Why police body cameras are a bad idea.

Howard Dean, in an enthusiastic moment, rallying supporters in his bid for the White House.

Why are police body cameras a bad idea?

1. Technology doesn't always tell the truth any better than people. Remember the "Dean scream"?
2. Cameras lead us to think that we should be able to see the future as easily as we capture the past.
3. You and I aren't ready to know how brutal police work can be, or separate our emotion from our reason after seeing a human being wrestled or pummeled or shot (black, blue, or otherwise).
4. It dilutes the trust we must have in those that govern and protect. Please note: I DON'T mean those people are trustworthy. I mean only that some dependence on authority, even a corrupt one, is necessary for civil order.

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Former presidential candidate Howard Dean pretty much lost his place in the running when he became a little too exuberant with a microphone in his hand. Those that were there said they didn't hear anything unusual, but the microphone told a different story on TV and he became the fodder for jokes and a national laughing stock.

(And I liked him a lot, I think he'd have made a fine president.)

The Dean Scream (just the scream):

The Dean Scream in Context:

Oh, and Happy New Year :-)

[2014-12-29]

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