The right to privacy is a constitutionally protected human right.
It is a right that cannot be abrogated except by a warrant.
Public service does not create a warrant to invade another human being's privacy.
The only "legitimate" reason to even want to try to invade a public servants privacy, is an interest in determining whether or not, based on their private lives, public servants are worthy of our trust.
If their public lives were not secret; if there were honest transparency in public service; trustworthiness would not play; it would make no difference.
Accountability is 100% fatal to corruption and incompetence.
If there were accountability there would be no need to trust.
Trustworthiness is a distant second place to accountability
in holding public servants to any standard of conduct or competence.
We have no legitimate interest in even one second of a public servants private life.
We have every interest, and every right to know about,
every single second of their public service.
The very worst thing that any public servant can do,
is anything that they do in secret.
Shine the light of day into their offices;
not into their bedrooms.
Submitted in the hope of a vigorous, yet courteous, debate.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Should public servants have private lives?
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7 comments:
I pretty much gave up my drinking and partying days when I became a teacher 8 years ago.
I wasn't forced to, or made a professional agreement, or such.
I did however feel that if I got popped w/ a DWI, or a jilted 1-night stand spots me at the school, or underage party students see me acting crazy and drunk in a bar, is hypocritical and poor role modeling, considerinf that we teach and preach against things like this.
For the same reason, I wouldn't be making out with another teacher in my classroom, or in the teacher's lounge, even after school.
There's nothing to stop me except self-respect, respect for my position, respect of the kids, which means a lot to me.
When some people choose certain positions in life, especially high profile jobs where you come into contact w/ a lot of people, especially children, there should be some self-policing that sets in.
And putting all tact aside, who wants a "slut" or a sloppy drunk for a teacher? Who wants a teacher in their classroom that brings personal drama to the class on a regular basis? Do we want teacher's talking about their personal experiences that are adult topics commonly in the classroom?
Right or wrong, there is an expectation that alll school personnell follow the law and basic codes of morality.
We ask the students to do it, the teachers usually do it, local admin often do it, then it decays on up. Many of the superintendents of APS are some of the WORST models of debauchery and immorality.
Should public servants have private lives? Yes, but there are assumed risks/consequences should you be a person that wants to be a non-law abiding person. If you get caught, and found guilty, take it like a man or woman, and don't use loopholes to hang on! Because then you are a truly proven WEASEL!
Again, I bring up the "oops" I took visine from the local pharmacy but I didn't mean to. Not even in my teens did I dare do something like that... and he's one of our ass superintendents. What a joke!
Someone asked me a few weeks ago if an unwed mom-to-be should be teaching, because on the easy coast, sometimes unwed preganat woman are fired for "moral terpetude"(or something like that)
Is she a good role model in this instance? Probably not.
Bu then again, we are so quick to judge, and there are privacy issues with some "moral crimes". In this case, maybe the man died, or abandoned her after promising to marry her. In this case, we fire the girl, and the baby has no viable support. That, I think, is the worst crime.
But stealing, rape, murder, sexual molestation, child porn chartes...where do we draw the line?
I think the "line" in APS is more actually based on who you know.
Remeber about 2 years ago, the sub that liked fondling little girls feet and photographing them in the elementary school bathroom? He wasn't even fired the 1st offense...just told not to come back to that APS Elementary school. He got caught in the other school w/ the camera in the girls room. He actually confessed easily to getting "hot" by touching little girls.
Where was Tom Savage? Where was Gil Lovato? where was the big blonde supe? No of them suffered for their mishaps in this.
Sometimes moiral crimes have to absolutely be dealt with harshly, but I agree.. we need to stay out of people's bedrooms.
where do we draw the line?
I think the "line" in APS is more actually based on who you know.
YOU GOT THAT RIGHT!!!!
It is interesting that when Robert Lucero wanted to fire Michael Vigil over his aggravated drunk driving arrest, it was all about role modeling.
And now, when you ask Robert Lucero why he will not hold himself accountable as a role model, he stonewalls the question.
You're right, I remember that! Same with the Brad Allison fiasco. Of course Lucero is such a little turd, he has to stick his head out every once in a while to see which way the wind is blowing! (or if the TV Cameras are rolling)
I agree with staying out of people's bedrooms who are employees, as long as they keep their sex lives separate from work.
There is very little expectation of privacy at schools for many a reason. One of them - mature men and women in positions of authority, over children who rely on them for passing to the next grade, who sometimes worship them as demi-Gods. Have childish crushes on them. The teachers hold power over the children; the schoolmasters must be ethical and strong and there must be oversight.
If not? From personal experience in 17 years of school police, safety, security and risk work in two states, what happens is lots of sex with underage kids by teachers who were supposed to be PROTECTING and TEACHING them, not screwing them.
I also agree with the non-fraternization, non-personal life drama rule, whoever came up with that one, that is perfect. I wish I had not spoken about my childhood weed use to kids sometimes, I was trying to make them see it was possible to outgrow it, to pass drug tests and not smoke weed for years at a time even if they did it every day all summer. I think it just made them think it was ok to toke, though.
In the same way, perhaps when teachers kiss in the parking lot or whatever, that sends the wrong message too, even though, two consenting adults on the time before school starts, at lunch or after school? I am not sure, but I think it would be a good start.
I supervised lots of female subordinates, never dated or had quid pro quo sex with any of them, I'll take a lie detector. It can be done. When I was a young school cop I got hit on a few times by little Eagles, and I resisted. I got hit on by Ravens and Monarchs, and I resisted.
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