Whenever the pressure is on, the politicians begin to make royal decrees and that is always a great danger to freedoms, especially in a small place.

People use pseudonyms because they have fears of retaliation and do not want themselves, their families or their careers put upon by the politicians. That fear is reinforced and validated when politicians dislike what they read and begin to make threats. The fears are real because Bermuda's recent history is littered with examples of people being picked on by politicians or their henchmen.

Letters to this newspaper come from a wide variety of people who have reason to remain anonymous. As examples, many letters come from people inside the political parties criticising their party. It is not unusual to have letters from civil servants who are not supposed to write letters.

We do understand that comments in recent weeks have been tough on some of Bermuda's political leaders and that the provocation to react has been great.

But politicians of all stripes have to expect to take more heat than ordinary citizens. The United States understood that when it made it virtually impossible to libel a politician. Politicians are natural targets for the public, especially at a time of political stress and great uncertainty which has been created by the politicians themselves.

The important thing about our Letters to the Editor column is that it acts as a valve which allows members of the public to let off steam. People feel better for being able to have their say and are grateful for a means of getting their views across to the general public. The need for anonymity is clearly greater in a small very personal place.

There is reluctance to insist on signed letters because that could destroy the flow of letters and the variety of opinion. There are people with extreme views of the left and the right who regularly sign their letters because the letters turn them into public personalities and because they think they have little to lose from public exposure. The views of these people are often dismissed by a public which reads the signatures only and moves on. There is concern that if we insisted on correct signatures the column would be left to those with extreme views and would no longer be representative of public opinion.

The Letters column was never so valuable as it was in the days when black Bermudians were seeking equal rights and the vote. The column allowed people to have their say without fear of retribution. As such it was very important in the transition to desegregation and universal adult suffrage. The use of the column is not so different today. It is very important in a time of turmoil and great public concern when politicians are acting against the wishes of the people who elected them.