Public Service Announcement: Be Careful About What you Say in Public

I'm a pretty avid proponent of free speech; this blog is a testament to that. But people, use some common sense--just because you can say it, doesn't mean you should.

There were two interesting cases in the news today that stood out for me: a woman is being sued for libelous statements made on twitter against a former landlord, and a Boston police officer will probably lose his job after sending an email to entirely too many people containing racist comments about the Gates incident. Yikes!

This is a sobering reminder to be careful what you say, especially when its documented--be it on facebook, twitter, myspace, or even a blog. If you know something confidentially, don't post it on facebook. If you get into a fight with someone, don't slander him or her on twitter. And make ABSOLUTELY sure not to put anything on the internet that will interfere with your career. The government shouldn't censor people, but people should learn to censor themselves sometimes.

This actually brings me to my second point. I'm in the process of talks with a church about being their full time pastor. I'm really excited at the possibility to serve people in a full time, professional capacity, and I believe God will do amazing things. But I know that there will be certain sacrifices I must make, and one of those is keeping my political views "quiet." I can't stand it when pastors preach politics; it cheapens the pulpit, which should be reserved for proclaiming the message of scripture.

Sadly, that means I will have to stop posting my opinions here. I've enjoyed having a venue to express my frustrations with the American political system, but its time to hang up my hat. To my 2 loyal readers (I'm an internet sensation!), thank you for listening to me rant and I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have.

Be smart and safe out there, everyone!

Palin quits her job!

Ok, this isn't exactly news anymore, but Sarah Palin is stepping down as governor of Alaska, moving out of the public eye. Most political commentators think this is a mistake, but I disagree. I think it was the best decision she's made in years.

Why, you might ask, do I think stepping down as governor when you've done nothing wrong (and yes, I think the ethics complaints against her are bogus) is a good idea? Its simple: Sarah Palin simply can't handle the media. She's been outraged at everyone since her run for vice president began: the news media, David Letterman, some local yahoo who photoshopped a conservative talk show host's face over Palin's child's face in a picture, and even the people behind the McCain presidential campaign. Eventually, she had to either 1) come to grips with the fact that some people were going to say unkind things about her, or 2) step out of the limelight. It looks like she chose option 2.

Alot of people have suggested that she's a quitter for stepping down when she did, but I disagree. Rather, I think she simply wanted the media circus which has repeatedly skewered her to end. And I think it was a good move: for her, for her family, and for the people of the state of Alaska (all 10 of them--I kid, I kid!).

So to Palin I say: good for you. No one can make you do something you hate, and you obviously hate being picked on by the media. To the media, I say: leave Palin alone. She's chosen to return to the life of a private citizen, and I think the media should respect that. At least, if I were in her shoes, I would hope that they would.