Most have recently learned of the scandal involving Jesse Jackson’s remarks about Barack Obama. He was caught on camera before an interview with Fox News saying that he hates how Obama “talks down to black people” about faith based programs, later indicating a desire to “cut his n**s off.”
While these comments definitely lead to some indication on how Obama’s campaign is affecting various communities, I found the most troubling part of this who scenario not the words that came from Jesse Jackson’s mouth, but rather the fact that he thought he was saying something in private when his words were broadcast for the nation to hear.
It has become a frequent occurrence for a celebrity or politician to mutter something non PC under their breath and later realize a recording of that whispered statement has been painted all over the news media and the internet.
While it is entertaining to view a person, such as a politician, who seemingly meticulously calculates each word that comes out of their mouth caught off guard, revealing the part of themselves that is not written by speech writers or publicists. It is refreshing to see their honesty, whether we like what they say or not. Still, there is something troubling about this trend.
There is something about these recurring scenarios that are somewhat reminiscent of Big Brother from George Orwell’s 1984. We must always be careful of what we say: Big Brother is watching.
It seems that sites such at YouTube have brought us more timely news clips, often seconds after the events have occurred, however, these sites have also diminished our rights and privileges to privacy.
As this new era of technological rule sweeps in, must we all be careful of what we say when we think we’re speaking in private? Should we censor ourselves when speaking in our own homes, to our mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, and friends? Must everything but our own thoughts be filtered to keep PC so as to not end up on YouTube for the world to be offended by our words?
Time will tell.
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