News: Kentucky lawmaker wants to jail authors of Federalist Papers, Poor Richard’s Almanac and Common Sense

March 24, 2008
By Billy Dennis

A Kentucky lawmaker has proposed to ban the practice of posting information anonymously on the Internet. Posters would have to leave their real name, email address  and actual physical address with the site owner. The poster’s real name would have to appear on the site. The publisher would be fined $500 the first time an anonymous post appeared, and $1,000 each time after.

The bill’s author, a genius by the name Tim Couch, admits enforcing such a law would be problematic.

Gee, d’ya think?

Let’s set aside for a moment the dumb notion that the whole frigging Internet is going to be regulated by one state, let alone a cousin-marrying, moonshine-drinking, no-show-wearing state like Kentucky.

Consider for a moment the fact that the ability of a writer to remain anonymous is essential to the free flow of information and ideas. Consider also the fact that Thomas Paine wrote Common Sense anonymously. Three of our founding fathers wrote The Federalist Papers under a pseudonym. Even Ben Franklin penned Poor Richard’s Almanac under a pen name.

State Rep. Couch would have fined them $500.

I sympathize with those who feel abused by anonymous idiots on the Internet. I’ve taken steps on my own initiative to insist on some accountability (you’ve gotta register to leave a comment) although I still let people use pseudonyms.

Hat tip: Reader Ian Schwartz.

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4 Responses to “ News: Kentucky lawmaker wants to jail authors of Federalist Papers, Poor Richard’s Almanac and Common Sense ”

  1. Michael on March 25, 2008 at 6:18 am

    I may eventually regret it, but I allow anonymous posting at my site. I check it often and if it gets too crazy I remove the post. I personally would rather people know who I am when I speak … it keeps us all honest and perhaps a bit more civilized. I also understand anonymity can loosen the tongue.

  2. maubs on March 25, 2008 at 6:50 am

    In trying to quell hate speech, you’ll also quash other forms of free speech. I’d rather not have the government tracing every forum post back to my IP address, lest I type an unfavorable comment about my corrupt governor or something.

  3. reno on March 25, 2008 at 10:37 am

    Crap, I was going to write about this over the weekend, but the weekend stopped me. :/

  4. VONSTER on March 25, 2008 at 11:44 am

    I thought it was my fault, Reno.