Back to "404 law", or Why Ukraine also needs its own First Amendment?

On November 5th, 2009, 404 or even more parliamentarians can make a decision which totally ends the short era of freedom in Ukraine. Someone may say this sounds rather pathetic or ambitious, but it' true; even those who now deeply shout out for the legislative changes proclaimed on October 22nd, 2009 will be among those who can be easily named "criminals" and imprisoned due to these changes in the Ukrainian telecommunication law. Just think, in what world do you want to live - in a Chinese-like totalitarian reality where even Wikipedia and medical forums are restricted and only doctors and teachers of certain categories can use web for the wider search than that one guaranteed by the government and police; or in a European country where tolerance and respect for the privacy of life, freedom of speech and justice are the one and only basement for the life?

The world we live now is rapidly changed due to the modern technologies and modern communication, Should we restrict usage of phones because of terrorists' attacks? Should we burn down TV-sets because of the possible "25th shot"-technology's usage? Should we spy on each and every man and woman and even make a preventive chemical sterilization because of the very small, but probable possibility of the fact that he or she would become a rapist?

Lawyers, Internet Association of Ukraine, several on-line webnews portals as well as thousand of citizens throughout Ukraine and abroad are seriously bothered by intention of the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada to make Ukraine a country which lives again by the informational standards of 2001-2004. Total censorship and control - that's what they want. Progress, law and justice - that's what we need. Why there is need to live in USA or Europe to have respect for the rights of the citizens and have a strictly followed First Amendment? Or being a Ukrainian automatically means being a potential criminal? But even imprisoned have their rights guaranteed by the Constitution.

These 5 years in Ukraine have become a time of despair and broken hopes for many of those who believed in European path of our country. Yet we've got freedom of speech and free online media. November 5th can be the day when this one and only achievement of Viktor Yushchenko as a President of Ukraine - freedom for journalists, bloggers, online media and web - will be cut down. If you are from Ukraine or other countries of the world and you want to support Ukrainians in their protests against totalitarian pressure over the Internet and media, feel free to share this post as well as to vote for the online petition to the government, parliament and President of Ukraine here (UA version) or here (EN version). Also you can follow the reactions and spread the info via Twitter by #404uanet hashtag.

P.S.:
As Ukrainian writer said, "борітеся - поборете"