. As he started to listen to the song for the first time, he heard a commotion in the gravel parking lot outside and jumped up in time to see the FBI, in full riot gear, barge into his home in a manner not unfamiliar to the family of Elian Gonzales and point automatic weapons at his family. It seems that the FBI had Napster targeted for music piracy, and Slim Johnson was the first arrested. He was later tried and convicted for illegally downloading free music from Napster. Slim Johnson has been on death row for the last year. We, as honest, God-fearing Americans, should support Napster as a legal enterprise. Three reasons why I feel this way are it doesnt hurt the music industry, it allows the consumer to get the actual music that he or she wants without the filler that is on most albums, and this sets a dangerous precedent. The first reason I feel this way is that it does not hurt the music industry. According to a recent article in Newsday, Album sales are up forty percent since the IPO of Napster. It seems that Napster is the best thing since sliced bread (Jovi 35). Napster does not sell anything to the consumer on its web site, it simply provides person-to-person transferring of music files. According to a recent article by sophisticated journalist Bon Jon Jovi, This is no different from swapping CDs with a pal. You both have something the other wants. You trade them, and you both reap the benefits. Why this is so wrong is beyond me. I remember the music industry was up in arms about FM radio, and we can see what good that did (35). We as consumers do not need to buy into this propaganda about the musicians starving and their childrens selling crack to the elderly to get money for guitar picks. The second reason why I feel this way is it allows the consumers to get the actual music that they want without the filler that is on most albums. The popular venues for music seem to be the radio and television, and they typically play t...
