Thursday, March 22, 2007

Blogs are a double-edged sword.

Anybody who fires one up ought to know that right out of the starting gate.

In fact, it should be a binary yes/no switch prior to indulging in the practice.

"Do you know opening your yap on a blog can bite you in the ass?" If you don't click on the little "yes" box, you go no further, period.

As some of my inner circle know, I'm not the biggest fan of Kim duToit. I think he's loud-mouthed, opinionated, and offers as gospel truth that which is merely his opinion. That's fine, he's in America now and can enjoy that right as long as the 1st Amendment still holds value. As for the whole "Nation of Riflemen" thing, well, his heart's in the right place, at least. As for the .45-70 being a 200-yard cartridge, the man had best sell that Browning 1885 single-shot of his, because he doesn't know how to really use it. My 1874 Sharps Business Rifle just starts going at 200 yards, and really shines between 600-1000yds. How do you suppose all those buffalo got decimated 120+ years ago, the hunters summoned The Force?

What I don't underget, however, is the weeping and gnashing of teeth a blogger of Kim's stature displays when somebody has the nerve to offer a different opinion. Witness this little meltdown and hissy fit, where said blogger decided to let it all hang out. Wonderful. Tears at my heartstrings, it does. Now put the big, soft pink underbelly back into the sweatshirt and leave it there. Maybe it's my POW training, but one never volunteers more information than required for the situation. You hit a nerve with a blog posting, Kim, and somebody decided to find a similar nerve in your person. You knew the job was dangerous when you took it. You even had a taste of cause-and-effect when you had to do a makeover from the original KdT blog for fear of employment repercussion.

Like I said, blogging requires little to no prior experience or editorial training. You think it (at least some do-after a fashion), you type it, hit the "publish" button, and you weather the results. However, even though we have 1st Amendment protection against government interference in speech and media, let's not forget that posting something out there in the big wide Web does not absolve one of owning up to their own words. Jim Zumbo learned that firsthand. (Note: How often does your last name end up becoming a verb?)

I read View From The Porch every now and again. Blogess Tamara has this unique capability to verbally disembowel publicized everyday events into their component organs like few others. With her sharp wit and tongue, nothing's sacred, save maybe for cats, motorcycles of the crotch rocket variety, JMB's own 1911, and S&W revolvers. Woe betide the individual who runs afoul of that blog and its owner. It appears I've struck a nerve there, myself, and will refrain from linking to it for a while. I knew the job was dangerous, so it's ok.

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