Comment 64356

By DanJelly (registered) | Posted May 31, 2011 at 22:53:39

This is going to sound pretty extreme, but as I read the transcript of Ms. Chapman's statement I'm reminded of the early days of the portable printing press as the technology spread across the world. In some places, these devices were illegal. Authorities would smash presses and arrest anyone found with one. Now, I'm not saying that Bratina is that kind of tyrant, but this very clumsy reaction to new media is born from the same close-minded, control-oriented sentiment that is found in some of the darker pages of our history books. All this is doing is amplifying a sense of mistrust between Bratina and the citizens he has been charged with serving. Simply put, it will backfire.

I have a blog, and on any given day (or month, heh) I might choose to post something that particular politicians may not enjoy. If I were to post something blatantly untrue, my personal credibility would take a hit, and if it were serious enough I might even be sued. If my employer caught wind, they may decide that I am an embarrassment to their company and their customers and they even may decide to fire me. Most of what I post is very obviously opinion. Some of it is very satirical in nature. In order to be effective, even the most sarcastic and unflattering things I post MUST have a strong element of truthfulness to them, otherwise I just look like a petty blowhard. It's not in my interest to mis-quote or bend the truth to make a point. Giving bloggers greater access isn't going to lead to chaos, it's going to lead to a greater variety of coverage, and more transparency. Why is that so scary?

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