Benjamin Franklin was one of the great men in our nation’s history. His wisdom and wit were credited with holding the Constitutional Convention together. And thus one of the greatest documents in history was drafted. Benjamin Franklin also believed in the therapeutic effects of "air baths." Standing outside undressed, he exposed himself to the elements. Even now, we have to admit, it was a great source of Vitamin D. Mr. Franklin came to mind as I was at the red light on Industrial Drive. Waiting for it to change, I took a bite of my Super Duper Beef Burrito. The Super Duper Insides squished out and splatted all over my shirt. I grabbed about 17 napkins and wiped the blob off while hastily looking around to see if anyone had seen. No one was at the light beside me, but my gaze landed on the imposing eyeball of one of the new video cameras that now patrol certain intersections.
It glared at me and I froze. I felt like the skinny guy in the movie 1984 when the camera in his house started barking at him and his unapproved new friend. Their entire society’s every move was monitored by the video police. And here I was at the light with the scary red eyeball photographing my splatted shirt. If I had decided to run the light, I maybe could appear in traffic court with my burrito adorned shirt on the slide projector and the judge might not only fine me, but ask what type of delicious looking burrito I had been eating.
Video cameras have given us some great benefits as they have become more prevalent. They allow us to actually peek at our toddler’s daycare from our office desk. Or view our webcam wired pet center and watch Rover frolic happily through the dog run while we are working to buy his 50 lb bag of food. And webcams possibly make parking lots and garages more secure, if not just give an after the fact view of the crime.
But where has the world gone too far? Why were we required to read 1984? What happens when I win the Super Fast, Triple Flip, Deadly Black Diamond Ski Run at the 2010 Olympics by going downhill, upside down, on one hand, and I tell them that my tremendous prowess was due to a strictly vegan diet? Then ESPN flashes my photo at a red light with a burrito on my shirt. Or when I’m taped secretly waxing my skis with my special extreme nitro-glycerin skiwax in the hotel elevator by the camera hidden in the panel?
Does ESPN really need to know I ate a burrito? And what else happens in hotel elevators that are now forever on magnetic tape? I personally don’t want to see other people’s private hygiene habits or even raucous mating habits that happen in elevators. But if it can be recorded, someone will find it useful to broadcast somewhere.
Even when watering my tomatoes in shorty pajamas and pink furry boots, I wonder if my neighbors’ security cam isn’t taping. They can replay it later for a good laugh over about 17 glasses of wine. Or that Google Earth will choose that moment to snapshot my backyard and I will be forever emblazoned on the internet half dressed and in my pink furry boots. With street lights and webcams, no such thoughts of jumping in the pool at night anymore "a la Benjamin Frankli
n." And what of secret first kisses between teens in the darkness of the back porch? The whispered promises, the shrouded innuendoes of unrequited teen lust? Are today’s teens to never know those stolen moments because dad is monitoring the porch with video and enhanced audio too? Does Dad really want to watch that? Shame on you, you twisted Dad!
We seem to be more interested in what we are able to do, rather than what is right to do. Undoubtedly modern technology can give us great strides with security to our more scary and modern society. But to return to the wisdom of that apparel avoiding Mr Franklin, who was so instrumental in building the wonderful world that we are all blessed to be a part.
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both."
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