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Social networking: when people misread your posts

Hearst door handlesIf we’ve learned anything from the girl who was hired by the Kent Police commissioner’s office to advise on youth crime, it is to be careful what you say on social networks. Granted what she said was bang out of order but she would never have been caught if she hadn’t posted it.

What do you do if you’ve written something that has been misconstrued?

You are probably wondering what this is about. Well I signed a petition to say that I didn’t agree that the recently departed Baroness Margaret Thatcher should not have a no holds barred funeral similar to Princess Diana and the Queen Mother.

My reasons are:

  • Most Prime Ministers have low-key funerals. I think this is more appropriate so the families can grieve in solitude.
  • Baroness Thatcher is not and never has been a member of the royal family.
  • In a time of austerity it is wrong to spend that much money on a funeral when there are soo many people suffering in this country because of government cuts. That money could go to better use.

So there you have it, my feelings on the subject. I should point out that I don’t really have any strong feelings for the ex-prime minister personally.  I don’t really remember her that well. I was in school during her reign and only saw her in person once. This was in the Houses of Parliament where I watched her being booed and jeered at during a speech. No idea what it was about but that was the only lasting impression I have of the visit.

Therefore I would never say anything nice or horrible about her as a person. In fact with my limited understanding of her achievements,  I approve of the Falklands war. Only because she was protecting the little guy from a big bully of a neighbour. Might not be how she viewed it but that’s how it looked to me.

You now know the background. So I signed the petition online and put it on Facebook. Next we know a relative has misread it and thinks I’ve said something awful about her. I mean c’mon, this is me. I once completely irritated a friend because I refused to slag anyone off. Sorry about the vulgarity there.

What can you do in this situation? Well I unfriended the relative in question. It is not worth the family arguments if my posts will be misread. I have freedom of speech and I don’t want to argue over it.

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