COMMENTARY: We, the Cyberpatriots

June 4, 2022  |  By Jeswin Antony

Harwood junior Jeswin Antony, of Waterbury, at the American Legion's National Oratorical Finals in April with Karlene DeVine, the Vermont Department Oratorical Chair. Courtesy photo

Harwood Union High School junior Jeswin Antony of Waterbury represented Vermont at the American Legion’s National Oratorical Finals held in Indianapolis in April. High school students compete for scholarships in the annual speech contest that begins with local and state rounds to choose finalists from each state. In addition to a prepared speech, participants also compete in a short extemporaneous round with a topic assigned on the spot. Jeswin made it to the quarter-finals round. 

Below is his speech delivered at the state competition in Montpelier and later at the national finals, slightly edited for print. 

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Hacked elections. Online education. Higher rates of depression among teens. Telemedicine. What do all of these have to do with the Constitution? Let me explain.

All of these depend on the internet. Instead of analyzing an amendment, I would like to create a new amendment. So here is my amendment: The 28th Amendment will be called the Cyberpatriot Act. 

The Cyberpatriot Act states: “All citizens shall exercise good judgment, sharing meaningful content and due care while using the Internet.”

This new amendment will emphasize the civic duty and responsibility that citizens have to represent the United States well. This new amendment will be proactive. This new amendment is needed today. But before that, let's examine some other amendments. 

“WE THE PEOPLE,” the three most famous words of our United States Constitution. Our Constitution was written in September 1787 and ratified in 1789 in Philadelphia. The original constitution had no amendments. And the first 10 – famously known as the Bill of Rights – were passed in 1791. Our Constitution is a timeless document with it being in use for over 200 years from 1787 to 2022. However, when this was written, it was for a different time and place. Let's look at parts of the Constitution that have a different interpretation. 

Let’s start with the 18th and 21st Amendments. The 18th prohibited alcohol while the 21st voided it! The 4th Amendment is on the safety from unreasonable searches and seizures. Back then, this amendment had a different meaning. But in this age, our founders could not imagine that high-tech gadgets could invade our privacy today. The 3rd Amendment is on the quartering of troops. This amendment was very important back then as it expressed our founding fathers’ grievances with the orders from the British Empire to quarter British troops. It is now obsolete because troops usually sleep at military bases, but we still support our troops as our tax dollars go to the military. 

Finally, the 1st Amendment, specifically freedom of speech. Digital citizenship. The internet has influenced our opinions. The Constitution needs to be flexible enough to change in time and place, and I believe that we need to have an amendment that places limitations upon how we use the internet. We might need the government to regulate the internet. Our founders did not envision the need for cybersecurity with hacking and fake news spreading. We now need cyberpatriots. 

A normal routine for most Americans is they will check their email or read social media. Many people use the internet even before they brush their teeth! 

The internet has the power to influence millions of people. One tweet, just trash-talking an ethnic group, a race, or a religion – it can lead people to think that an ethnic group or race is better or said religion is all terrorists

If people don't take their civic responsibility seriously, the government will need to regulate, which then restricts our freedom on the internet. This means that we as civilians must take responsibility to make sure that we can control ourselves and the internet, but with the direction of how society is going, I believe that we must have a piece that will order Americans to be better cyber-citizens.

An analogy that might help you better understand what this system could look like is our current TSA system. You usually start off by packing your things before going on a trip, but you make sure that you don’t bring any prohibited items with you. You may not board directly on the plane, you must go through TSA. That check is vital to secure the safety and security of all passengers. Only after you are cleared, then you are allowed to travel the world. 

In this 28th Amendment scenario, your baggage is your thoughts. The TSA check could be applied similar to the internet where they must check what you post beforehand. Then you are allowed to travel the web. Already, companies like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter have algorithms that pre-check claims asserted and sources shared on social media to validate, and inform users beforehand. 

Why this topic is so important to me is because I have two younger brothers, and I see them growing up in this technology-focused world, where they consume content on YouTube and play online video games with hundreds of thousands of unknown people. Even due to COVID, many kids are just given technology or a Chromebook from their school and told to “use it responsibly.” But I have seen the stories of the kids who were catfished and driven to suicide, the elders who have been scammed out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, and all the other evil that is out there. Steps must be taken. 

In conclusion, what we need is a 28th Amendment in limiting government intrusion. Freedom and responsibility on the internet will become a civic responsibility. Freedom of speech doesn’t allow you to yell fire in a crowded movie theater, as there are limits on every amendment. Whatever regulation is made, it should be in the best interest of the people. I propose that we create the 28th Amendment, which will involve the duty and responsibility of a U.S. citizen to act on good faith on the internet. The 28th Amendment will limit the amount of intrusion that the government can do on the internet, but it will also impose rules about how U.S. citizens should act on the internet. Some of these rules would include avoiding hate speech, spreading misinformation, advocacy of criminal activity, defamation of character and slander, and many more. Let us ensure that we take the steps necessary to promise a safer browsing environment for all.