The Boston Globe has a story about the work of a website called KnowThyNeighbor.org. They put together a serchable database containing names of people who signed the petition for a Massachusetts constitutional amendment to outlaw gay marriage. The group is now working on a similar data base in Florida.
I like it!
Why shouldn't people be accountable for their actions. The activists who are working very hard to promote GLBT equality are putting their names out there for the cause. I could write this blog anonymously, but I choose not to because I'm perfectly willing to stand behind what I write and be accountable for it.
It's easy to hide behind the shroud of anonymity and discriminate against someone else's rights, but it might not be quite so easy when your name gets attached to it.
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"It's easy to hide behind the shroud of anonymity and discriminate against someone else's rights, but it might not be quite so easy when your name gets attached to it."
ReplyDeleteThe white cloaks of the Ku Klux Klan come to mind...
(an extreme example, I know, but on the same continuum)
TAKE THOSE SMILEY FACES OFF AND SHOW YOUR TRUE SELFS! I guess now they have to honest - hehehehehe
ReplyDeleteGreetings Jim,
ReplyDeleteCurious about a couple of things: do you really think that people on either side are going to be ashamed of having differing/conflicting moral principles? I may be wrong about this, but it seems that this is a scare tactic? I don't see the good that will come out of this for your side, if anything this could possibly backfire? I am all for accountability if that is what the impetus of this actually is. I guess time will tell.
There are pros and cons for this strategy, but, having to endure the same battle here in Illinois, there is one thing that has come to mind. There are those in the world who would assume (correctly or incorrectly) that these same people would want to join other conservative groups. These lists serve to be nothing more than open & public membership lists to such organizations. Because of this, only names, streets, last 4 digits of their phone #s and city names should be published to avoid this.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing, since we have a similar referendum here, a coalition was formed to work on getting invalid signatures successfully knocked off the petition. Yes, because of political differences, there is in-fighting, but, we've all sucked it up for the cause. Maybe these groups did not have the resources & awareness that was present (to some degree) here, and, there may have been too much in-fighting for such a coalition to work.
Perhaps the creation of this site was, at best, a knee-jerk reaction to these referendums, with the ultimate goal being the creation of awareness about the issue.
It's just my two cents.
Gary,
ReplyDeleteGood to hear from you again. I won't dismiss the possibility of intimidation motivating this strategy. I'm glad you agree that the accountability aspect of this is laudable, and I suppose we'll find out what the ramifications are soon enough. I think it is a worthwhile experiment.