- “If you like me in this position you can tape it. on your video phone!”
Have you seen my porn video? You know, like that hot Beyonce song, “You want me naked? If you liking this position you can tape it. On your video phone“. Haven’t seen it? Well neither have I; but I’m so scared it’s out there.
Even before all this technology, men would find ways to expose who/what they were doing. Usually women would not appreciate a boastful or vengeful lover exposing them with stories, photos or video. But now for more women its, “Tape me on your video phone, I can handle you. Watch me on your video phone“.
Unfortunately, while the males end up on top, these females get the short end and find that maybe they can’t “handle it” as society comes down hard on them.
But cameras don’t shoot people. People shoot people. And before we salivate over the next video and gleefully forward it, we should turn the camera to take a good look at ourselves first. Are we really better than them? If we were we would show compassion like the Christ we claim to follow instead of passing harsh judgement before we know anything about the people involved.
Whether we use technology to walk on the moon or wallow in the filth of porn and violence depends not only on individuals and the society in which they function. Our single parent 3-11 tourism industry society is riddled with cross-cultural values.
If it takes a village to raise a child then in our Lucian village children are raised by violent lyrics in school buses, by Jerry Springer, soaps and music videos, by neighbours who ignore or insult them, by teachers who are frustrated, by aunts who abuse, by uncles who prey, by parents who leave them to the village because “money have to make”, by their peers who give all the time and (mis)information they need.
So instead of asking “Wat causing dat for you?” We decide these people are just nasty; let’s take the camera phones away so our children don’t see it and we’ll have one less porn to do a next on.
Instead of finding and treating the cause we eliminate a symptom.
Are we satisfied to just see no evil?
Shouldn’t we instead look to combat the multiplicity of negative influences that shape our children? Because arming your child with every caution will only be this effective against the arsenal of negative peer and adult pressure they face out there.
Sometimes we must mind other people’s business in order for ours to prosper. There must be laws restricting certain songs on public radio not just rules restricting them in our homes. We must ensure the law punishes those who provide alcohol to minors so children will not buy what you keep from them at home. We must call our elected representatives to demand stiff penalties not only for illegal guns and major drug dealing but for statutory rape, incest and spousal abuse as well, because those damaged people are the ones interacting with you, and your children.
Saint Lucia draw the line, and keep calling for it to be reinforced because if we continue to let the little things slide we won’t need YouTube or a videophone to see the consequences.
© Maria Fontenelle
Hot Bread n Butter 