Friday, April 30, 2010

More secrecy not needed


Although some of his other views can rankle, Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia struck just the right note the other day when showing skepticism at an attempt to keep secret the names of signers of ballot petitions.

"Running a democracy takes a certain amount of civic courage," Scalia said, signaling his opposition to a lawsuit by the group Protect Marriage Washington to conceal the names of 130,000 people who signed a petition to overturn a domestic partnership law in the state of Washington.

Scalia's words were a ray of sunshine on a bleak landscape of growing secrecy in public life.

Secrecy accorded by Internet anonymity and contrived nicknames have encouraged social networking sites to use the vilest and most insulting language, even threats and preying sexually on young people. Corporations have hidden behind lobbyists and shadow organizations to manipulate the political system.

True, by placing their names on some controversial petitions, signatories might be subject to harassment by opponents. However, existing laws on stalking and use of telephonic communications and U.S. mail to threaten can deal with that.

But, as Justice Scalia observes, supporters of causes must endure a certain amount of grief by showing the courage of their convictions and participating in the turmoil of public debate to preserve the democratic process.

Moreover, petitioning government with one's name should be considered a proud right and responsibility of citizenship, not an act involving fear or foreboding.




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