John Hawkins, Mar. 25, 2014, Townhall
The only time most people hear the
word "shame" in any setting these days is when someone tells them,
"You don't have to be ashamed." Unfortunately, in a society full of
reality TV shows, overhyped marketing, and millions of people competing for
attention on the Internet, we could use more shame, not less. The fact of the
matter is that shame can be a very healthy emotion if you've done something
shameful. Shouldn't rapists feel shame? How about the Westboro Baptist Church
members who've protested at funerals? What if you stole a poor kid's lunch and
it was the only thing he had to eat that day? There are times when shame is
very appropriate.
Unfortunately, in an interconnected
world where every malcontent, misfit, and misanthrope on the planet can get
together via the Internet, there is no perversion, sickness, or cruelty that
human beings can do to each other that won't be heartily applauded in some dark
corner of the web. Over a decade ago talented liberal
humorist Zack Parsons (who would undoubtedly hate this column) wrote an
extraordinary piece about how the net helps encourage shameful
and weird behavior.
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