Stupid MLA comments shouldn’t discourage MLAs/MPs from using the Internet to engage citizens.

In 2004, a member of the University of Alberta Students’ Union’s Students’ Council got himself into some hot water after posting a song parody on his personal blog glorifying date-rape. A constituent of his followed a link from an SU webpage, was horrified by the councilor’s “sense of humour”, and wrote to the campus paper to bring the matter to their attention. A month later, the councilor had resigned in disgrace.

The lesson this individual, much like Albertan MLA Doug Elniski, learned much to late was that one should not post something online that one wouldn’t say in a press gallery in front of a dozen cameras.

Elniski’s tasteless Twitter comments, such as telling Albertan Women “don't give me that 'treated equal' stuff. If you want Equal, it comes in little packages at Starbucks”, or commenting “i am surrounded by bumping and grinding lesbians waiit 20 then send help” during Edmonton’s Pride parade are just the latest in a string of comments that have caused no shortage of embarrassment for many Albertans. They will likely not be the last ones either. Technologies such as Blackberries combined with Twitter and Facebook mean that thoughts can be posted before one’s self-censoring mechanism kicks in.

While Mr. Elniski’s comments are mind bogglingly stupid, it would be a shame if the take away message for elected representatives became “don’t use twitter/blogs/Facebook”. Speaking to a former NDP MP candidate last fall, I was told blogging made her nervous as you never know when online comments can come back to haunt you (a la Malcolm Azania). The loss is ours as there is one less intelligent voice participating in the exchange of ideas, and one less person willing to engage the public without the filter of party speechwriters.

As for Doug Elniski and Iris Evens, I doubt either will face much in the way of political blowback from their recent foot-in-mouth events. However if members of the government could stop making similar comments for just a little while, it would go a long way in helping me in arguing to my co-workers that my home province isn't stuck in the 1890s, despite suggestions to the contrary.