Staff Editorial

Editorial Cartoon

Steve Forsberg

For reasons that I've never entirely understood, quite a few parents have gotten into the habit of videotaping the births of their children. It appears, however, that this practice might be on the way out. The reason? Lawsuits, of course.

As recently reported, several hospitals have lost big money lawsuits when substandard care was caught on the videotapes of prospective parents. The response has been a growing number of hospitals forbidding the videotaping of births.

If the hospital does its job, then the videotape is simply evidence of the fact. The hospital is only in trouble when the videotape shows people screwing up. Banning the cameras just makes you wonder what these folks are covering up. After all, if substandard health care is being given shouldn't the hospital want to hear about it? And shouldn't it be happy that there is solid documentary evidence?

Doctors, like most self-anointed "professionals" these days, like to brag about the high standards of their professions. But go ahead and try to systematically document their performances and they squeal like proverbial pigs. The police are a fine example. After all, they seem to like being on Cops.

The next time you see the police talking to someone, try it! Unless you've got "Channel X News" plastered on your gear, you are likely to get a less than polite bit of police attention.

The same holds true in police interrogations. There is no reason that every exchange with a defendant shouldn't be tape recorded, but most of them are not. Why? Because the police are afraid of getting in trouble for questionable tactics. Only after the threats and intimidation does the recorder come out (if at all).

Some professors are very much opposed to people recording their lectures. They claim that they do everything by the book and have nothing to hide. In theory, their opposition has to do with copyrights and such; in reality, many are just afraid that some offhand comment or factual gaffe will end up on the news.

Why are these folks so afraid? After all, people working in "lesser" jobs are having to get used to living under the camera. At most retail stores the only person not under camera surveillance is the manager. Yet, who is in the best position to break the law? Why is it that the top brass never seem to want to come under the exposure that the little people do?

One reason that video surveillance is becoming so prevalent in our society is the fact that most people in positions of power think that they will be exempt from surveillance. The doctors, professors, lawyers, and congressmen of the world should understand that once the principle of surveillance is accepted, it will only be a matter of time until they, too, are under the eye of Big Brother.