In a Herald opinion column entitled “Don’t Rape” published last week, Cara Newlon ’14.5 drew attention to the victim-blaming culture that surrounds sexual assault. Almost immediately, the comments section of the page was filled with reactions from posters such as “Brownie,” who wrote, “Maybe if less women lied about rape and sexual assault, then serious cases would be taken more seriously.” Another commenter, “Dada,” opined, “Brown’s arbitrary rape policies… undermine the legitimacy of all real rape cases.” These and other ignorant diatribes are by no means unique to this article, or to The Herald’s forums. Elsewhere on the Internet, anonymous commenters terrorize authors and their readers with tactics ranging from bullying to hate speech. In fact, online bullying has progressed to such a level that it has completely derailed the original intent of offering commenters the choice to remain anonymous.
We recognize that anonymity can sometimes be the only avenue for honest discussion and the exposure of corrupt practices. For example, when former Amherst student Angie Epifano published an article in the college’s student paper detailing her sexual assault, other students were inspired to reveal similar experiences. Many did so anonymously in the comments section of that particular article, illustrating the scope of the seriousness of sexual assault — and the value of the choice to comment without revealing one’s identity. But that forum also became a repository for disgusting, disheartening messages that only discouraged others from sharing their stories or contributing to productive discussion. When comments like these become commonplace on serious, heartfelt pieces, we must take action.
We ask members of the community, especially those who frequently share their thoughts online, to maintain a sense of civic responsibility when choosing to comment. While diverse and even controversial opinions are welcome, they can only be respected if written with the best intent. Criticism and argument are natural and welcome responses to published opinion, but attacks detract from the discussion.
One tactic to combat the problems with anonymous commenting is to use your name when posting thoughts, setting an example to counter destructive responses. Responses to Newlon’s column exemplify the benefits of this choice, as some students began to share their names with their comments in order to push back against the spiteful nature of earlier messages. The conversation quickly grew more civil as commenters began to see each other as actual people — and not just faceless, opposing entities.
Instead of allowing the force of anonymity to appeal to our lowest common denominator, we should utilize the Internet to its true potential — as a source of ideas, collaboration and advancement. Reducing the threat of hateful and unproductive anonymous dialogue by signing our own comments is the first step towards realizing this goal.
Editorials are written by The Herald’s editorial page board: its editor, Dan Jeon, and its members, Mintaka Angell, Samuel Choi, Nicholas Morley and Rachel Occhiogrosso. Send comments to editorials@browndailyherald.com.
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