I've read newspaper blogs in the past. However, because of their content, I decided to avoid them.

I was recently provoked by a friend to read one, and I became increasingly disgusted with the cruel and biting comments made by anonymous cowards. I was driven to write this letter once I saw insults against a young man who died in Madison after attending a party.

In a society in which we try to teach children compassion and tolerance and try to practice zero tolerance on bullying, there are cowards hiding behind their computers who rip people apart, question their personal preferences, offend their families and defame the character of people they don't even know.

Unless these folks need to sign their name, they are merely being shielded behind a cloak of anonymity while hurling degrading remarks and hurting people. There is no reason that the family of the young man who died need further hurt from nasty, racist comments.

Children read these. Are we teaching them that we can insult people and cause pain and not expect any repercussion? Are we teaching hate?

Newspapers should reconsider the registration procedure for comments and stop the anonymity. Better yet, remove them entirely.