Attributions ‘R’ Us: Mistaking “freedom of speech” for “freedom from accountability.”

You’d think that the masked and transgendered “college professor” of political science and economics would know better by now than to brazenly plagiarize by failing to attribute quotes to their proper authors, but so it goes at the masquerade blog known as Freedom of Speech, where cowardly anonymity is on tap each and every day.

Meanwhile, for us here at NA Confidential, the “rules” we play by include the proper tracing of intellectual property rights. Consequently, and as a public service, we offer this correction of Erik/Erika’s latest screed.

The FOS passage that begins “democracy is a question of human dignity,” was really written by Olof Palme, martyred Swedish political leader.

John Ralston Saul, Canadian author and philosopher, actually wrote this: “The best defense for the public good is aggressiveness, the aggressiveness of the involved citizen,” and the remainder of FOS’s second paragraph.

Bits and pieces of the following paragraph, including the sentence “Public discussion is a political duty,” are purloined from Justice Louis D. Brandeis.

Political writer Walter Lippmann is the source of this paragraph: “What the public does is not to just express it's opinions, but to align itself for or against a proposal. It can be the direct expression of the will of the people. We must not abandon the notions that we the people govern.”

(The perpetually anonymous blogger then devotes three badly written sentences of his/her own to an attack on the mayor of New Albany. Always remember that when the grammar at FOS suddenly shifts from distinguished to labored and strained, it signifies that the semi-literate voice of the hooded author finally has been allowed to creep through the rampant plagiarism).

Two stitched-together proverbs conclude this latest bit of pitiable polemic: "Learn from yesterday, hope for tomorrow. He who has hope has everything."

The web offers numerous sources for each of the preceding sentences, and they may well have passed into the public domain, but what’s certain is that someone else thought of them first.

It's back to school for Erik/Erika. Kindly permit NA Confidential to demonstrate how to do it the right way.

The following passage is a letter to the editor reprinted from Stars and Stripes (July 22-28, 2001; Pacific edition):

Anonymity is cowardly.

In reply to the July 18 letter “Benefits of anonymity,” I must strongly disagree with the characterization of Stars and Stripes’ policy on anonymous letters as cowardly. Anonymity, on the other hand, is essentially a cowardly way to get one’s point across without having to actually put anything at risk. Honor and courage dictate that any just cause is worthy of risking something of value.

How effective would the “95 Theses” have been if Martin Luther had nailed them up signed “Anonymous?” And how about an anonymous “Declaration of Independence?” Abraham Lincoln could have written an anonymous “Emancipation Proclamation,” and maybe spared his own life at the hands of bigots.

When you truly feel that you are right, even about small matters, don’t be too cowardly to put your name on it.

I agree with the assessment of hypocrisy, and I despise the media — Stars and Stripes included — practice of quoting unnamed or unidentified sources. Most readers are educated, and quick to discount such spineless drivel.

Anonymity is too often a shield for lies and exaggerations, and is widely recognized as such. As an American and a Marine, I am happy to have a forum that will print the voice of dissent, as long as it is not skulking in the shadows.

The letter writer has sadly mistaken “freedom of speech” for “freedom from accountability.” The Stars and Stripes policy only censors those who are looking to whine without repercussion or who have no stomach for defending what they believe is right. People who will not identify themselves, censor themselves. They can pity themselves anonymously too, I don’t want to hear it.

Please don’t complain “out of respect … for those who serve today.” That’s me. I can complain for myself, and I’ll sign my name to it when I do.

Jerry M. Milton
Camp Foster, Okinawa

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'Atta boy, Jerry. We here at NAC keep pitchin' 'em ... and FOS just keeps missin' 'em.