JADED? Need to REBOOT?

Social Commentary by
Harry Langdon
Saturday, September 5, 2015

Our minds work very closely akin to a computer, or a computer works very similar to a human mind. When my computer gets on overload and 'confused', I call my Tech support and they will often say "reboot". I hesitate to do this action since a great deal of unsaved information gets deleted; but it is an extremely healthy action to take for our computer’s extended health and longevity.

The news today has been a threat to our senses and hopefully our healthy minds. The gruesome taped shooting of two innocent news people. With his own camera on the air. Beheadings, another school shooting, is now ho-hum. Police shootings, both of them, and the perpetrators, have become a matter of normal life. How much farther can it go?

I believe becoming jaded to adversity and injustice is dangerous. When I was a kid, it was shocking to hear of a Rape. Perhaps only once a month we would see newspaper headlines about this crime. Let alone a murder. What has happened? Is sex and mayhem so titillating that we have become fixated on it?

Forgive my sounding old fashioned but, back then there was something called the Johnson office, they were in charge of censoring obscene footage in the movies. Today? Give me a break, did we try to watch the MTV/VMA’s show with our children in the room? You have to be very jaded in order to witness all that in our living rooms no less.

We know it is all about getting better ratings. The video games are numbing kids minds to violence, it is closely becoming akin to winning the game. Scary stuff.

I know, I know, it is freedom of speech etc. but my concern is that if we humans don’t begin to be more conscious of how minds are being bombarded with these images, becoming numbed to violence… this is not normal behavior. And we wonder what has happened to our children.

Our parents and teachers today, plus the police, have given up trying to guide the children right from wrong. I think it is because the adults aren’t sure anymore between the two. Lawyers have become so clever that with enough money, a criminal can get away with etc., etc., anything.

Working as a photographer, I monitor what decisions are being made on a shoot about how ‘Far to Go ‘when it comes to sensuality. Both by me and my client. I have had to forfeit being chosen to do shoots that could be considered ‘Over the top‘ sexy. I believe taking the High Road is by far the best choice, even if it means losing lucrative shoots that are blatantly sensual. At least I can sleep at night. I wish many in the creative community that have tremendous influence, would begin taking the high road.

We have all had to reboot at times when confused and disoriented, too many errors. Just like my computer. It is the most drastic solution. So I monitor very carefully what information I install in the mind of my computer, so I, nor 'Tech Support' will be forced to do the dreaded reboot.

~ Harry Langdon

Los Angeles, CA

Sept. 5, 2015