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Stand Behind Your Comments - 78666.com - San Marcos, Texas Guide

Stand Behind Your Comments

11/04/2007

By: Diana Finlay Hendricks
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Whats with these anonymous posters who are working so diligently in the 11th hour to discredit and sling mud on two viable candidates for City Council? Citizen?

If you are so sure of your accusations, stand behind them with your good name. Step forward and introduce yourself.

Citizen? From what I have read on this website, I have to question the validity of your complaints if you are hesitant to even post your real name.

Anonymous posts have no credibility -- I would stand behind your right to post these comments if I thought you stood behind them.... at least enough to post your name beneath them.

I have voted in this election -

and I voted for Kim Porterfield and Jude Prather. I dont believe that Betsy and Gaylord are bad people.

I simply and strongly believe that Kim and Jude will work with the City Council to lead San Marcos in a direction that will be best for ALL citizens - named and unnamed.

Thanks,

Diana Finlay Hendricks

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COMMENTS

Name: Frank

I disagree with you.

I've lived in San Marcos for a while and I know this city and people well. We are a small town and word travels fast here. With any small town the local government is very important but can get very ugly fast. Elected officials can hold big time grudges over the smallest of things.

I've witnessed it many of times. People voicing their valid opinions against an elected official then having that elected official or officials make note. Then in the future work against the dissenter in whatever they are trying to accomplish. It’s a reality and anyone who follows Government closely knows it.

So I can understand why people don't attach their names to opinion pieces. It's not that they don't stand behind them or not that they are all invalid. It's because they don't want to be ostracized by elected officials for having feelings and opinions that aren't always cake and cookies.

Name: Norton

"Whats with these anonymous posters who are working so diligently in the 11th hour to discredit and sling mud on two viable candidates for City Council?"

What are you talking about? Did you just glaze over the entire site and read only Prather and Porterfield articles. There is mud slinging of all candidates. There is a main page front story from Brad Rollins accusing Mr. Bose of committing fraud. There is an article accusing Betsy Robinson of endangering children. Try reading everything before you make such bold statements.

Name: Brad Rollins

For the record, I do not accuse Mr Bose of fraud nor do I think he committed fraud. The audit he refuses to release answers questions about his managerial competence, not his character which I will defend myself.

Name: diana hendricks

http://www.78666.com/News/
I dont see anything except attacks on Jude and Kim.
Maybe the others have been removed.

I think name calling (ie calling Brad Rollins an "idiot")is a little out of place on any forum.

Especially by someone afraid to use his real name.

Meanwhile, I am delighted that we have some interest in the election - let's hope that we are all using our energies to focus on the issues, bring people to the polls and stress the importance of good citizenship and accountability - rather than simply sitting back and entering into some sort of playground name calling game!

Name: Norton

"I dont see anything except attacks on Jude and Kim."

Well you might want to check those reading glasses then;

http://www.78666.com/News/news_info.php?id=804531&Last=Home
http://www.78666.com/forums/showthread.php?t=820
http://www.78666.com/forums/showthread.php?t=831


Name: semi-native

We probably should not allow anonymous voting, either.

Name: Brad Rollins

Jude Prather believes in the sanctity of the secret ballot as a cornerstone of our Democratic Republic.

Name: semi-native

Yes, but the two (anonymous voting and anonymous commentary) go hand in hand. The reason for both is to allow people to be heard without worrying about being persecuted for their political views.

There are not a lot of great jobs in San Marcos, many of the contributions to various candidates are from employers. Many employers have signs on their business properties.

Would employees feel comfortable publicly disagreeing with their employers and promoting a different candidate, if their names were visible?

The question is not whether the employer (or anyone else) would do anything, but whether the individual would be concerned enough that s/he would feel uncomfortable speaking.

What if there were really volatile issues being discussed, like abortion, gay rights, the war in Iraq, etc. How many people would be afraid to speak out against the majority, if they knew the people they disagreed with could easily find out and make life difficult for them?

Think carefully about your answer and look around to see how irrationally some people are acting already. Message boards like this already see 10x or more lurkers for every poster, because people are uncomfortable speaking. Do you really want to silence any more voices?

This is the same reason journalists protect their sources so carefully.

Yes, some people will take advantage of anonymity to defame candidates, but it is generally easy enough to debunk these attacks, even if it is difficult or impossible to hold the attacker accountable.

Protecting the rights of everyone to express their views without persecution is infinitely more important than identifying the few who abuse the system.



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