 | Someone recently said my theory that the whole Facebook/Myspace/Twitter fad is probably going to come to a crashing end (or fade into a whimper) as people realize there really IS a fine line between public and private. |
To quote a recent presidential candidate, "Would that it were... Would that it were...."
One of my favorite videos is Professor James Duane's 5th Amendment lecture famously known as "Don't talk to the police". Google this
"don't talk to the police" video
and choose the 49 minute video. In it you'll see the professors rapid fire 8 reasons not to talk to the police, and then he introduces a police officer, George Bruch, and the professor says the officer will have the last word to tell you if anything he have said was wrong. I believe the officer said he had something like 25 years experience as a policeman and detective.
Officer Bruch mentions the a very common question he hears: "How do I quit getting speeding tickets?" -
His answer: Quit speeding.
Then he asks the class: Anyone drive here? Go above 55?
Several hands shoot up. The professor interjects incredulously:
Professor: "What are hands doing going up? I told you not to talk to the police."
Officer Bruch goes on: People are inherently honest, and they want to tell their story. If you drive 55, you'll be rear-ended!
He relates in the video that his best technique for dealing with the "hardened" criminals is just to go into the interrogation room, take a bunch of paperwork, and work on the paperwork, and not even say anything to the perp. The perp will usually talk on their own. As the gospel song says "I love to tell the story!" The officer tells how he sometimes gets them to write their own confession, without them even admitting to the crime, "Here just write a sorry letter to the (victim)". So often they do. Imagine how easily such a letter can convince a jury to convict.
He says "I've dealt with 1000 felonies, 2500 misdemeanors, 98% conviction rate! 80% I didn't need to go to court, they confess! Even hardened criminals like to tell their story."
Look at all the Jerry Springer, the reality TV shows, everything else. Not only do so many of our species seem to not know how to preserve any kind of privacy, even more of us are voyeuristic too. As we said in school "Monkey see, monkey do".
Then on the internet add a certain element of anonymity, and people can really perform with no accountability. Add in the entitlement culture fed by government compassion without any accountability or responsibility, and the ever present emphasis on victimhood, all of which only require a breakdown of privacy as the most intimate details of the individuals life are shared, or contrived, with unknown bureacrats in order to secure a handout or special privilege.
Sadly the twitter phenomenon appeals to the latent graffiti artist in many of us, the desire to scrawl something that other people take notice of, so much the better when it it is broadcast to all your follower's most personal device, their hand phone, or laptop.
People want to connect in the middle of this disconnected culture. Our Creator built into us the need to connect. Sadly so few realize Who their deepest need to connect should be with. Even more than progress on our particular cause, let us pray that through our activism some will be led to learn more about Him who can satisfy their deepest needs.
Other related articles:
- Should you delete your facebook account and use the refund to go and get a real life - John sums up why I never got excited about Myspace and Facebook, it is all so high school....