People just put stupid crap on the internet.

And yeah, I guess I'm a major contributor. But I'm not likely to whine about getting called on it. And I'm not stupid enough to complain about my job or my guests where one of them might see it.

I work in a restaurant, people. I've got enough comic fodder to populate twelve, count them, twelve blogs. I can tell a story, and it's a lot easier in print than it is person, with 3 little girls crawling all over me and the attention span of a gnat. I can walk away, I can read it twice, I can make sure that it comes out the way I want it to.

This could be comedy gold. Really. But I like my job. I like my coworkers. I like the extra money. I like not being mommy for eight hours a week. So I DON'T tell the funny stories. Even though it would be easy enough for me to create a "completely private" blog, or a blog that's only open to invited readers.

Because actions have consequences. Words have meaning. And if you are going to put something out on the internet, you have to be willing to accept the consequences.

And of course I'm talking about the quasi-local teacher whose blog has been the subject of so much discussion as of late.

The school district suspended her. She wrote an "anonymous" blog about "anonymous" students.

It was so "anonymous" that it's all over the blogosphere. Yeah, Real first name, real last initial, real photo. NOT anonymous.

And I have sympathy. I've written things I've regretted. I've run my mouth (and my keyboard) where I shouldn't have. But you will NOT catch me discussing negative details about my work life here.

Because actions have consequences. Words have meaning. Free speech doesn't protect you from getting fired. It simply protects you from going to jail.

Should she have been fired? I don't really care. I'm not going to defend her actions, not going to climb on a (higher) soapbox and proclaim my outrage. Somewhere, there is a child who wrote an email to a teacher, only to have it exposed to the entire world, along with her disdain for him, his classmates, and their parents. (The ones who, you know, actually PAID HER SALARY.) I've seen how people act, how they let their kids behave, and I have every sympathy for her. She should be able to blow off steam. She should be able to write about it.

She should have enough good sense to keep it off the internet. As of right now, she's no better than the kids and parents making bad, self-entitled decisions she complained about.

So whatever happens, I don't care. I don't feel as a blogger this effects me in any way. I don't feel any more censored than I did already... by my own good sense.