The Right Of Free Speech?

I've realised this has all happened very quickly and a few of you may be confused. I wrote a post entitled 6 Things That Will Stop Me From Following Your Blog, about my pet peeves in the blogging world such as bad grammar, confusing writing style and bad photography. After a short time I took it down because I felt it wasn't the kind of thing I wanted to publish on my blog. If anyone is curious about reading it (it was meant to be a helpful advice piece), email me, but I may consider putting it out again depending on how I feel the reaction will be to it. I came across badly and I didn't plan it to be like that.


This kind of relates to what I posted, then deleted and the fact that I'm now wondering if I should post it back up and what the consequences would be.
The fact is that we can all legally say whatever we want, but it's dealing with the consequences that you have to think about.
It also kind of relates to everything going on about WikiLeaks. I had to read up on it and write about what I would and wouldn't publish for my journalism class so it's kinda gotten me thinking about what we can and can't say.
When your friend asks you if she looks fat, you have every right to tell her that she does. But what will the consequences of that be? Where would that leave your friendship? Would it be worth it?
If Wikileaks believe the world has a right to be able to access this information and the information is accessible, does that still mean they should print it, even if it risks national security?
And should I write about whatever I want on my blog regardless of who reads it? Well, no.
My parents read my blog every day and I don't hesitate at all about proudly linking to my blog on emails. I have a link to my blog on my CV and in my covering letters. I publicize it on facebook, twitter and in my own life. Because of this, I have to be somewhat careful about what I say.
I am much more free here than I am on other blogs which I write for, because with my own blog the only person who will suffer the consequences is me. I don't want to damage to reputation of other sites.
But I am still careful. I swear quite a bit in real life, but I have to be careful if and how much I swear on this blog because I don't know who is going to be reading it. By putting this blog out in the world anybody could be reading it, and people I know might be reading it.
By putting something you write out there you must have the courage of your convictions.
And I think this is part of the reason I took down what I said.
I am a people pleaser, I don't like to upset anybody, and I realised that what I said could upset people and for me that if too much of a consequence for the right of free speech.
I realise it made me look unprofessional, which is not something I want for my blog, and it also made me look cocky and condescending, which are two qualities I don't think I possess.
It also just made me look bad. It wasn't like my usual posts. It didn't fit into the idea which I have about my blog. Like I said in my last post, I try to avoid advice.
And finally, I didn't want to do damage to my blog.
I didn't want to lose followers or viewers or have people change their opinion about my blog based on one post.
I have had some support for writing whatever I want on the internet, and yes, I can, legally, write whatever I want.
But I just don't want to have to deal with causing any kind of pain or upset simply by exercising my right.

xxx