional rights, take a look at this insightful TED video.)

Today, as much of the tumult of conversation has blown over, we want to take a moment to commend the congressmen and senators who have pulled their support of SOPA and PIPA:

• Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.)
• Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.)
• Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.)
• Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.)
• Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah)
• Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa)
• Rep. Lee Terry (R-Neb.)
• Rep. Ben Quayle (R-Ariz.)
• Rep. Dennis Ross (R-Fla.)

What has been incredible the last few days is the solidarity of the opposition to these bills. Regardless of left, right or center leanings, protecting the rights of the people has been at the top of the list for many of our lawmakers.

Perhaps this is the main thing we can take away from all of it. With the people as the focus of the government, not special interest groups or careers, all sides of the political spectrum have come together. As we move into the heat of the 2012 elections, our hope is that constitutional convictions would remain steadfast and that more examples of bi-partisan cooperation would make an appearance.