Sometimes Activism Works

This week I was a displeased Verizon Wireless customer, given the news that the company had not allowed the National Abortion Rights Action League to send action-oriented text messages to people who chose to receive them. All other major cellular carriers established the service with no problems. 

Abortion is a very sensitive political issue, but surely the right to form an opinion about it (and to pay charges for receiving text messages) should not be.

Days after the story appeared Verizon overturned its decision, given an avalanche of public criticism about this blatant infringement on its subscriber's rights. The company  says its mistakenly interpreted its policies, and that this was an isolated incident. Others disagree. 

That debate is probably unresolvable, just like the recent tempest over whether the Times gave an inappropriate discount to MoveOn for its critical ad about General Petraeus.  Wherever the truth lies, I'm heartened by how quickly activists for the rights to take  political action made a difference. 

Sometimes those emails and phone calls really do work.