Private Lessons

by digby

I’m a big believer in privacy as people can probably gather from the fact that I guard mine so zealously. It’s a matter of temperament as much as anything. But it has also been my experience that busy bodies, witch hunters and authoritarians always find good reasons for not minding their own business:

It all seemed darkly funny at first.

Eric Haskett was merely taking a nap in a car when he roused suspicion in a rural Frederick County neighborhood. A neighbor traced Haskett’s license plate to an address once used by a registered sex offender.

Then his girlfriend’s parents told him to scram; law enforcement officials, including three FBI agents, began investigating; and Haskett began fearing that the suspicions could cost him his job at a gag shop that sells such kid-friendly items as whoopie cushions.

“It blew me away that a federal agent was sticking a badge in my face. Three agents, dog — like I’m the ringleader!” said Haskett, 28, of Mount Airy.

After allaying the concerns of several law enforcement officials over the past few weeks, Haskett also asked them what he could do to clear his name.

“They said the best bet is to leave the area,” Haskett said.

Every night on the local news here in LA there’s another story of “pedophiles living in your neighborhood.” I’m not defending pedophiles living in your neighborhood, but it’s obvious that this culture is working itself up into another one of its periodic frenzies about satanism or crazed day care providers or whatever. These stories are hysterical. But then, it’s sweeps, isn’t it?

The blond teacher bumping and grinding in her web cast for the 14 year old kid was played over and over again, all with a narration of shocked priggishness (barely covering a lewd snicker.) Dateline is running this entrapment series where they get these creeps to show up to what they have been led online to believe was a 14 year old girl. They’re all scumbags, but the sanctimonious “journalist” pruriently going over every tittilating detail of the emails for their TV freakshow is no better.

And then the bored TV watchers get all worked up to the point where they report some poor schlub for taking a half hour nap in his car before he goes in to dinner and turn his life into a nightmare. With no regrets, I might add.

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