Why AnonymityAfter this bland beginning, the formerly pseudonymous (when it suited hospital politics) Dr. Dan rapidly and paranoically devolves to regular form, presenting a lengthy, verbatim recitation of a Heritage Foundation missive on Proposition 8 in California, one depicting brave resistance fighters ducking down hinged plastic tree stumps leftover from the Hogan's Heroes set in order to evade nazi-like Obama-ist harassment and complete their holy mission of sticking it to the non-Biblical gays in the name of theocracy.
Anonymity is sometimes criticized on this and other blogs. But there are legitimate reasons why anonymity is at times appropriate.
We constantly read these logic-as-twisting-mountain-goatpath polemics to anonymity as the very epitome of courage, but what floors me is how people otherwise disposed to exalt manly virtues never quite get around to explaining why standing tall behind one's name isn't indicative of similar ethical principles.
Maybe that's hypocrisy, or maybe it's cowardice, but either way, it's no place I want to be.
Then again, I'm not the one screaming bloody murder while tumbling through space somewhere on the fringe of a paranoid conspiracy theory.
Somewhere a dead horse is being flogged.
ReplyDeleteFlogged, shot, stabbed, strangled, ...
ReplyDelete"And all my friends turned out to be insurance salesmen"
ReplyDelete"But there are legitimate reasons why anonymity is at times appropriate." NAhealth
ReplyDeleteAnonymity is good when you take hateful public positions and are afraid of being attacked. Is that the statement Dr. Ice is making? It still falls under the cowardly threshold. So, just don’t take a position you can’t stand up for, it’s a real crappy advertisement for your position.
"But there are legitimate reasons why anonymity is at times appropriate."
If you work in government and you’re excuse is losing your job, we have Whistle-blower Protection Laws that protect gov’t employees. If you know of gov’t wrong-doing and you do not report it to the proper authorities, you could be found complicit later ‘ya know. Again, bad advice Doc.
"But there are legitimate reasons why anonymity is at times appropriate."
What are they!!!!!! Please all you hooded people, why is your disguise so important in a democracy?
"Maybe that's hypocrisy, or maybe it's cowardice, but either way, it's no place I want to be.'
ReplyDeleteBut still Roger, your blog masks people too. They only have to tell you who they are and they can put whatever as their pen, there's anonymity in that as well.
Daniel has a point.
ReplyDeleteyeah, good point about "screen names"...
ReplyDeleteanon posters will always find a way.
ReplyDeleteThose who wish to give the appearance of an "upstanding" citizen, but liek to stir up trouble with people will hatch multiple personalities.
Policies, rules, and regulations will have little effect on this situation. Unfortunately, it shows a growing lack of moral character and standing behind ones word in our society.
I am all for freedom of speech, but I am also for accountability for speech that is reckless and purposely damaging to others when based in misrepresentation or distortion of information.