As originally posted on Blandin on Broadband blog…

As the timeless Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers played “I won’t back down,” at their Minneapolis concert this weekend –  I thought good things about all our community champions in greater Minnesota that keep plugging away on their efforts to improve broadband in their communities and the rural countryside.  (On reflection, that is a bit scary, isn’t it!)

Eighteen months ago at the Blandin Broadband Conference, audience members helped to write a MN broadband song when we could have just claimed ownership of this great song.  The crowd had no trouble singling along to this song on Saturday night!  Some of the lyrics¦

Well I won’t back down, no I won’t back down Gonna stand my ground, won’t be turned around There ain’t no easy way out Well I know what’s right, I got just one life (substitute – “I got just one byte!) And I won’t back down!”

The 4th of July is here and a reason to revisit another set of great and inspiring words, definitely more important and written by another Tom – slightly more important, the Declaration of Independence.  Jefferson wrote of unalienable rights, among them are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.  As a rural farmer, scientist, voracious reader and writer, Jefferson is likely to have been an advocate for rural broadband!  And we know that Tom and the other founders, did not back down!