Censorship - Afloat in a Leaky Vessel

I received a note from a friend recently.

"I've been reading your blog. Only someone who really cares for you would say what I have to say. Shall I hold forth, or hold back?"

She has a way with words, this girl. That's what I admire about her, Ms J - that, and the fact that she's a published playwright. Anyway, I invited her to tell me what was on her mind. She didn't hold back.

"You could get fired or worse for what you write about your employer. I don't want to see you destroy yourself this way, Dale. Either delete these posts or close the blog."

Or something to that effect.

She's right, isn't she? If I've discovered anything about the new regime at work, it's their vindictiveness. Not only do they demand compliance ("100% compliance 100% of the time"), they're quick to punish severely those who might dare to disobey. I have no doubt I'd suffer discipline if this blog were discovered by company officials.

My daughter disagrees.

"They can't touch you, Dad," she says. "In Civics class, we're learning about the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. We have the right to freedom of speech. And we have the right to freedom of expression. You can say whatever you want."

I suppose she's right, but only to a point. It would seem that if you're rich and powerful, the same laws don't always apply. Powerful people often retain their power by subjugating weaker ones. It's always been that way. I believe it will remain so.

What shall I do, then? Close the blog? I don't want to do that. Writing is something I enjoy. And it's made more enjoyable by sharing it with others. But lately, it seems that I can't say what I want here. Apparently, the internet is not a suitable, safe or appropriate medium for the expression of honest emotion. When I wrote about Meagan's boyfriend, he was hurt by it. He was shocked and saddened by the things I said about him. Much of it was untrue, however it was a reflection of my feelings at the time. We can say whatever is on our minds in the privacy of our own homes, Ms J, but when we put it on the internet to share with the world ... well, that's a different thing entirely. I understand this.

So now I'm faced with the daunting task of reviewing a few hundred blog posts and deleting the parts that might be deemed offensive by my masters.

I feel discouraged, Ms Journal. But Dianne's point is well taken. I'd be a fool not to heed her advice.

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