Bonnie, I had a long back and forth with a local newspaper editor here about anonymity. He insisted it is precious because it protects people who might whistleblow from being afraid to post something. He went so far as to threaten to silence my (online) comments at his site if any of them disparaged anonymity.
I yield to his point that there can be a good use for anonymity, as in the famous case of "deepthroat", but the overwhelming use of it is to free a person from taking responsibility for what they say. One can lie, insult, denounce, spew hatred freely; write things that one would be ashamed to say in person, be a troll with impunity. I think that's the case almost all the time online and a big reason some sites decide to kill comments because so much of it is high school stuff at best, sewage at worst, chasing away those who look for thought in comments.
Now here's an interesting footnote. After deciding to start my vigil, I contacted this same editor, told him what I was doing, certainly not in anonymity, and suggested that because I am likely the only American in the entire country doing what I am doing, that he as a journalist might report on it in the interest of his readers who may wonder what this guy is doing flying a Palestinian flag in front of a synagogue. Though on the newspaper site he brags of journalistic cred, he did not respond to me.
He is not alone, the press considers what I am doing untouchable, trembling at the thought of angry readers throwing the verbal spear of "antisemite!" that I mentioned above at both me and any newspaper reporting what I am doing. The grip of Zionism is tight!
I stand with you, Clif. And am also committed to the accountability that comes with signing our names to what we write. Bonnie Blodgett
Bonnie, I had a long back and forth with a local newspaper editor here about anonymity. He insisted it is precious because it protects people who might whistleblow from being afraid to post something. He went so far as to threaten to silence my (online) comments at his site if any of them disparaged anonymity.
I yield to his point that there can be a good use for anonymity, as in the famous case of "deepthroat", but the overwhelming use of it is to free a person from taking responsibility for what they say. One can lie, insult, denounce, spew hatred freely; write things that one would be ashamed to say in person, be a troll with impunity. I think that's the case almost all the time online and a big reason some sites decide to kill comments because so much of it is high school stuff at best, sewage at worst, chasing away those who look for thought in comments.
Now here's an interesting footnote. After deciding to start my vigil, I contacted this same editor, told him what I was doing, certainly not in anonymity, and suggested that because I am likely the only American in the entire country doing what I am doing, that he as a journalist might report on it in the interest of his readers who may wonder what this guy is doing flying a Palestinian flag in front of a synagogue. Though on the newspaper site he brags of journalistic cred, he did not respond to me.
He is not alone, the press considers what I am doing untouchable, trembling at the thought of angry readers throwing the verbal spear of "antisemite!" that I mentioned above at both me and any newspaper reporting what I am doing. The grip of Zionism is tight!