You have to wonder what goes through some people’s minds when posting on social media.
Do they think their statements will escape the attention of others? Do they believe that they can post with impunity?
Or will they claim they were merely caught up in a fierce discussion?
The latest example of a social media blunder involves Ben Kautz, a councillor for the RM of Browning. His statement was on a Saskatchewan farmers Facebook group, regarding the recent death of Colten Boushie, an aboriginal young man who was shot by Gerald Stanley on Stanley’s land near Biggar in mid-August.
Kautz said Stanley’s “only mistake was leaving witnesses,” in reference to the three people accompanying Boushie.
Kautz quickly removed the statement, but not before a screen-grab of the post was made.
It should be noted that Kautz’s comment was not racial or prejudiced in nature, but it was on a Facebook page where there were a lot of deplorable comments being made about First Nations people, and so it was quickly portrayed by many as racist.
While Kautz has received lots of justifiable criticism, he has also been the target of death threats, which is very unfortunate. And he has been forced to resign from the RM's council.
There is a host of debates to emerge from Boushie’s death and Kautz’s comments. Should landowners have greater rights when protecting their land? Should Stanley have received parole? And should Kautz have resigned from Browning’s council?
There is also the much larger discussion over the relations between Saskatchewan residents and First Nations people – a relationship that has been further strained by Boushie’s death. Many of the comments made by both sides since Boushie’s death are appalling and should be punished.
Kautz’s comments should also serve as a warning to people that there can be repercussions for comments made on social media.
We saw it earlier this year when four candidates for the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party, including Estevan candidate Cameron Robock, were turfed by the party for comments they made on social media.
People need to be cognizant of the consequences when posting hateful, discriminatory or defamatory statements on social media. If your comments reflect poorly or cause embarrassment for your employer, then you deserve to be reprimanded or even fired.
And you can be sure that when you apply for a job, your prospective employer will be checking your Facebook, Twitter and other accounts, to make sure there aren’t any social media skeletons in the closet. It’s simply performing due diligence.
Regardless of what happens to Kautz, it has caused significant embarrassment for him, and it has thrust the national spotlight on the RM’s council.
His statement should serve as another cautionary tale of what can happen when common sense is tossed aside on social media.
