Big Brother, others are recording

Most Americans are familiar with the phrase of “Big Brother is Watching You,” made famous in George Orwell’s nova, “Nineteen Eighty-Four,” which was published in the late 1940s.

Orwell’s story reveals how a totalitarian state keeps an omnipresent hold on its people. People can go virtually nowhere without BIG BROTHER KNOWING.

Advance the time machine to the current years where modern, technological devices have made our culture an omniscient one where millions of people have tapped into that unlimited understanding or knowledge.

The current generation may have become more aware of how photographs, specifically video — revealed the beating of Rodney King at the hands of the L.A. police in the early 1990s. Since that time, the technology has advanced to where almost everything is videotaped or recorded and then replayed on the website either to the delight or chagrin of millions of viewers.

Face it … whether we like or or not, our actions, our words are subjected to recording and posting, many without our knowledge. Big Brother has been augmented by a minion of followers seeking those 15 minutes of fame, such as the teenager who recorded an incident on Friday between police and teenagers in Texas.

Previous incidents have put law enforcement on defensive, especially with situations in New York City, Baltimore and South Carolina, among other places. The same applies to students who have used their smartphones to record situations in the classroom that have proven to be embarrassing to both the teacher and school.

We are not making an indictment against law enforcement, public officials or educators who have been snared in these recording or photographs posted on Facebook. More than 95 percent of these people are honest, trustworthy individuals; yet, it’s the bad apples — 5 percent — who are causing angst for the rest.

In reality, though, we are living in a type of Orwellian society in which others — besides the government — can record the day-to-day activities of their fellow man.

Being more vigilant of one’s surroundings should be the first step. Treat every moment as if it will be on the 5 o’clock news, which, in some circumstances, it may very well be as in the case of the Texas police officer who pinned a teenage girl on the ground and also chased several others with his weapon drawn.

Just because previously recorded situations have occurred elsewhere doesn’t mean communities such as Fallon or Fernley or even Reno are immune to the new breed of video vigilantes.

This is a time when common sense should mean more now than ever before.

Editorials are the opinion of the LVN Editorial Board and appear on Wednesdays