Few issues in the technology world elicit such passionate — and at times angry — reactions as network neutrality, or the idea that internet traffic must be treated reasonably equally. Death threats, racist slurs , protests and millions of emails have descended on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as consumer groups , activists and tech companies mobilized the public to stop the agency from purportedly “ destroying the internet as we know it .”

In the middle of this maelstrom is the new chairman of the FCC, Ajit Pai, who is an Indian-American and a Republican. On December 14, the commission will vote on an FCC proposal to revoke net neutrality and stop regulating internet service providers (ISPs) like landline phone companies — its two most critical and controversial changes.…