Francene - Views on news
  • BLOG
  • About
  • Contact

Is blogging safe?

5/12/2015

8 Comments

 
Picture
This morning, the BBC released the news of another fatal attack on a blogger. Everyone like me should give this serious consideration. Okay, I live in the UK, a country that allows freedom of speech, but only to a certain point. I've already expressed my annoyance about Facebook singling out particular words that bots deem may contain harm. Words that start with dea …, ki … and mur …. Of course, newspapers thrive on such words.

But here's the disturbing news: A secular blogger in Bangladesh has been fatally struck with repeated blows in north-eastern Bangladesh, the third occurrence since the start of the year, police say. They deem a masked gang wielding machetes in the city of Sylhet responsible.

In February, Mr Roy, a Bangladeshi-born US writer who once moderated the same site she wrote on, was ki … after criticizing religious intolerance. And in March, another blogger, Mr Rahman, met the same end in Dhaka. An Islamist has been arrested over Mr. Roy's mur ..., while two madrassa students have been arrested over Mr Rahman's ki … Source BBC News.


Picture
Now, the bloggers in question wrote with passion and didn't hold back on their opinion. I would like to think everyone could do the same. But that's not the case.

I don't burn with a desire to bring down the established order. All I want to do is bring certain news to your attention and share relevant parts of my long life with you.

But what if I wanted to criticize—say, to make a point—the way the National Health specialists are treating my cancer-ridden husband? Would that be acceptable? If I believed in my cause enough to make everyone aware of his plight, the next step would be to speak to the newspapers, raise a rally, march for our rights, cause a confrontation with police, and then we have civil unrest on our hands.

Much as I emphasize with the three blogger's loss of life, and their families, I wouldn't do that.

We need to draw a line between what we want to change, and public safety.

What is your opinion about the safety of blogging?


8 Comments
Patricia link
5/11/2015 08:09:44 pm

Hmm. It's a fine line. Blogging is a bit like journalism. Take a stand and you're bound to step on a few toes.

Reply
Alana link
5/11/2015 08:31:16 pm

This can be a serious issue, given that people who have posted photos or expressed opinions on social media have had de...threats and other things directed at them. Plus, so many people use real names, or reveal where they live. You don't have to express a political opinion, either. Would I have courage to express an opinion publically about the kind of thing you are experiencing? I truly do not know.

Reply
Amy link
5/11/2015 11:50:17 pm

Yikes! I'm very careful, Francene, not to reveal particulars about me or my family, but also I don't write about topics (unless chicken vomit makes you furious) that would engage or anger the mur. . . extremists who oughta get a life and do something constructive instead of taking away the lives of others as their life's goal . . (ooops you might have to delete that, eh?) . . . that whole scenario is such a waste and such a shame. :(

Reply
Carol Cassara link
5/11/2015 11:51:49 pm

It is such an intolerant world today. Awful.

Reply
K.Lee Banks link
5/12/2015 12:05:43 am

I've noticed this issue recently with bloggers in the news and it is disturbing. I guess I've never given much thought to my own safety in blogging, because I'm not well-known or established yet in the blog world. I don't get thousands of views or hundreds of comments (or even dozens). But I guess all it takes is one "wrong" person to read something he or she doesn't like...worth consideration, I guess!

Reply
Ajay Pai link
5/12/2015 05:10:28 am

This is such a crazy world. Unsure where we are leading to. Which domain is safe?

Terrorism is spread across every nook and corner of the world. God save us.

Reply
Bonnie Gean link
5/13/2015 02:00:24 am

Hi Francene,

I was stunned to read that someone was in danger as a result of blogging. How terrible!

I admit, I never considered whether or not blogging my opinions could put me in danger, but it's apparent by your writing that this IS VERY possible.

It makes me stop and think; is blogging something I can continue if I stood the chance of being attacked (verbally or physically). I can handle the verbal confrontations, but if it ever came down to someone knocking on my door or stalking me in public - I wouldn't hesitate to stop blogging.

Personal safety should always trump over blogging your opinion.

- Bonnie

Reply
Anamika Agnihotri link
5/13/2015 11:52:40 am

In my part of the world many topics are untouchable, religion topping that list. Religion is a very touchy subject. A writer recently sent out a declaration that he has given up writing in the event of remaining tormented by Hindu extremists over the last couple of years. The news of a person getting k** for going against the tide is very sad but not unheard off.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Francene Stanley
    From England, I use news items in my novels which you can see below, all linked to an Amazon near you.

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Archives

    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015

    Categories
    news
    earth
    sea
    space
    environment
    people
    animals
    fish
    birds 

    experience 
    writing
    novels

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.