The ethics of anonymous online commenting:

The purpose behind the Bill of Rights and of the First Amendment in particular is to protect unpopular individuals from retaliation at the hand of an intolerant society. But what if the people hiding behind the First Amendment are not only the intolerant ones, but also individuals whose words incite bigotry anonymously? Hate speech is not free speech and defending it without attribution under the guise of the first amendment is dangerous. Freedom of speech IS a principal American value but freedom to incite is not. That is why I don’t worry about a coward’s rights when I receive anonymous hate mail. I give it to the FBI instead.