YouTube – Broadcast Yourself And Broadcast People Treatin’ You Bad

Has a new Bush risen up to move us towards being a kinder, gentler nation? By now, we’ve all heard about Eric Bush and his brush with the Baltimore police officer. Maybe the slogan should be, “YouTube – Broadcast Yourself… And Broadcast People Treatin’ You Bad”.

This post does not intend to ponder the over-the-top reaction of the officer (but come on, the guy needs some anger management classes!) nor is it my intention to comment on the inability of a teenager to speak up for himself beyond a muttered, “Dude.” What I want us all to see is how the threat of becoming a public freak show is bound to dramatically improve our behavior as a nation!

Had the officer known his actions would be indelibly etched in the minds of his co-workers, old high school friends and potential new employers, I think he might have censored his own behavior, don’t you? I know that I, for one, will now be on the lookout for a cell phone video camera aimed in my direction. Gone are the days of wild abandon, when I could bark at the drive-thru attendant who can’t enunciate. And I think it is safe to say that, if I plan to dislodge someone from their wheelchair, I’ll be certain to first check the room for cameras.

A new day has dawned for all of us and you can forget about telling “your side of the story” with any credibility. Online video now paints the picture that speaks 40,000 YouTube hits in a day. From now on I will conduct myself with the utmost decorum at all times. God forbid I should be enjoying a nice hamburger in my own home (sorry to hassle the Hof again) and my own child tapes it for the world to see.

Thanks, YouTube! You’ve done us all a service!