March 4,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, from time to time over the years the Ridgewood blog has been criticized for providing a forum for anonymous free speech. Over the years some of the criticism has admittedly been valid ,but most of the time its part of a which hunt looking to punish and take out the poster .
The experience and fate of the Ridgewood “Math Moms “, having their children attacked and being almost driven from their homes , is one of the more egregious examples in semi recent Ridgewood history . While maligned in Ridgewood , the so called “Math Moms: who where not good enough to discuss education policy in the Village , but were invited to meet the President of the United States in the White House to discuss domestic education policy .
In recent history this blog has documented time and time again peoples businesses being targeted or bulled by coward and low life politicians who think that bullying the public is a legitimate political option .
Fact is “anonymous free speech” protects many who challenge the orthodox view in town , and lends airs to ideas that would otherwise often be suppressed because the person who mentions them is not considered “important enough” by the powers that be.
But more importantly Anonymous speech was a frequent feature of Founding father Alexander Hamilton’s life , and of the very founding America it self. Arguably the single most influential piece leading to American independence was signed simply “Common Sense,” Thomas Paine’s pen name. Just over a decade later, Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay co-wrote the Federalist Papers as “Publius.”…
Anonymous free speech was also used heavily in the deep south during the civil rights struggles and was integral in keeping supporters of civil rights from being lynched .
The bottom line is that it is highly probable that the United States would not even exist without anonymous speech. Sadly, we have forgotten this lesson somewhere in the intervening years. Today, anonymous speech is too often demonized, derided as “dark,” or otherwise dismissed for its lack of “transparency.” (https://www.ouramericannetwork.org/story?title=What-Hamilton-Teaches-Us-About-The-Importance-Of-Anonymous-Speech )
