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Most of the sound offs I've received in the past week have been about Sound Off itself, and the theme has been the same: People shouldn't be able to hide behind the cloak of anonymity and give public opinions. If people are going to voice a public opinion, they need to have the "courage of their convictions" and put their name on it. Otherwise, people will just say anything!

This concern is legitimate, and it was one factor that I considered before beginning the Sound Off feature.

The question is really a balance between openness of public discourse and personal accountability.

In the end, I decided to go forward with Sound Off with the hopes that people would be responsible with their comments and that most of them would be brief, positive, and interesting observations on sports topics that don't really warrant the gravity of a letter to the editor. Some might think that hope to be more than a little naive. That remains to be seen.

What I do know, however, is that there are already several precedents in our democracy that allow for anonymity when submitting an opinion.

Voting is a good example. Should a list of how everyone in the county voted in the last election be posted in every town square? Anonymity is also a good way for the minority to have their voices heard. It is easy to have the "courage of your convictions" when everyone agrees with you. It's much less so when no one does.

In some cases, people should be free to have an opinion without the fear of retaliation from a more powerful entity, whether that entity is an individual or the public at large.

Should whistleblowers be forced to have their names publicly exposed? What about someone who calls in a crime tip to law enforcement? Should we print those persons' names, too?

Anonymity tends to equal out the power imbalance that exists between those who hold positions of authority and those who do not. This fact tends to be unsettling for those who do hold positions of authority, as they begin to fear for their own self-interest and the status quo that they enjoy.

However, those fears are unfounded because it was never my intention to provide that type of forum. And as I wrote last week, I won't print outright lies, personal attacks, or anything else that is blatantly inappropriate. This includes standard-fare whining about officials, coaches and players, and it also includes the standard fare unsportsmanlike gloating/whining from passionate but clearly biased homers.

Sound Off was never intended to be an opportunity for people to air personal grudges or to make cheap shots. How ridiculous, especially considering that we're talking about high school sports. That doesn't mean, however, that if someone makes a good, pithy observation that it shouldn't be shared. I don't see the harm in that.

Sound Off can also be a good place to ask a simple question, and I see no reason why we should demand the identity of someone asking a simple, honest question, especially if the answer can benefit a lot of people who may be wondering the same thing but have been too timid to ask.

How about this: If you have a serious concern about an important public issue, write a letter to the editor. If you would like to thank your local concession stand for offering your favorite flavor of Tootsie Rolls, just call me.

But we're getting way ahead of ourselves here anyway.

Let's remember that we're talking about sports, which is something that always seems more important in the moment than it actually is in the grand scheme of things.

So let's try this again. Do you have a sports opinion or question that you'd like to share? Call in and Sound Off. Keep it short, keep it to the point, and keep it clean.

How to Sound Off:

- Call 231-533-8523 and when someone answers say you'd like to sound off. When the person listening is ready, start sounding off.

- Send an email to ccorwin@michigannewspapers.com. Your name will not be printed.

- Mail or drop off a paper copy of your sound off. Your name will not be printed.

- All Sound Offs must include the town of the person calling or writing in.

- Anything defamatory, libelous, or grossly inappropriate will not be printed. Don't waste your time.