Elle wrote:
> <r2000swler@hotmail.com> wrote
> > When and if this silly law is struck down, I may be back.
>
> Terry,
>
> For one thing, the law applies only to those who post
> without revealing their identity. This means one can demand
> prosecution of the authors of any political web site,
> including the National Democratic Party's and the National
> Republican Party's. One way or another, their web sites
> annoy and harass someone, somewhere. Same for anyone who
> posts anonymously any political speech.
>
> According to the courts, "political speech" is pretty wide
> ranging. The point of the First Amendment is, among other
> things and according to the courts, to promote a free
> exchange of ideas in the "marketplace," to get to the "best
> solution," be it fixing one's car, or fixing a broken health
> care system. Of course there are limits, like posting a
> physical threat to a person's health. But giving your
> assessment of a car or radio or whatever problem most
> certainly is an important idea that belongs in the
> marketplace.
>
> In addition, you indicate you're Terry from Lexington,
> Kentucky, and you're a guru on many aspects of Hondas. You
> have in my estimation posted your identity.
>
> (Never mind that the right to publish speech anonymously has
> also been well-established, though again, within the
> aforementioned limits. The Federalist Papers were first
> published anonymously, so pointed out one court not long
> ago, in protecting a certain person's right to publish
> anonymously.)
>
> Once this law is challenged in the courts, it will be struck
> down quicker than you or I can do an oil change. And I'm
> sure you're plenty fast at this.
>
> You are in no danger. I hope you have been posting to this
> thread tongue-in-cheek!

Well put.

I think he has been posting tongue in cheek too, hency my reply to the
McDonalds shoe comment.

It is a pretty weird law they are suggesting, besides it being totally
unconstitutional, it is also totally uninforceable:

Anonymous posting of this nature will be illegal.
Who are they going after? The poster is anonymous!
Ok, they find this person, but wouldn't that mean he wasn't anonymous
after all? (they did find him, right? Way to be anonymous!)

Kind of a circle jerk, if you ask me. What are they smoking on the
hill, anyway?