I have this curse for homing in on contradictions, ambiguity, and outright stupidity on the local blogs. Bill Randell's posts often fall into the category of stupid. In fact he’s at the top of the perps list.
So Bill Randell has an issue with the T&G. Lots of people do - so what. If Bill Randell and others hate it so much, why then do they read it religiously? Certainly not for the comics. They want to read what others are saying. Pretty open minded folks if you ask me, but Bill Randell ain't.
In Bill Randell’s opinion, if you post on online you have to reveal your legal name, otherwise as Bill Randell so succinctly puts it, you’re a despicable coward.
I wonder what Bill Randell would say if he knew City Council members and his few friends post anonymously on the T&G. They don’t have an issue with anonymity, so why should Bill Randell? Heck, even Bill Randell let's folks post anonymously on Bill Randell's blog. Go figure.
Obviously Bill Randell does not recall his American history lessons at Boston College. Since the early days of our nation, even before there was a Constitution, anonymity in the press was widespread. Ben Franklin was a prodigious anonymous author and publisher - made good money off it. In fact many of the Founding Fathers had quite a furious pen - attacking their brethren in sharp and often personal attacks – anonymously of course. Do you recall that Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton got into a scrape over Hamilton’s veiled attacks on Burr's wife? You know the outcome of that story. Heck of a character that Burr.
The Constitution guarantees free speech in many forms. So how does Bill Randell reconcile his issue with the Constitution? Over the past 235 years lawyers - and a whole lot smarter than Bill Randell - of every political stripe have contested or defended it and the Supreme Court's decisions always came out on the side of the free speech. Still Bill Randell can’t reconcile his thinking to its legality. So where’s the issue Bill Randell - elaborate for us please?
Bill Randell demands that the T&G put an end to online anonymity. Why should they? It generates traffic - it's good for business. In fact Bill Randell's demand is rather anti-business; contradicts Bill Randell's staunch pro-business attitude. Go figure.
I have an idea. Maybe the victim of a T&G comment - usually a friend of Bill Randell's (so he says) - should in their stead have Bill Randell challenge the anonymous cowards to a duel? Not with pistols, but with a keyboard. A duel of words - using one's intellect. No blood is shed and the worst that could happen is a bruised ego. Now that’s pretty humane, don't you think?
What really baffles me about this issue folks, Bill Randell doesn’t live in Worcester, rather in Holden. Bill Randell doesn’t pay taxes here. Bill Randell doesn't vote here. Bill Randell has no neighbors here. Bill has no friends here. Yet Bill Randell's bogus businessman image hangs from bilking and belittling the small people of Worcester. Helloooo!!!
And did I mention that Bill Randell has a habit of breaking the law. Apart from being a habitual parking offender in Worcester, last year Bill Randell's business, Randell’s Package Store on Canterbury St., was caught red-handed selling alcohol to minors. Even has a history. Talk about being a hypocrite.
Bill Randell wants to lecture the citizens of Worcester about ethics? Go figure. Geez...
