Learn Liberty: Anonymity: The Greatest Weapon Against Oppression
By Learn Liberty (script prepared by CCP Chairman and Co-Founder Bradley A. Smith)
Does our right to freedom of speech also guarantee our right to be anonymous? When most people think of anonymity, they usually think of the internet, the trolls who dwell in the comments sections on articles or on Reddit, but the importance of anonymity in America goes back further than you might expect. Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, and other political activists during the American Revolution used anonymous pen names while writing politically controversial books and essays. They concealed their identities to protect themselves from retaliation and ensure that readers judge their work based on the merits of their arguments, not their identity…
The first amendment protects speech and privacy regardless of whether the speech is culturally accepted or rejected. Every American has the right to privacy and anonymity. Without it, anyone with unpopular things to say would feel less safe saying those things.
