[buckalfa]

Just for the sake of argument, does not free speech come attached with accountability? Until the advent of the internet, one could most always associate a person(name) to an opinion piece, editorial, article, etc,. It took courage and belief in one’s opinions to put your thoughts into the public domain. Now not so much, as we (FReepers)and the public in general can voice opinions behind an alias. How many of us would truly voice our thoughts on line if we had to identify ourselves as did our founding fathers as they wrote the Declaration and the Constitution? Your opinions appreciated.

[cotton1706]

Being anonomous is nothing new. Especially in the press. Throughouth the revoulutionary period, opinions were expressed anonomously (to protect themselves from the British, or economic comeuppance, or whatever. Or just because they wanted to). Dickinson, Adams, Henry, Madison, Jay, Hamilton, etc. There’s any number of examples of “the government” not knowing who was publishing opinions. And there were printers and pennypapers everywhere.

Free speech and free press are exactly that. They do not need to be licensed or approved by anybody. Espeicially the government.