Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Uncarefully Couched Language

You know how the wingnuts love to whine about Democrats being the "nanny state" party?

In yet another chapter in the endless saga of IOKIYAR, we have Republican state legislator Tim Couch introducing a bill into the Kentucky House that would ban anonymous posting on the Internet.

You know how the wingnuts used to like to scream about Democratic presidents (it's been a while, I know -- act like you remember) and their unfunded mandates?

Couch's bill would require the owners of web sites to collect, verify, and maintain real identification information, under threat of heavy fines.

You know how the wingnuts love to gush about law and order and the original intent of the framers? If I hadn't already told you, this would have revealed the party affiliation beyond all doubt:

Couch ... acknowledges that the bill is probably unconstitutional ...

And the kicker?

... [H]e wanted to call attention to the phenomenon of unkind and often untrue comments about people being posted online by Kentuckians hiding behind the cloak of anonymity.

"Some nasty things have been said about high school kids in my district, usually by other kids," Couch said. "The adults get in on it, too."

Ah, yes. Protect The ChildrenTM. The all-purpose cover story for Republicans who squirm at the thought of different tastes and opinions.

Now, I have gone on a bit in the past about weenies who flame from behind the cloak of anonymity, I'll admit. The difference, though, is this: I am trying to persuade people to change their behavior. That's all. If you want to post anonymous comments on my blog, for example, go right ahead. I simply state that I respect you more if you use your real name. The typical Republican, on the other hand, wants to drag it out of you by force.

Those Republicans sure do love some accountability for personal actions, don't they? With very few exceptions, of course.

Tim Couch
Above: was frequently
pantsed in high school

Reading between the lines, it seems obvious that a big motivator behind this bill is the frequent appearance of anonymous comments that say mean things about … Tim Couch.

So, Rep. Couch, as long as my real name and contact info are available right here, I presume it's okay to mess with your photo? And to say that you have a silly name, a stupid face, less sense about the Web than Ted Stevens, and less respect for civil rights than the Commander-of-19% himself?

kthxbai


(h/t: Buzz Out Loud. Pic. source: you guessed it!)

No comments:

ShareThis