There is the occasional post or retweet about flat earth or 911 among other feisty topics on my Twitter feed. Mixed in with more 'professional' posts pertaining to my career or business or technology.
And the thought occurs, "hey wait a minute, maybe you should consider your career before posting about the controversial things?"
Fuck that.
My employers, clients & colleagues should know that I will say whatever I want to say without fear of repercussion - and that I won't be intimidated by this Joseph Stalin culture trend of say no harsh words about those in power, past atrocities, or new potential atrocities in the making (or not to tell jokes for that matter). Indeed, it seems the mass genocides that happened during the Holodomor happened in part due to this very attitude.
If everyone says what they want to say without fear maybe it will finally put in check those in power because they won't be able to shutup or censor us. And that their crimes may actually come to light.
'Those in power' exist in all aspects and contexts of your life: they could be in your family, your city, your country or operating internationally - and while there are certainly trends, tendencies, among groups sometimes bonded by bloodline/race, oaths, or common ideals - there is obviously no specific group or one type of individual who is 'in power'. Furthermore, any group or person is vulnerable to a sudden flip in alignment - therefore, it is only prudent to be on guard for this because there will always be those who are willing or tempted to throw out common decency and respect to others for profit or personal gain. And it is precisely these types who are then targetted for exploitation by even more sinister people ie- 'bad guys' whether it a tyrannical foreign government, a rouge intelligence agency, a violent cartel or combination thereof.
My Twitter feed, my blog, what I say at a cafe or bar - has nothing to do with the quality of my work or the positive energy I will bring into the workplace everyday.
And if you've ever met me - you may know that I value fun, friendship, & quality results above all; and I am not about to suddenly compromise that by injecting my controversial opinions into the workspace (less mature me may have slipped up at times and from experience I realize this is a futile exercise anyway; like politics at the dinner table - best not to chime-in if clearly there are those who would disagree with your position).
But my (digital) spaces are mine and if something I post offends you please don't take it so seriously (or maybe kindly ask me after work about specific topics that I've highlighted which concern you - happy & delighted to discuss).
All things considered, if someone prefers to run a 'politically correct' business that's fine by me and I'm not going to be surprised or make a fuss if I am terminated for mere words I said or wrote in the past - cause it would have been equally my fault for engaging in business with a company or organization that has no respect or value for free speech anyway.
If you value diversity of people, you should value diversity of opinion. And if you value human rights you should value free speech. But it's OK to disagree. I just ask that we encourage discussion versus silence.
Now back to work!
