I hate that after all of this time of inactivity that the inspiration to start up again comes from a DEMOCRAT! I hope that this Democrat will soon be censured and later voted OUT...
In Exposing the Identity of Mudflats, Rep. Mike Doogan Exposes Himself.
Anonymity is an interesting thing. Anyone who has read my "About" page knows that Mudflats popped out of my head and on to my keyboard last May. I, like many of you, get frustrated with my government. There isn't anyone who pays attention, on either side of the political spectrum, who doesn’t at some time feel like they need to get something off their chest.
Here's a link to the full article on Mudflats
Here's the email that we sent to the House Minority (Democrat) Leader, Representative Beth Kerttula.
Email: Representative_Beth_Kerttula@legis.state.ak.us
Please censure Rep. Mike Doogan for his ousting of AKMuckraker’s identity. His actions are despicable and make me ashamed to be associated with the Democratic party. I hope that you can take swift, decisive action and restore my faith and confidence.
Thank you,
Remaining Anonymous
We also suggest contacting Rep. Mike Doogan directly to express your outrage (as carefully and politely as possible). Here is his contact information:
Rep. Mike Doogan "doogans@gci.net"
Rep_Mike_Doogan@legis.state.ak.us
Phone: 907.561.7990
Please email AND call, let him know that is unconscionable and unethical! In case you are wondering, what Doogan did was not only unethical, but also illegal:
Instead of using their true names to communicate, these people choose to speak using pseudonyms (assumed names) or anonymously (no name at all). For these individuals and the organizations that support them, secure anonymity is critical. It may literally save lives.
Anonymous communications have an important place in our political and social discourse. The Supreme Court has ruled repeatedly that the right to anonymous free speech is protected by the First Amendment. A much-cited 1995 Supreme Court ruling in McIntyre v. Ohio Elections Commission reads:
Protections for anonymous speech are vital to democratic discourse. Allowing dissenters to shield their identities frees them to express critical, minority views . . . Anonymity is a shield from the tyranny of the majority. . . . It thus exemplifies the purpose behind the Bill of Rights, and of the First Amendment in particular: to protect unpopular individuals from retaliation . . . at the hand of an intolerant society.
The tradition of anonymous speech is older than the United States. Founders Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay wrote the Federalist Papers under the pseudonym "Publius," and "the Federal Farmer" spoke up in rebuttal. The US Supreme Court has repeatedly recognized rights to speak anonymously derived from the First Amendment.
Read the full article here...
You can also register your concern to the Alaska Joint Committee on Legislative Ethics. Their emails are:
Representative_John_Coghill@legis.state.ak.us
Representative_Berta_Gardner@legis.state.ak.us
Senator_Gary_Stevens@legis.state.ak.us
Senator_Thomas_Wagoner@legis.state.ak.us
3/28/2009 Update: A new FaceBook group has been started to call out Doogan http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=82564017994
3/29/2009 Update: Here's another great article from the Daily Kos:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/3/28/714126/-Response-to-Rep.-Mike-Doogan
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