Guy Cosentino's article about “Two Cents” being a threat to public figures prompted me to write this letter. I am a citizen activist myself - not a corrupt politician - but I am no big fan of “Two Cents.” Real letters to the editor with names attached need to be given priority in The Citizen instead of filling up space with nameless online comments.

Let me explain why “Two Cents” is a bit disturbing to me.

Some of us have one or more parents who actually have had first-hand experiences with brutal dictatorships - in the case of my family, it was the Soviet Union.

As a European-American who also specializes in Colonial American History, the U.S. Constitution included, I tend to see things from a different perspective than a lot of Americans I encounter in Central New York.

Many Americans do not seem to grasp the concept of the First Amendment at all - let alone the Bill of Rights.

As a consequence, they fail to stand up and claim many of the most fundamental rights that our American system has already guaranteed us as a birthright.

What a shame, since we have the best system in the world, and since so many have died to preserve those rights.

When it comes to political speech, this is especially protected under the First Amendment, so tell me, why are some of you so afraid to write letters to the newspaper and put your names under them, owning up to what you say?

Why do you choose to make anonymous comments and vanish into the woodwork as if you are living in the Soviet Union, or Communist China? Why do you never take to the streets and protest?

Peaceful protest is guaranteed you by your own Constitution, so why don't you get out and use it?

What threatens corrupt politicians most are letters from identifiable, outspoken activists with some credibility attached to their names.

Anonymous Internet “flaming” is the domain of losers and wimps - not of bonafide American activists.

Lisa Backus

Auburn