By Andy Matarrese
Upon multiple occasions, several this year alone, would-be contributors to the Opinions section of The Beacon have asked if they could publish their thoughts anonymously.
It's the policy of The Beacon, and the policy of all newspapers, to deny such requests. Granting anonymity to contributors absolves them of all responsibility and accountability, a frightening proposition particularly when one's arguments are strident or stalwart.
Putting a face to contributors protects The Beacon from being used as a platform for blame-free rants or personal attacks. For the same reason, The Beacon has begun adding e-mail addresses to writers' bylines to make our writers more accountable for what they write and to make it easier for our readers to give our reporters thoughtful feedback.
A request for anonymity either reflects recognition on the part of the writer that what they have to say is specious and frivolous, which is to say, things we would rather not publish anyway. For those who just want to ruffle feathers or mock others without just and reasoned cause and get away with it - well, that's what the Internet is for.
In the event guest writers want to talk about something controversial or unpopular, the issue becomes even more serious.
That which is controversial warrants, by very nature of being controversial, earnest discussion in a public forum, and newspapers have served as that forum for hundreds of years.
Should any potential contributors out there feel that publishing what they think in the paper may somehow get them in trouble - with peers, professors, the administration, employers or otherwise - there is a system in place to assure that they are safe from any kind of reprisal.
It's called the United States Constitution.
Most things, save outright untruths or libel, are fair game for submission to The Beacon. Should any writer who wishes to express herself face any kind of retribution, the full force of the First Amendment, countless legal precedents and The Beacon will be behind them.
Censorship is enough of a problem without people censoring themselves. Writing letters to the Editor has been a staple of the democratic expression since before the nation's founding, and when potential writers limit themselves, they unwittingly encourage the acceptance of censorship.
According to the Student Press Law Center, 18 college newspapers reported thefts of issues last year, newspaper theft being a regular censorship issue. Twenty-nine newspapers reported thefts the year before, reflecting an upward trend relative to the 90s.
Between the FCC not letting Eminem be, journalists going to prison for not revealing their sources and students going to court for advocating "Bong hits 4 Jesus," the First Amendment may not be getting the same amount of respect that it has in the past. Until the pendulum of public opinion swings back to a place where freedom of expression is more tolerated, the Supreme Court, in the 1969 case of Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, ruled "students do not shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech at the schoolhouse gate."
The same standard applies here, and forgetting that eschews a proud tradition of free expression and holding leadership- whether in school, at the work place or in government- accountable.
According to Transparency International, an independent good-government organization, the U.S. ranks 18th in their perceived corruption index, which measures the levels of public-sector corruption in a given country as perceived by different expert and business surveys.
While one can cry foul that we're not first (I can't see any reason as to why the U.S. shouldn't be first in every human and political rights category), being 18th on a list of 180 countries isn't bad.
That there is this level of social capital and civic responsibility in this country speaks to the vigilance of the American citizenry and press. Thanks to people with the courage to come forward and ask the tough questions, we enjoy our current level of transparency and free expression.
The greatest threats to our republic come not from outside, but from within. As long as its citizens are responsible to and towards its governance, a free democratic state is invincible.
Civics lesson aside, no, we won't let contributors publish anonymously.
