Putting Your Name Where Your Words Are

too often we judge people by the way they look or by how much money they have.if you are good looking or rich some people think you are smarter or more talented. if you saw a picture of susan boyles [spelling] stating she would be at the opera house would you be more likely to go see her before you heard her sing or heard her sing before you saw her picture.on this forum some people would like to shut up the messenger instead of the message.i think a discussion of ideas is more important than the status or politics of who wrote it.

Do you believe that the Declaration of Independence would have been important without all those signatures? History argues against that opinion. If you are ashamed of your words, perhaps you should keep them to yourself. The fact that Norman, who appears to thrive on self-display, should speak out for anonymity is surprising.
As for our founding fathers, they used false names to avoid arrest and/or hanging for treason. Surely Pocahontas County officials aren't nearly as hazardous as were the Redcoats...
Rich Laska

Without "ownership" of posted comments, spirited debate can easily degenerate into slander and sound like the faceless clamor of a mob. When I speak with someone about their ideas, I want to speak with a person not read graffiti-like posts left unsigned and unowned on some bridge in cyberspace. If you want your ideas to count, it's always best if you have the courage to stand behind them. Ownership lends credence and character to statements. It says to the listener " I believe in this statement enough to speak it from my lips and stand behind it as a person". Unowned ideas it seems to me will not find a home.

Knowing the source of ideas is precisely why The US Congress finds it so hard to get anything done. If The Democrats make a proposal The Republicans reject it. If The Republicans propose an idea The Democrats reject it. If ideas were anonymous they would have to be considered on their own merits. If it's a good idea it's a good ides. If it's a bad idea it's a bad idea.

Bill Minion

I think the only point I/m trying to make is let's talk to each other face to face as it were so that we know to whom we are speaking. Great ideas usually have an author and poor ideas usually are not claimed. That is not to say that a bad idea can not also be owned too.

Under our Constitution, anonymous pamphleteering is not a pernicious, fraudulent practice, but an honorable tradition of advocacy and of dissent. Anonymity is a shield from the tyranny of the majority. See generally J. S. Mill, On Liberty, in On Liberty and Considerations on Representative Government 1, 3-4 (R. McCallum ed.

1947). It thus exemplifies the purpose behind the Bill of Rights, and of the First Amendment in particular: to protect unpopular individuals from retaliation--and their ideas from suppression--at the hand of an intolerant society. The right to remain anonymous may be abused when it shields fraudulent conduct. But political speech by its nature will sometimes have unpalatable consequences, and, in general, our society accords greater weight to the value of free speech than to the dangers of its misuse. See Abrams v. United States, 250 U.S. 616, 630-31 (1919) (Holmes, J., dissenting). Ohio has not shown that its interest in preventing the misuse of anonymous election related speech justifies a prohibition of all uses of that speech. The State may, and does, punish fraud directly. But it cannot seek to punish fraud indirectly by indiscriminately outlawing a category of speech, based on its content, with no necessary relationship to the danger sought to be prevented. One would be hard pressed to think of a better example of the pitfalls of Ohio's blunderbuss approach than the facts of the case before us.

The judgment of the Ohio Supreme Court is reversed.

I don't really want to, but I have to ask the forum at large: What issue are you talking about that your ideas would be thought to be so unacceptable? If we want to build a county of mutual respect, then we have to agree that others' ideas may have merit, even if they disagree with our own. Name calling and threats should have no place here and no one should feel like they may be attacked for their thoughts.
So if the issue is planning, then Norman, old chap, you'll be the one with the rocks, not the one being stoned at the gate. Why the push for anonymity?
Just a thought on a snowy afternoon.
Pam Pritt

We should get rid of the secret ballot while we're at it.

Bill Minion

I do not believe that Thomas Jefferson was a coward!!

Marty, don't use the term hiding too strictly because I know of a group in this county named 20/20 which was the very epitome of cowardice. They didn't want me at their meetings so they would sneak around and gather. Fortunately, I smelled "zoning." I have a hound dog's nose for "zoning."

Ok. fair enough Martin but...... a couple questions lies beneath. If you KNEW the identity of someone that personally attacked you, what would your recourse be? If you are against anonymity on something as simple as forums, will you accept anonymous votes in the next election should you choose to run?

To Mr Norman Alderman: The 20/20 group was formed by my invitation, It was a non-governmental group of interested citizens. Many different people come and went. Some did not participate even when invited. The group talked about the need for the County to understand itself, its problems and its assets and, as well, to articulate its mission into the future. It did so in many meetings without one word of personal attack and with a general sense of community pride and common interest.

I think I have posted a total of 5 times under my real name. Why, because I do not have to. It is my right to post comments on a public places(unless rules of said place say otherwise). As long as my comments do not degrade, or harm anyone in particular(groups do not count,ie pro choice groups other than for medical reasons or rape are baby killers). As long as personal attacks on individuals do not occur, it is our right as citizens to remain anonymous if we so choose. You never know when a person on here will be a present/future employer, buyer, or person of authority who will take offense of ones beliefs. We are human and everyone holds grudges, some grudges reflecting in all parts of our lives.

Speaking for myself, I know a few here have read my posts; here and other forums of the county, and I would bet(if I did) no one has read a derogatory comment toward any one person. It's more along the lines of character, than being anonymous. If ones acts like a mature adult and responds or questions in like manner there is no problem. Of course if that is not satisfactory, then you can(this being your site) make a rule that everyone has to register with there actual name.

Or just ban people like others websites when you do not like the question.

Norman,
I guess I should say thanks for proving my point, but I'm kind of disappointed that you did. If the county were in a discussion about planning, NOT zoning, wouldn't you want to be in on the discussion? Wouldn't you want to have a say about what history should be preserved and how we should do that? Wouldn't you like to be involved in the discussions about higher education possibilities for our kids? You've got so much good to offer in the way of energy and intelligence, why throw it away on non-issues at this point.
Again, if we treat each other with mutual respect, your ideas, along with Bill's and Rich's and Martin's and Reta's and mine and everyone who wants to see Pocahontas County be better would all have a place at the table. If you can be a big enough guy to begin that mutual respect process, then many people would follow your example.

I think you can do it.

Pam Pritt

I see why some posters like to use pseudonyms. Usually when I am openly criticized on other sites the writer remains hidden behind their make believe name. It is much like a hit and run driver causing damage but not staying at the scene. If you have got something to say, especially when you level attacks at people directly, it is the least you can do is to "cowboy-up" and use your real name too. Now I am not sanctioning personal attacks at all. I believe they are the lowest form of debate, in fact, not debate at all but more like bar room brawls; no issues just all fists and bravado. If we are going to utilize this wonderful instant communication medium let us not minimize its greatness and effectiveness by personal attacks.

OK Marty this is your site. It is easy to stop all this fuss. Make it a registered site and to post whether you have a psuedo name or not you would know who is making the comment. The poster would be secret to the audience but not to you.