Day in and day out you can find an article on the internet, read an article in the news paper, hear a story on the radio or see the visuals on the TV about distracted driving.
Police, government, safety associations and advocates all scream and rant and rave about the dangers of distracted driving. Yet, more than the media and citizen journalists write and talk about it, people do it.
Drive down the road or stand on a street corner and just watch the people talking, texting, reading and doing all sorts of crazy things while they are “driving”.
All the while, there are laws across North America that ban such activities. Why are people willing to sacrifice safety and ignore the laws in place here in Ontario? Simple…No fear of penalty.
In Ontario, this is $155…if you don’t kill or injure.
Consequences need to fit the breech.
Seriously? $155. Talk to many people in business like real estate or sales and a ticket for $155 bucks is nothing but a cost of doing business.
No wonder so many people ignore it. What if there was a REAL consequence for the action…
I’d be willing to bet then we would see a difference. Then people might actually take the law seriously.
Agree? Disagree? Let me know what you think. Share the post if you agree or disagree. Let’s get people talking about real change for road safety.
Sign the petition to get our government thinking.
#ChangeDWDpenaltyONT
Google search response for “sensationalism definition”
I read a recent blog post because of the title… “Police Brutality” The title alone is what grabbed my attention. Being a police officer I am always on the look out for stories that may damage the reputation of the police or to see what act is being described that way.
I was all ready to see a video of the police arresting someone, or using excessive force but instead, I saw a screen shot of an email. *sigh*
Police Brutality?? OK, the email was in all caps and bold so the officer was yelling. Brutality…uhm, no.
After a read of the article I was let down. This was purely a case of the writer using sensationalism to promote their story. Score one for the writer…it worked. I clicked, then I thought what a…never mind. (That might be more considered brutality if I say it).
Here’s a couple of things that we can take away from this.
Never think that what you say is private.
The email from the officer was probably sent to one person to send a message. That person was more than likely offended they got yelled at and in turn said, “I’ll show you.” Then voila, an email is shared with the world.
Keep your composure.
I have been right where that officer was sitting. Trying to collect information, get the facts, prepare a release and send it out. At the same time answering the phone and emails from people who want the information or have questions and can’t wait for the release. Patience and understanding is needed. Have I wanted to write that email? Oh yeah. Have I said those exact words to reporters? Yup…but often it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.
Take a closer look at the author’s credit on the post of Police Brutality…
From “mediaworksgroup.com” – Media’s Masters & Disasters
I question the integrity tag for no other reason than his choice of title compared to the content of the piece. I don’t know Mr.Bernheimer at all and I can only make my opinion based on this first impression, but I will do my diligence and learn more about him.
Is this police brutality? Sadly by pure definition it may be just that…’excessive force in regards to the situation’. In this case, “The officer used caps lock in an email.” Oooohhhhh, for shame!!!
A final thought…facts. Get them before you judge. The writer said in his opening, “It’s a three-line email written, apparently, by a spokesman for the Chief of Police in New Haven, CT. It also may be the work of a hacker or a police department prankster who hijacked the public information officer’s email account.”
“Apparently“, “may be“, “or“…are not the words you want to use when accusing someone of “police brutality”.
I would have loved this article purely as a teaching note for police media relations officers and public information officers if the title was more accurate. Something like;
Apparently Police flack…may be a hack?
May be
Don’t yell in an interview, don’t yell in an email
Or
Your private email might become public by an offended person.
As the use of social media grows by organizations so do the number of people who contribute to the social space by those organizations. Corporations, not-for-profits, government and NGO’s are all putting more people into their social presence. The reasons vary, the motives are unique to the industry and the objectives are diverse.
The most common incentive to join the social space is really quite simple:
“To connect with our community on a greater scale.”
That’s the easy part. Open an account and post, tweet, upload, check-in and talk till your little hearts content! Oh, and while doing so, make sure you stay in line with the Corporate or Management vision, objectives, goals and acceptable use. That is of course there is one and that someone is actually watching for that to occur. You know, monitoring and measuring…you do that right?
Every single action in the social space from a corporate level has to have some sort of goal oriented objective…if it doesn’t, then the natural question must be asked; “Why are you doing it?”
Your social users might answer with, “I’m letting our follows know that I’m just a person…just like them!”
Your social managers might answer with, “Every interaction with the public raises awareness about our program and offers the community an opportunity to interact.”
Your community manager might answer with, “We provide direction and guidance, but in the end our account holders their own entity and given the freedom to be professional yet relatable.”
The CFO will say, “Garbage. They are a hard cost that appears to be doing nothing more than playing around and wasting money.”
The CAO will say, “Let them do that twittering and faceposting on their own time. We are paying them, they will do what their job description is.”
The Chief will say, “How in the world does what the officer had for lunch impact the safety and security of the community one bit? What has that officer done to promote the Service priorities, goals, objectives. How has the officer changed behaviour or influenced attitudes at all?”
Very honest and understandable questions Chief. I suppose if the officer knows what they are doing, they will be able to explain how it has all worked to exactly that end. If the social manager has any clue, the question would never get to the officer since the manager would know how to answer it. But like many, they will have no idea and in today’s day and age…you can’t justify it??? It’s got to go.
It doesn’t take very long to look at “official” police officer pages, profiles, accounts and find a few, that other than their picture and bio, you would have no idea that they are an officer since NOTHING has anything to do with their job or their profession.
It’s not nearly enough to open up social and think you can be just like everyone else. You can’t just talk like everyone else. You can’t like the same things. You can’t share the same information. You join the same groups. This just isn’t for police, but for fire personnel, EMS, emergency workers of all kinds…
You are different. You are held to a higher standard and you are judged differently. And with very good reason. You do what very few are willing, able or inclined to do and with that comes the added responsibility of actually making a difference and living above what other’s expect or are willing to do.
Don’t just BE social. Build relationships.
Don’t just DO social. Make a difference in someone’s life.
Don’t just share fluff. Offer information that is great. That influences behaviour. That secures your community. That protects your citizens….that makes a difference.
“What you say doesn’t matter…” Pardon me, but I’m sorry, what you say is the most important thing there is. What you say defines so much of you. What you say either supports or crushes what you stand for, what you live for and who you are.
Social Media Week is in full swing and while I was watching a stream this tweet caught my eye:
(ID and RT’s have been edited out)
BS! With a capital B!!
What you say is almost everything. Can you imagine our police agencies living by this credo? Teachers? The Clergy? Doctors? I can’t think of any profession that wouldn’t be seriously hampered by this type of thinking. How about the sales team for a Fortune 500 Company? Maybe the marketing team for a research firm.
What you say matters very much.
Now, I know a tweet taken out of the context of a talk in front of a live audience can be misinterpreted so before jumping to conclusions, I said online that I disagreed with the statement. As I thought, it wasn’t exactly as the tweet meant. The answer was:
(ID and other’s edited out)
That’s so much better…so if you say something dumb in a bar it’s ok because that will never get back to anyone. Or, if some troll decides to start beating you up online then that is way more important than what you say, because what you say is less important that where and by who it is said.
I’m sorry, but my belief is: “Now in #marketing – what you say is of prime importance. If what you say and what you do are out of alignment, then your credibility is open to be called into question by everyone, everywhere.”
Another week, another social networking platform that we need to talk about. We, being parents and those who look out for safety issues that can cause them harm.
Introducing…
Smart phone danger app
For the last couple of days I have been reading about Tinder and playing with it on my phone so I could give you an honest idea what this is all about.
Simple…you download it, login through your Facebook account and using the GPS for your device, Tinder searches for other users near you based on the information from your device and your Facebook account.
Then, Tinder shows you all the people near you that are also using what has been described as the “One Night Stand App*”. Scary thing number 1.
Now the fun begins. You can scroll through the people who Tinder has feeds you with and start trolling scrolling through. Scary thing number 2.
All of a sudden you spot him or her and think…YES, I like! You also get to see any friends you share and interests you have in common! This sounds like love at first sight heaven!!
So you touch the heart and you have just shown you like your fellow Tinderer. (I don’t know if it’s a word, but since I said it, must be.) That person will now get the virtual wink and will have the choice of ‘♥’ing them back or X’ing them out. If it’s a match then you can start to use the chat platform built into the application. Awe…it’s a match made in cyber simplicity.
Don’t worry about hurting someone’s feelings. If you send an X the person doesn’t know. It’s a platform built on positive affirmation, not nastiness.
Here are scary things number 3 through 3000.
What stops someone from creating a fake Facebook profile and pretending to be a 17-year-old boy when in reality they are a 45-year-old man who is on a registered sex offender registry and is looking for young girls to victimize.
What if the Facebook profile smells good, looks good, sounds good but the person is a serial rapist?
Maybe that 40 something divorcee that seems like the perfect human is actually a bunny boiler that will NEVER let you go?
What can you tell about someone from an app that is nothing more that a superficial popularity contest based on pictures?
Beware of the 3 P’s: Pedophiles, predators and perverts.
Parents, if you see your kids have installed this app, PLEASE take the time to talk to them about Internet safety and information over-share problems. This brings up another point…Facebook. Take a look at your Facebook settings to see what you allow Facebook to share with third-party apps.
Will this App be hot? Yes, no doubt. Like all of the greatest platforms of late, it is based on visual stimulation first, information second, a distant second.
I will admit…while not being addictive, I found myself scrolling through the pictures and having a laugh or giggle at some of the people I was shown. I guess I live in a bit of a sheltered world…people actually post pictures of themselves like that??? I guess so.
Oh…I also see this as being a great platform for the escort and “personal services” industries.
♥ ‘ya later!
Kudos to the Canadian Province of Nova Scotia for introducing legislation to attack cyber bullying. That is a very noble and much-needed law to help protect the vulnerable and the abused. I applaud the attempt but, I also have real concerns with the legislation, the least of which, this is a Provincial piece of legislation, not a Federal one.
Really, is it so hard?
Given the number of suicides, injuries and serious life impacts that have occurred because of this issue, perhaps a real effort needs to be made to help protect.
I see failures in law start when an interpretation of a broad nature has to be applied. In this case, who is to say what cyber bullying is? According the legislation, the definition is:
“…typically repeated or with continuing effect, that is intended or ought reasonably be expected to cause fear, intimidation, humiliation, distress or other damage or harm to another person’s health, emotional well-being, self-esteem or reputation, and includes assisting or encouraging such communication in any way;”
The interpretation, in reality, is in the eye of the recipient. This is a huge problem in my opinion. I’ve been attacked on the Internet and in particular, social media. I’ve been called names, made fun of and been threatened. Cyber bullying? Not all of it. Some have been one offs, while others have been, as the legislation says, “…repeated or with continuing effect.”
Have I called the police or gone off about being bullied? No…but that’s just me. Thick skin or an understanding that sometimes little people are just little people, I let it go.
Other people? Well, let’s just say no and leave it at that.
I’ve seen many people called bullies for stating their opinion which was not at all bullying. I’ve seen people freak out because someone challenged something they said and references to trolls fly about as a result.
I can see many people running to the Nova Scotia Social Media Police with frivolous or vexatious complaints. And therein lies the next big problem. A 5 person team dedicated to the investigation of cyber bullying complaints. How much of their time will be spent looking at garbage complaints from people who can’t take criticism or comments while real issues get overlooked, ignored or missed?
That’s some of the bad…here is some of the good about this legislation.
Liability
I absolutely love this one. Parents…beware, you could be on the hook for your minors. This could be problematic for some parents…you may actually have to take an interest and active role in your children’s lives!
You see, if your minor is found to have committed offences against the legislation, you in essence are also committing the offence. The last thing you better say as a parent is, “I had no idea.”
School administrators, also on the hook. If a complaint is brought to you, you better be shown to do something other than give a lot of lip service and protection of the bully. You better be onside with the victim of the attacks and working hard to stop them.
Defence
HA! The complaint process is an ex parte move, meaning one-sided. From there a judge can order police to seize computers and electronics, companies to cut your Internet access, order you not to use the Internet and a few other choice orders.
And you have no defence in the first instance.
I can’t see any potential abuse of this process. No one would be willing to lie to a court to cause damage to another person…that’s never happened before, especially when it is a one-way street. Good grief!
Did the legislators consider the Constitution Act of 1982 when they drafted this legislation? Did they care to consult anyone about the meaning of Subsection 2(b):
freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication;
There truly is no free speech. You can’t say whatever you want without consequence. Hate Speech comes to mind.
This legislation is going to get its pants tested out more ways than you can think of when the Charter Applications begin. You see, a law of any kind just can’t super-seed the Charter. I know that and I didn’t even go to law school.
Like I said at the beginning…Kudos to Nova Scotia for bringing legislation to its people. Something that is needed, but needs way more attention to detail than one Province can provide.
Oh speaking of which…what happens if someone from Florida cyber bullies a restaurant in Nova Scotia with a nasty review of its catch of the day…is the law applicable?
Cyber Bullies often hide who they are, where they are and will go to many layers of insulation to do so. I don’t think the legislation defines how much power the investigators will have to tackle this part.
The worst part of this legislation? Can I now be considered a cyber bully in Nova Scotia for my views on it and this post?
I love this song. Frank Sinatra’s version of “My Way.” It’s not the music or the era, but the words within the song that have stood the test of time. That have inspired and given strength. Especially this verse;
For what is a man, what has he got? If not himself, then he has naught
To say the things he truly feels and not the words of one who kneels
The record shows I took the blows and did it my way!
Why am I talking about this? A funny thing happened over the last couple of days on social (Twitter in particular) that really got under my skin. It’s not the first time it’s happened and I know it won’t be the last. I got into debates with some people over the police. In particular my views on how great police are and their views that police are worthless, mindless, stupid and so on and on.
Trolls
I know the first rule of trolls; Don’t feed them. Well, I didn’t see them as Trolls because they actually seemed to look like they weren’t trying to incite reaction and wanted to talk. So I talked. I have learned that there are different levels of Trolls. These were the cute ones that you just wanted to shake around to see what their hair looked like at the end. Not the ones that just need to be ignored.
Doing Social Right
One of them was very displeased with me and told me that I need to learn how to do social media right. Well, in my opinion, social done right is how you want to do it and what works for you. I’ve done the politically correct thing making sure I didn’t offend anyone. I’ve gone down the middle of the road so as to not tip my hat and I’ve virtually smiled and nodded at people when I wanted to tell them what I’ve really thought of them. I’ve gone away from that since it really is kind of boring and does a huge disservice to those things that I do support and believe in. Now, I say it.
If you say the police are crooked and all need to be shot…then hell ya, I’m going to call you on it. If you put a blanket statement down, I will pick it up, fold it and put it away for you. If you tell me my opinion is wrong, you better expect I’m going to ask you to support your stance, because I am sure going to support mine.
If you are going to make accusations, you need to bring your A game and be accurate about what you say because I’ll be asking you to prove it. Don’t tell me I do social wrong just because I don’t do it the way you think it needs to be done….I do it my way.
Leadership
Here is my biggest pet peeve with what I have seen over the last several months in social. There are a lot of police agencies and officers using social. Every rank is represented and every size service has a voice. But, I am always left wondering who the real leaders are. I see a few here and there…but not many, and rarely are they who you might think they are.
The best leaders I have seen are most often the rank and file front line officers. The ones who call a spade a spade, challenge people and speak the truth.
Reputation
In North America crime rates have been decreasing overall for many years. More people are being arrested due in part to advances in technology and solid investigations. More intelligence led police work is being done to prevent crime and predictive policing is making strides to bring the crime event and police response awareness closer together.
Police are better, stronger, faster, smarter and more reflective of the communities they serve than ever before. Yet the communities support, respect and belief in policing continues to drop. That is a major disconnect.
PR
At some point in time someone has to climb on a soapbox and scream from the mountaintops how great the police are. At the same time, they have to absolutely denounce police officers who don’t cut the grade and commit crimes and breach the public trust.
That later part is tough because we do have due process to protect and everyone is innocent until proven guilty…hold on, it’s not tough…police do it all the time with the regular public.
When the public attacks the police and there is no response from them, what is the lasting thought? If someone says the police are corrupt and the police don’t challenge it, what are the public left to think? When a police agency gets called names and doesn’t challenge it, what does the public think?
I know the response some are thinking right now, “We take the high road and ignore comments that aren’t worth the time to respond.” One question…how’s that working for the perception people have about you?
My Way
I honestly believe that if you aren’t rustling someone’s feathers, then you probably aren’t adding much value anywhere. If we all think the same, act the same and do the same then where is the individuality that makes the world so awesome?
To those of you who stand up and let it be known that you believe in something, I applaud you. For those of you who hide in the bushes…well, you just stay there.
If you see something dumb being said about something you believe in and you don’t say something, then you really don’t believe in it.
Are there things that you just can’t say something about? I’m talking about places where there are legal implications? Sure there are. But to say, “No comment” is an automatic loss on your part. Take the time to explain why you can’t say something. At the very least, tell them the frigging truth…”I can’t comment on something that I know nothing about. I will wait for the facts and the evidence like all people should.”
My way? To quote one more verse from another song, “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.”
What’s your way?
I have copied here in it’s entirety because I just love this one. I hope you enjoy it as well, and my thanks to The Wise Guy for writing such an excellent post.
The other day, someone whom I adore made mention to someone else how, ‘they didn’t like cops’, because they get to do things the rest of us are not privileged to do only because they’re the law.
This common paradox within our society today intrigued me to the point of wanting to talk about it in a few insignificant and meaningless words.
You know, I think I have said the same thing only because one or two cops, in my entire life, have caused me grief whether it was a ticket, ( I obviously did not deserve ), or some smart ass reply directed my way when I interfered with their presumably mundane day. Shame on me for being so presumptuous.
Pretty petty now as I see it. Pretty petty of me.
After the Boston bombing and seeing the mountains of videos and photos of who was running toward their possible death and those running away, one photo in particular showing an officer, defensively positioned over a fallen elderly man, who was obviously in distress, and shielding him in a firm protective stance. This photo made me now become something of a different man. I asked myself, ‘Which way would I run?’
We all want to say, ‘Of course, the heroic way.’ But would we?
What if it meant your 10-year-old growing up without a Dad or Mom. What if it meant never to be able to say I love you to your wife, sister, brother, son, daughter, cousin, mom, dad, or even your dog? What if you had to decide all of this in a sliver of a moment?
Would you run toward the fear, the impending doom or decide easily to run away to protect only yourself? I’m not exactly sure anymore and if I was forced to say which way, I think and hope I would run toward the fear, not just because saying I would is the right thing to say.
Although there was not any fear involved, I have in my life, run to car accidents, I’ve run to dying men who have had heart attacks on the dance floor of their daughter’s weddings, I’ve run to an old man who was dying from being kicked by a horse, I’ve run to co-workers who were injured in the middle of the night but now at my age I ask myself, ‘Would I run away, run far away from the possible mortality if I had to decide?’
You see, I have a family, I have many friends, I have a wonderful grand baby and a very special daughter, daughter-in-law and son, I have the best wife any man could ever dream of in life. So I ask, would they really miss me? Would they after time had passed after I have passed, miss me?
I truly think they would and most importantly need to ask myself; do I want to put them through the horrific depression that is the sum for someone else who is left behind? Answering that question is not as hard as what a cop, a fireman, a utility lineman or all the first responders who act for us, do everyday. Answering the call is nothing more than being significant, being selfless and having an inner core human desire of wanting and needing to help.
Did you know, cops do it everyday?
Here’s a matter of fact. Did you know in December of 2012, remember this is near the Christmas holidays, a cop without a second thought in Boston again, threw himself over a railing and fell into the freezing waters of Boston Harbor to rescue a woman who had fallen into the channel by accident. Accident or not, who really cares, he knew she needed help now?
“I heard everybody screaming, She’s in the water, she’s in the water,” said Keith Young, a UPS delivery driver who witnessed the dramatic rescue, ”Then I saw the cop pull up. He jumped out, he ripped his jacket off, ran down the stairs, ripped off his duty belt and jumped into the water and went right to her. I’ll tell you what. The cop was a hero today. He didn’t think twice about it.”
Do you know what Officer Ed Norton said?
“My buddies are who helped.” He was speaking of his fellow cops and fire guys who weren’t even there yet when he jumped. The video shows us he had made the decision and was running toward the fear.
Are you jumping into the freezing, breath-stealing water or are you standing on the warm bank of the sideline and just watch?
Do you still not like cops?
Did you know that only breaths before he was fatally wounded in an unprovoked attack, a San Diego police officer performed one last act of kindness as he bought a child some needed food while buying his own dinner of fast food to get him through his night shift.
Officer Jeremy Henwood, 36, stopped at a McDonald’s around 5 o’clock on his day of significance on August 6th. Store surveillance video showed Henwood speaking with a small boy and buying his food shortly before leaving the store at 5:30.
Shortly after that, Henwood, I should call him by his first name, Jeremy, as that is who he was, was shot to death, point-blank with viciousness while sitting inside his patrol car at the corner of University Avenue and 45th Street. Jeremy had only made it six blocks from the McDonalds after enjoying a Big Mac or something from the fast food joint; it would be the last place he was seen alive, breathing, talking and being what we all want to be at least once in our life, significant.
Witnesses said an evil and cowardly man pulled up on his side of his cop car and shot him with a shotgun. Massive wounds from such a violent attack ended any chances for him to have a future with those who he loved.
Young Jeremy passed away at Scripps Mercy Hospital at exactly 1:42 a.m. on Aug. 7, because he was a cop. What were you doing at that exact moment in your life. I was probably not paying attention to anything and tucked in securely in my bed.
That’s it! I like cops.
Did you really know that the police officer who was wounded while chasing the Boston Marathon bombing suspects lost all of his own blood and, for 45 minutes, his own heartbeat, after being shot in the thigh. Hey what the hell you might say because Doctors believe he will make a full recovery. So what’s the big deal?
I’ll tell you what the big deal is. This Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Officer, named Richard Donohue Jr., 33, drove or ran toward the bombers and suffered a severed femoral vein during an exchange of fire with them. He has a six-month old boy. His boy doesn’t even know him yet. That’s a big deal!
Dic Donohue, was wounded early that Friday morning, when he raced to help MIT and Cambridge police as they chased the Boston Marathon bombing suspects to the corner of Dexter and Laurel streets in Watertown. No one knew whether Donohue knew then that his friend and MBTA academy classmate, Sean Collier, an MIT police officer, had been killed earlier, allegedly by the suspects he was now chasing.
A shoot-out ensued, during which a bullet ripped through Dic’s right thigh, hitting both branches of the femoral artery and the femoral vein. The gunshot drained his and his family’s life out of them, one cup at a time.
So easy it would have been for him to ease off the pedal and lose the crazy Russian terrorists and then go home. Would I have slowed down? I hope not.
A 2010 police academy graduation photo showing Sean Collier with his arm around Richard Donohue Jr. depicts a hopeful friendship.
How would they have known that the friendship would someday and forever be linked by a horrible tragedy. Sean was sitting by himself when he died. He might have been typing something on the laptop, or just texting family that he loved them. Boston police say the Tsarnaev brothers ambushed him while he responded to a disturbance on the MIT campus late Thursday, three days after the deadly carnage at the Boston Marathon. He was hit five or six times. His gun was still in the holster but earlier when it mattered, he went toward the danger.
Look closely at Sean’s eyes in this photo. What do you see? I see intense and overwhelming pride. I’d want him to run my way if I needed him. I’ll bet my entire life savings that he liked cops and he was only 26 years old. C’mon!
So now when you sit at home, in the warmth of your family life, with your loved ones around, or even by yourself, with your nice, secure and safe job or even an un-nice, insecure and unsafe job, as some of us have, think about this next time you’re here to kiss your children, your wife, your husband, your girlfriend, your boyfriend, your friend, or your mom and dad and be able to just reach down and pet your dog because today, you know you don’t have to decide, in a moment of life or death, which way to run?
Then as you’re lounging comfortably on your easy chair, close your tired eyes and think about this. Think about buying someone a Big Mac just for the fun of buying a tasty and filling Big Mac, for anyone who might be hungry, just like Officer Jeremy did. And if this also comes to mind, ’I don’t like cops.’
Then think again.
