I do agree that what happened with Zumbo will have an effect on what some writers write, but I’m not necessarily sure that’s a bad thing. I know there are issues that I steer clear of on our company blog precisely because I think they’re too controversial. In those case, I think I’m doing something that Jim Zumbo forgot to do when he wrote his post. I’m recognizing that I’m writing as a representative of my company and my words will effect more than myself. Sometimes it is good to have a reminder that you need to think through all the ramifications of what you write and you have to be willing to accept the consequences.

This is so true and if Zumbo had a mind, this would be a great opportunity to take up his own cause and go with it. He has a website, he has a readership. He could make his own blog and answer to no one except his readers.

I’ve sounded off the small bit that I had to say about the whole fiasco, but this is one aspect that seems to keep popping out of the fringes.

I hate to paraphrase certain pundits, but it’s true… Freedom of speech does NOT mean freedom from reaction. Sure, you can write/say what you want, but you have to be willing to bear the responsibility for your words, and if you piss off the masses you’re gonna have to deal with that.

Outdoor Life, NRA Publications, and Cabelas are all businesses and as such, have every right to do what they did. Right or wrong in the eyes of the masses, if they feel like a professional relationship damages their customer relations, then they will AND MUST sever that professional relationship. It’s just business. Let’s not make it political.

I do think this whole thing will have a chilling effect on some writers’ willingness to speak their opinions on certain loaded topics. On the big picture, that’s a shame. But, the wonderful thing about the Internet is that it can put power back into the hands of the public.