The more things change....the more they stay the same.

[Rube Burrows]

I got this from another forum and thought it was interesting.

The local newspaper ran a piece yesterday about "sexting," mostly about how young teens seem to be taking nudes of themselves with their cell phones and sending the images to friends. And then, those friends passing them on, sometimes then running afoul of the law and being arrested for distributing  child porn.  

What has this to do with the War To Quash Southern Independence, you may well ask?  Well, it seems as if the problme is not a new one, note the date:

Tuscaloosa Independent Monitor, Saturday, Feb. 18, 1860, page 1, col. 5 --

GIRLS, DON'T DO IT – There is a practice, quite prevalent among young ladies of the present day, which we are old fashioned enough to consider improper. We allude to their giving daguerreotypes of themselves to young men who are merely acquaintances. We consider it indelicate in the highest degree. We are astonished that any young girl should hold herself as cheap as this. With an accepted lover it is of course all right. Even in this case the likeness should be returned if the engagement should by any misunderstanding cease. If this little paragraph should meet the eye of any young girl about to give her daguerreotype to a gentleman acquaintance, let her know that the remarks made by young men when together, concerning what is perhaps on her part but a piece of ignorance or imprudence, would if she heard them, cause her cheeks to crimson with shame and anger. "Were it a sister of ours," we have often said, with a flashing eye – were it a sister of ours! But that not being the case, we give this advice to anybody's sister who needs it, with our best bow, and most anxious desire that she should at all times preserve her dignity and self-respect.

Shameful!

[Trailrider]

Here in Colorado they just passed a new law to ban texting (NOT just SEXting) by teenagers while driving!  First arrest of a teenage boy was made yesterday!  Now, I think texting or any other such activity while driving isn't very smart! But I wonder if any youngster was ever arrested for riding horseback while reading, writing, etc. (assuming they could do either)?  IIRC Abe Lincoln would read a book while riding the law circuit in Illinois. 

On the other hand, a writer once said (I'm, again, paraphrasing), "Young people today are going to the dogs! They are irresponsible, disrespect their elders and teachers, and pay little attention to their studies!"  IIRC that was Plato, about two millenia ago!

You know the most terrifying thing about all this?  Most of these kids (sadly, not all!) grow up to be...(gasp) adults! Worse! Some even get to be politicians and get elected to high office!

Ride easy, but stay alert!

[S. Quentin Quale, Esq.]

A while back the Mythbusters did a sequence where they compared talking and driving to driving while almost legally drunk.  It was actually more dangerous to those around you to be distracted on the phone vice just have a couple of stiff shots.  I shudder to think of what the result of texting vs. drinking might be.

I'm not a believer in government intrusion into my personal affairs.  Neither am I a fan of getting T-boned, rear ended, or flattened by a texting driver, either.  That, too, is an intrusion into my personal affairs.  So given the risk I think I'll have to accept limitations on texting and driving.  

I visited the Naval Air Museum at NAS Pensacola over New Years.  There's a big sign on the gate that says NO CELL PHONE USAGE ON BASE EVEN WITH HANDS FREE DEVICES.  Or words to that effect.  If the device puts something in your ear it's out.  But you can use ONSTAR (or, I presume, any other device that does not impair your hearing).

If somebody wants to read and ride I don't see a problem.  They are assuming a personal risk, but not commanding a couple of tons of steel moving at highway speeds.  I think Honest Abe would likely have limited himself to books on tape if he were driving an SUV.  Or even a Prius.  

SQQ

[Captain Lee Bishop]

I question the historical accuracy of the newspaper article from 1860.
Photogrsaphy was in it's infancy at the time and photos were expensive and time consuming. I refuse to believe that young girls were having studio nudes taken of themselves in the south in any numbers. A woman of that era would have needed someone to pay for the photo and deal with the reputation that would have come from it. Nope, can't see that happening all that much...

[Skeeter Lewis]

Hey Lee, I don't think those were nudie daguerrotypes. I'm sure those gals were covered from neck to ankle. That's what makes it amusing.

[Pitspitr]

But I wonder if any youngster was ever arrested for riding horseback while reading, writing, etc. (assuming they could do either)?  IIRC Abe Lincoln would read a book while riding the law circuit in Illinois. 

Biggest difference there is that you could get roaring drunk, fall asleep or lost in a blizzard and the horse would still get you home safely. a car can't do that.