During Tennessean Senior Editor Deborah Fisher’s presentation to PRSA Nashville last week, one audience member raised concerns about the newspaper’s policy to allow essentially anyone to post comments anonymously. Making his argument, he mentioned that the policy eliminates accountability for the poster and calls the validity of information shared into question.

I’m not saying that the following comment that was posted below today’s story about Bredesen and the driver’s license bill is not from the prince of darkness, but I think someone should verify that it is before it is posted:

I’m starting to think that anonymous comments are a valid concern, at least for a media organization. Is this kind of comment really hurting anything? No. Is it really helping anything? No. Is it free speech? Yes. Would requiring at least an email address limit speech? Not in my opinion.

Today’s Tennessean reports that Governor Bredesen opposes the current bill that would designate English as the main language for driver’s license testing:

Gov. Phil Bredesen said he is disappointed the Senate passed an English language driver’s license testing bill and will seriously consider a veto if the House also approves it.

“This is not a bill about illegal immigration. We are already fully on track to not have illegal immigrants get driver’s licenses in Tennessee,” Bredesen said Tuesday. “This is just posturing.”

I agree with him. Since English was established as the official state language in 1984, I don’t see any reason for this legislation. It seems like political pandering to me.