A bill that bans the wearing of masks during a riot or unlawful assembly (someone who identified as an unidentified protester) and carries a maximum 10-year prison sentence with a conviction of the offence became law today. The bill didn't have unanimous support, and was opposed by some who are concerned about its effect on freedom of expression and privacy. The thing is you are going out for a protest but you are not willing to be sighted at a protest? Conservative MP Blake Richards, who introduced this bill in 2011, argues that his bill will actually help protect the legitimate right to protest because it will help prevent illegitimate protesters from infiltrating a peaceful event and causing trouble. Richards said he is proud to have identified a problem and created a solution.
We have the same debate on online anonymous comments. There are people who want to voice their views but feel reluctant to publicly identify themselves. Although cowardly, "anonymity" has become socially acceptable on the internet but has done nothing to elevate the level of online respectful and civil discussion amongst readers. As we well know, anyone can be anyone on the internet. A few ones abuse civil discourse and freedom of expression and do not feel responsible for what they voice.
When we talk about identification we cannot not talk about Unidentified Flying Object (UFO). The word was first used in 1953, in its most general definition, is any apparent anomaly in the sky that is not readily identifiable as any known object or phenomenon by observation. This is a tricky term because governments always identify an UFO every time as conventional objects (aircraft, balloons) or natural phenomena (nacreous clouds, meteors or bright planets). Is the word too old now that there is simply nothing today claimed to be unidentified or they intentionally cover up the existence of aliens? It is true that not every time UFO sightings refer to extraterrestrial vehicle but we as human being do have the right to identify what we are, the origin of our culture, technology and anything about the planet we live in. We are not unidentified.
My column illustration titled "Unidentified Objects" | July 2013
