Caution: Legislative Assembly in Session

The New Jersey Assembly convened today to consider legislation to prohibit "false or defamatory" messages from being posted anonymously on the internet.

Specifically, it requires that the legal names and addresses of anyone posting a defamatory message must be made available to any parties who claim to have been damaged.

What part of the First Amendment do some New Jersey lawmakers not understand?

While we're not exactly thrilled with a lot of the stuff posted on the internet, the definition of "false or defamatory" can be a rather squishy concept, and Jersey politicians aren't our first choice among those volunteering to do the defining.

The explanation for the photo, by the way, is found HERE.