Before I start, I am pleased to say that I am going into the EE 316 final with an A-. Today, there are three things I would like to talk to you about. Some of you may have had a conversation with me about a few of these topics, but here it is for my records:
1. As I was surfing digg.com yesterday, I came across this video. Basically, someone gets caught shoplifting. It so happens that she is the 10,000th shoplifter. Instead of calling the cops, the store staff bust out the flowers, cake, and champagne; and congratulate her, presumably for the purpose of humiliating her right there. This video made me wonder what happened to the days of creative punishment and vigilance. For example, this kind of humiliation exploits the fact that we humans are egocentric and care about our own images in the eyes of other people. In theory, I believe that this could solve the problem of prison crowding. But of course, there are some laws that prevent that from happening. What a disappointment!
2. I’m quite sure that most of you have seen these TV shows where these cops are trying to shoot/chase/whatever someone down. In certain instances, several cops get shot in the process. Of course, the good guys win, but why do they call the people they apprehend “suspects?” All the “suspects’” acts are caught on tape — there is no doubt that they did something bad. Where can we draw this line between common sense and political correctness?
3. I would like to believe that engineering profession consists of those who innovate and earnestly want to make the world a better place to live in. Some innovations will cost us upfront in the form of the need for adaptation and a little bit of money. Ultimately, the payoff for those who adapt and embrace is great. We humans are blessed with the ability to adapt, yet some squander that gift by actively clinging on the old and attempting to quash the new by using the law and their current resources. Take, for example, FM radio. Compared to AM radio, it was technologically superior. Yet, RCA somehow convinced the FCC to assign it a band where it cannot thrive as well. As a result, the inventor committed suicide (reference: Wikipedia). So my question is: How much does bigotry cost us? Can we even place a price tag on it?
Give these things some thought…
