Processing Freedom

Do you know how it feels when you want to say something but want it to be worded in the correct way? My husband does! He always agonizes over the right way to express his thoughts or ideas so that he can create a piece of work that clearly demonstrates his point! I am just the opposite! I say what comes out of my heart without usually thinking of exactly how to say it! This week I have tried to revert to his approach. I have thoughts to say, but I'm not sure how to organize them. I have neglected my blog to imprision those thoughts: whether it has been to feed them or starve them, I can't be sure! The subject of my thoughts: Blogging in this new generation.

Are we safe to post our thoughts, hopes, dreams, and our daily bits of life for the world to see? It all started last Sunday when my mother in law (her name was not used in order to protect her identity from the internet stalkers) suggested that my blog was too revealing. She wanted to know if the kids would be safe, and what I would do if my identity were stolen! I pointed out that I refrained from displaying my social security number, my birth date, my address to the "world at large." If you ask nicely, maybe! The very same day I caught an interview with Andrew Sullivan on Book Expo (yes, these types of programs do get watched in my house)! He had this to say;

"The phenomenon is real. Blogging is changing the media world and could, I think, foment a revolution in how journalism functions in our culture. Blogs do two things that Web magazines like Slate and Salon simply cannot. First off, blogs are personal. Almost all of them are imbued with the temper of their writer. This personal touch is much more in tune with our current sensibility than were the opinionated magazines and newspapers of old. Readers increasingly doubt the authority of The Washington Post or National Review, despite their grand-sounding titles and large staffs. They know that behind the curtain are fallible writers and editors who are no more inherently trustworthy than a lone blogger who has earned a reader's respect. The second thing blogs do is - to invoke Marx - seize the means of production. It's hard to underestimate what a huge deal this is. For as long as journalism has existed, writers of whatever kind have had one route to readers: They needed an editor and a publisher. Even in the most benign scenario, this process subtly distorts journalism. You find yourself almost unconsciously writing to please a handful of people - the editors looking for a certain kind of story, the publishers seeking to push a particular venture, or the advertisers who influence the editors and owners. Blogging simply bypasses this ancient ritual."

Andrew, could this be a positive step for our society? Could this be about freedom of speech? Remember that mom? Wikipedia says, "Another rationale is that freedom of speech is an essential aspect of personhood and autonomy. It has been said, for example, that political protest is a form of self-definition, self-fulfillment, or self-realization, even if the protestor believes the protest to be futile. This idea also suggests a rationale for the protection of acts of expression that are not obviously political or vital to self-government, such as abstract art, music, or dance." Do we give this up in the face of fear?

I bet the government would love all of us bloggers to crawl back into our holes so that their words would be less threatened! They are the ones who monitor our calls, our mail, our chat rooms, our email, and goodness knows what else! Did you forget about the Patriot Act? Why would you want to remain silent? Why not share your thoughts with someone else? Perhaps there just may be a world out there that wants to listen, that wants to understand you! This is where she (my mother in law) would interject her concerns about stalkers finding our children (My Space is Everyone's Space King 5)! In this article it expresses every family's fear of losing a child to an online predator! In a similar article, Teen bloggers at Risk for Cyberstalking the author states positive aspects of teen blogging;

“On the positive side, blogs give teens an opportunity to share their stories and feelings. ‘They provide a venue in which they can reflect upon their experiences,’ says Huffaker. ‘The ability to create a community online also bodes well for future social development.’ Almost half of all the blogs included discussions about boyfriends, girlfriends, or attractions to someone in the form of a ‘crush.’ Seventeen percent of those who wrote about their own sexuality discussed homosexuality and their experiences of ‘coming out.’ Not surprisingly, 71 percent included commentary about school-related topics, such as grades, homework, high school, college or college pressure. Almost half of the online diaries discussed aspects of music, including use of MP3 players, songs, lyrics, favorite bands and concerts.”

This brings me to my final point, I think! It is a scary world out there, but this is the next generation. It is a generation where books will be published from online blogs, where people are matched up with their sole mates over the internet, where media is a much "freer" market! If someone wants your identity, it doesn't take you setting up a blog to steal it! What is really holding you back from sharing yourself with the world? What are you hiding from? For me, it is a place of understanding, to connect with others in thought, and to listen to ideas other than my own! It is a place where I can interact in an online "blogging Bible study", a place where just possibly my husband, family and friends can know better who I am, what I am thinking, and how I spend my days. It is a place where I can be me, and you can be you. It is a place we can trust! A place where freedom of speech is revered and precious! A place I invite you to....

At last, I leave you to ponder the words of philosopher Soren Kiekegaard, who wrote, "Aren't people absurd! They never use the freedoms they do have, but demand those they don't have!"