Back in the day, when we heard about couples we knew were breaking up or getting a divorce, oftentimes it was a big shock. They looked like the perfect couple, and they acted as if they loved each other, but their relationship was far from perfection.
One reason for the relationship shock and awe stemmed from that fact that couples in the past kept their business to themselves.
No relationship that I know of is perfect, but couples, partners, teams and other groups that relate acted more like family. If there was an issue in the family, a concern in the family, a disagreement in the family or even a squabble or confrontation in the family, usually it was kept behind closed doors.
You didn’t talk about what went on in your home in the street. You didn’t disclose what happened in the locker room at the press conference, and you didn’t dare discuss what went on in the board room with any and everybody.
If you did put your business in the street, you were said to be uncivilized, described as uncultured, or called uncouth.
Nowadays, any time someone disagrees with you, gets angry with you, or becomes disenchanted with you, they blast their ill feelings all over the Internet!
I think it is so stupid for people to copy everyone on every Internet message they write. Good, positive and helpful information should be spread around everywhere. But hatred, envy, jealousy, blame and things like that never need to be posted on Yahoo, Google, Twitter, Facebook and MySpace.
The Constitution guarantees us all freedom of speech, but once you say something with your mouth, that’s the end of it. What is said on the Internet stays there forever.
More often than not, feuding couples get back together, corporate enemies do business with each other again, and teammates hit the field or court together after mending fences, so to speak.
But to me, it will be very difficult to continue to befriend someone who felt it was necessary to spread Internet lies about me all over the world.
I’m not saying that I can’t be corrected via an Internet message. I can even be straightened or chastised in an Internet manner. But when friends, family and business partners are copied on messages that should have been only between the author and reader, I’m going to have a problem.
If you want to curse me, curse me. If you want to hurt me, hurt me. When you start writing slanderous and scandalous e-mails that hurt the feelings of my family and friends, you are treading on dangerous ground!
The Internet is a safe haven for cowards. Whether it’s business or personal, never write or post anything on the Internet that you are afraid to say face to face.
Lucius Gantt is a political consultant based in Tallahassee. He is also the founder of All World Consultants and author of the book, Beast Too: Dead Man Writing. Contact him at www.allworldconsultants.net or call 850-222-3475.
Info@AllWorldConsultants.net
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