Staff Editorial: Put your name on it

The historical roots of democracy have cherished the individual rights of mankind in every sphere of life. Here at the Graphic, we have a sincere gratitude for freedom of speech and freedom of the press. It enables us to serve the community by providing the latest information to keep you updated while supporting an outlet of self expression. In fact, whether we agree with another’s view or not, these freedoms have allowed every person to articulate their stance. Everyone is entitled to a unique perspective on life, and we wish to encourage the exchange and development of those view points through our publication and beyond. It is for these reasons that we recommend avoiding the blogger’s theme of anonymity.

This rising trend prevents the growth available to us in this nation. Identifying with your views publicly allows for personal accountability and creates a realm of mutual respect where humans of different backgrounds can claim their outlook to others, avoiding the strange feeling of distance by simply not knowing who the author is.

Signing “anonymous” on one’s piece takes away from the gift we have been given in the United States. Being able to speak and write as we wish is an opportunity in and of itself, for many countries are limited in their realm of expression. Censorship is a grave obstacle for striving journalists and political activists who wish to simply release the truth. In many authoritarian regimes, people are not permitted to declare their view of the government. On American soil, however, leaving your name at the end of your piece solidifies the appreciation for the privileges we have been given in this land of the free.

We extol those students who have been utilizing the freedom wall. However, we feel inserting your name would be a courageous step in making full use of the opportunity of free expression. As we have seen in recent postings on the freedom wall, an anonymous author appeared to have much to say. We push such authors to identify themselves, not so others could point their finger at someone, but so as to reinforce the importance and availability of being open about one’s identity.  You ought to take pride in your own messages and views, and signing with your own identity is the best way to exemplify that. We acknowledge there always lays the risk of being judged by others, in which case we commend such bravery. Everyone in the world will likely never all be on the same terms about every issue in life, all we can hope for is a simple agreement to disagree.

With the rapid growth of technology, many have opted to hide behind the mechanisms of a less confrontational means of communication. Make a phone call rather than a visit, send a text rather than make a phone call, leave a Facebook wall post rather than a text, and it goes on. Although such modes are advantageous to someone with an extremely busy schedule and have helped broader groups keep in touch, these forms do not allow for a wholesome interpersonal experience. Being personal with our identities and views has slowly decreased with the increase of technology that allows for different routes of dialogue. Blogging has the most evidence of this. Often the most interesting or most controversial messages are authored as “anonymous.” Our society tends to use riskier language on comment boards, yet with acquaintances with utterly opposing viewpoints we choose a more amicable route of delivery. Why are we not consistent? Knowing who you’re talking to breeds respect and authenticity. If you are so passionate about the subject at hand, why not put your name on it?

We are aware many people have at least some level of concern regarding the way in which their peers view them. Still, we feel obliged to remind our fellow students that this gift of the freedom of expression was not free. Our founding fathers fought for the liberty we repeatedly take for granted. Signing your work allows you to justify your views; without your name, you are not responsible. By signing, however, you become accountable for what you have written and are thus more prone to be able to justify your stance. Now is the time to be brave about your views, your position— now is the time to put your name on it.