Protecting From Self

It amazes me as to what some people post on their social media sites, everything from profane laced hate speech to nude photos of themselves to pictures or comments about how much they love to abuse drugs or alcohol. I suppose they live in such a fantasy world of electronic communications that they don't think the real world can see what they post.  How can stupid people be protected from their stupidity so they don't post something that an employer, for example, could see and use to not hire or fire the idiot who is vomiting in his Face book "I got drunk last night" picture?

In my former state of Louisiana there is a state legislator who thinks he has a way to do it.  State Representative Ted James, the champ of idiots or something like that, wants to protect students and workers from schools and bosses that are checking those social media web sites to see what their students or employees do in their free time.  His proposed bill would prohibit an employer or a school from asking for a person's log-in and password information for their personal email or social media page. He also says that it would prevent an employer from firing someone if they don't give up that information. This would not apply to computers issued by the school or electronic devices owned by the employer and used by the employee.

Whether the law forbids a company or school from demanding a student or employee reveal his or her social media postings is up for debate. Though it is a private expression, it is posted on a public medium (the internet), and employers do have various rights that already involve their employees personal behaviors. I sort of suspect most of those who behave irresponsibly in their private lives probably will do the same at school or work and will be found out anyway. So maybe the bill is un necessary.

James says he doesn't think it's your boss's business to know what's going on with your personal life and information or pictures you choose to share with your friends and family online. "I want employees and students to feel free to have whatever discussions they want to have on their personal devices and in their personal accounts."  Hmmmm I would love to see what James posts on his own private social media sites. 

Some people who have committed serious crimes like murder have posted (bragged) about it on Face book. This would either indicate they are unaware of the difference between the real world and the make believe or that they are just plain stupid. Anyway, if his bill passes James might get a lot of the stupid vote when he runs for re election. I wonder if he will post that he is the champion of the dumb