Freedom to blog

By Gaby -
Last night, I read an article about a schoolteacher who had been suspended recently because some students (or their parents) dug up her blog and reported her for being "unprofessional" in scant posts that vaguely alluded to her students and teaching.  This was her personal blog that she maintained outside work hours, she kept it pretty private (mostly friends read it), and she never used students' names.  Most of the time, she just wrote about everyday regular life.  After being suspended, she was unapologetic about her blog and what she wrote throughout the year.  I find myself inching towards her side because, obviously, I have this blog, and from time to time--although I try very hard not to-- I occasionally vent about my occupation or frustrations about what's going on with the world today.  I, like her, find writing therapeutic; I may not be the best, most prolific or profound writer in the world, but I still enjoy it, regardless of whether one person or a whole slew of people are reading.  I don't feel like I have a whole lot to hide, although I'm progressively learning that certain things are a no-no for blogs.  However, this is a free country!  I think it was wrong for a group of people to desperately search for this teacher's blog (she didn't advertise anywhere like on Facebook, so she's confident that scrounging up her blog took a lot of, well, scrounging) and then shove her into the spotlight like that.  It's not a secret that teachers get frustrated with their students, but that doesn't mean that their jobs should be taken away from them.  Geez.

Anyways, reading about that made me very paranoid about my own blog (although, I don't work for a public school system, so I probably don't have a whole lot to fear, but still).  I hate the feeling of having to tip-toe my way around topics I'd like to write about, or just to write in general--but it's a weird, extremely PC world that we live in, so careful I must be.

I'm also slightly perturbed at some stranger's response to another blogger that I occasionally read;  a very humorous-yet true- story was described by this blogger, yet a handful of readers took offense to the way she described the people in her story.  I found nothing to be offensive personally, but the montage of comments and controversy over this story was truly amazing and ridiculous.

What lies in store today:  picking up other people's dogs' poop from our yard, some aimless shopping, teaching, and then to the grocery store for tonight's dinner, Bourbon chicken.  Later this week, some orchestra rehearsals and a concert this weekend, with a few makeup lessons sprinkled on Sunday.

Off to tackle some poop.

Comments

Lindsey said…
Violinista,

Your words have truly encouraged me. I'm so glad you listened to the interview I posted a few days ago. Also, I'll state the obvious and say that I appreciate (more than I can say) the support you've shown me in the last couple of days.

You're right, we live in a very PC world, and sometimes that makes it difficult to write with any honesty. But in then end, I think we'll find that it's worth the risk.

Carry on lovely! :)
February 16, 2011 at 4:44 PM
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