Many people write to newspaper and magazines express their opinions. Letters to the editor must carry
the writer"s full name, address and telephone number, although the information is not necessary for publication.
This requirement to provide personal particulars is a clear indication that writers are held responsible for what
they say. When a writer wants his voice heard, he needs to claim ownership of his voice. Responsibility is the
name of the game.
     "People today prefer living together to putting their signatures on a marriage certificate because they refuse
to accept responsibility for the relationship," said social worker Ken Yip, "and this is what is causing a lot of
family problems." When we sign a paper, for example, a business contract or a bank document, the signature
is symbol of consent, an agreement to take the matter seriously. Most governments and many organizations
will not process writer"s complaints if they do not bear the writer"s signature. The absence of a signature, they
explain, tells us that the writer cannot be too serious and therefore does not deserve a reply.
     There are people who wish to remain anonymous (匿名的) for various reasons. Multi-billionaire Mr. King
donates generously to charity several times a year. He gives simply because he wants to help but not for the
publicity his donations may bring, and he does not want his good deeds to make news. In other cases, people
insist on anonymity because they are afraid of the consequences of revealing their identity. Crime witnesses
may be willing to assist the police, but most are unwilling to give their names when reporting a crime.
     Name or no name? The answer is very personal and lies in how much we want to get involved. We all have
a name, it is a matter if responsibility to it when we make a statement, a claim or an accusation. We all want
to honour our own name, and it is only by stamping our expression of an opinion with our own name that we
honour what we say.