Your Politics could cost you your job!

I can't resist a good alliteration so when I began reading an article from the Associated Press I was awestruck by their clever use of "Facebook face-offs. Myspace mudslinging." Read the article here. If you don't want to read the article I will just do a general recap. The article is discussing how in this day and age of advanced media that many young people are not thinking about the fact that what they post online could affect their future. The article cites numerous employers who do a check on the people they are considering for hire.

"Nearly half acknowledged they disqualified some job seekers because of information found online, ranging from evidence of drug use to extreme political views."

Shocking isn't it? Specific cases are cited and the observation is made that 48 of our 50 states do NOT protect employees from being dismissed because of their political views. Pretty alarming isn't it? Of course I could also point you to one of my earlier posts. I have a friend Chelsea who recently experienced a bit of this when she was asked, by her employer, to remove several things from her blog. The posts were not offensive or derogatory in anyway to her occupation but she somewhat reluctantly obliged. There are differing views as to both the Constitutionality of the practice by employers seeking web info on the applicants, and the right of applicants to express themselves freely. I for one, do not post things that I would be afraid to answer for. Frankly if someone didn't want to hire me because of my political views, I wouldn't want to work for them anyway. Recent events in my life have caused me to ponder at the wisdom of unabashed free speech online. Who knows what affect our words may have on someone? I mention this only because I recently read a blog that was hateful, judgmental and shocking to me. Obviously this person has the right to their own opinion and the right to express it, but I worry that when they speak ill of another race, religion or person that the uninformed may take it at face value and not seek out truth. Nothing I can do but do what I do best, worry.