A favorite blogmeister of mine, Shane, recently went through some issues regarding the fact that he felt he had to censor himself due to certain people that may be reading his blog. At the time I felt for him and thought I understood. However, I now understand that I only understood as an outsider might. I now find myself in similar circumstances, so now I REALLY get it.
I have always been a talker/writer. Even during the years when I was painfully shy, and didn't talk too much, I would write. I have always found a great outlet in putting my words down. Sometimes they come easier this way and I often am able to piece together my pathway through life in this manner.
I have always been interested in other people, opinionated, and, since I have been an adult, very vocal. Some people might call me a loudmouth (perish the thought!;))
Sometimes, I rub people the wrong way. Such is life. Not everyone is going to agree with what you have to say. And since I am not the most eloquent of creatures, many times what I have to say is taken the wrong way. This is not intentional.
It has never been my intent to hurt or embarass anyone. And if I have I apologize. I now realize that while my husband may share in, and sometimes appreciate, my sense of humor, that other people may not. And so now I find myself grappling with a censorship issue.
Should I continue to say what I feel without regard? ( I very rarely use names in my blog so it's not like anyone has the names and addresses of people to whom I am referring.) Or should I edit each and every post for fear of offending someone?
I think I will handle it like this: for all of you who may take offense at something I say without understanding the source of my message(s), please take everything I say with a grain of salt. If you can't do that, please spare yourself the anguish of visiting here. Everyone is welcome here, of course, but there is no sense in coming here if it is only going to annoy/irritate/vex/anger you.
For the rest of you who may not always understand where I am coming from or why but who just get the fact that sometimes people need to vent without fear of repercussion.....thank you for 'getting it'.
Peace all.............................
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3 comments:
Man, L. My heart goes out to you on this one. I've got a couple thoughts:
(1)Everything I say is sensored to some degree. I've got an EXTREMELY violent, crude, and offensive mind. Everything you read on my blog is thought through very well. I choose every word I use very carefully. If I wrote exactly what I wanted to say, I would have alienated myself long ago. So my point is that since I have to screen myself for word choice anyway, why not take the extra step and screen my work for offensive content as well? I don't mind doing this unless it hinders the overall message ie. racism. There's no way to mention that subject without somebody soiling their panties.
(2)I don't know if you've noticed, but being real is super important to me. I don't like cutesy PC crap (unless in the rare case you actually feel that way). I've always stood by the idea that if you have something to say, let it fly, even if it is offensive. I can handle it, but unfortunately I'm a minority. I often wonder why some people are so sensitive, but that's neither here nor there.
I think you're onto something with warning people of your content. I've actually been contemplating the idea of including a disclaimer at the top of my blog too. The problem is that signs don't work (ask your hubby about that). I could post images of mutilated corpses with the heading, "THERE ARE PICTURES OF CORPSES BELOW. DON'T LOOK IF YOU'RE OFFENDED BY SUCH IMAGES." and wouldn't you believe somebody will scroll down to view these images and immediately post a nasty comment about how offensive this is? At least you can say, "Told ya so." Let me know what you figure out.
If people don't like what you have to say then they shouldn't return to your blog. I have come to see this as a way to express yourself with your oppinions and thoughts. They can't be wrong if it is how you feel. Sometimes just getting those thoughts out of your head is just enough to help you work through your own issues and feelings. Blog on sprinkle, blog on!
Fu....Um Screw them. It's your Blog, you use it for your purposes. If they don't like your Blog, they don't have to read. Don't take away one of the few REAL sites out there. Like OGO says, Let your Freak Flag fly!
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