When Gilbert Gottfried was fired from the role of the Aflac duck for making terrible tsunami jokes, he was just the latest in a long line of insurance spokesmen to get fired amid public outrage. (Well, there's another one.)

Last year, voiceover actor DC Douglas was fired as the voice of Geico's television campaigns after he left a prank voice message on a Tea Party organization's website. Now he has some thoughts in Salon about the plight of the insurance company spokesman who becomes the center of a firestorm. Most useful in times like these where the time between tasteless tweet to hasty firing is fast approaching zero, is this:

Imagine a stranger coming up to you and saying, "Dude, I heard what you said about that thing and I disagree! I found it as offensive as Janet Jackson's bare boob at a Super Bowl half-time show! I'm going to get all my friends to call up Applebee's and get you fired!"

Operating from a place of anger is a Charlie Sheen kind of "winning." Perhaps indignant people should focus on productive gestures, like helping up those in need, rather than tearing down others you disagree with.

Truer words have never been spoken. Just ask P.J. Crowley/Nir Rosen/Vivian Schiller/Juan Williams/etc., etc.

[Image via Wikipedia]