ProgressOhio

In terms of personal impact, the federal Do Not Call Registry has got to be one of the best things Congress ever put together in this millennium. No more unsolicited telemarketers! Whoopee!

As you may have noticed around election time, political pollsters and candidate robo-calls are exempted from Do Not Call rules. "Political" speech, as annoying as it may be, is protected under the First Amendment.

But now there's hope for those of us who, like Greta Garbo, simply "vant to be left alone" during election season: the National Political Do Not Call Registry
operated by a Washington-based non-profit called Citizens for Civil Discourse. (Thanks to Mr. Know-It-All in the current issue of Wired for the tip-off.) Lacking government backing, the registry appears to be a work in progress. But the idea of freedom from political intrusions is a worthy goal.

In fact, I'd like to take my right to undisturbed privacy to the next level. Even more intrusive than phone calls are knocks on my door from religious groups who solicit donations for who-knows-what.

What bugs me about these people is their arrogant assumption: We know the truth. You don't. We're here to teach you.

For some sects, proselytizing or "witnessing" is an obligatory religious duty. That's not my problem. I need not feel guilty for shutting my door in their faces.

In my community, solicitors need to get a permit before they can go door to door. As with gambling and taxes, church groups get a free pass. Why?

My right to privacy supersedes their right to exercise their religious beliefs -- especially on my property. Sure, they mean well. So do lots of polygamists and snake handlers who claim God is their copilot.

Yeah, it's petty and bitchy, but I'd like to propose a National Do Not Proselytize Registry.