A Catholic priest in Melbourne, Australia has resigned as Dean of St. Patrick’s Cathedral after a camera phone video — available on YouTube (see below) — shows him cursing and hurling racial epithets at kids who are skateboarding on church grounds, according to an article in The West Australian. (Warning: Very graphic language in the video and in the YouTube comments.)
This isn’t pleasant to watch. The priest, Monsignor Geoff Baron, and the skateboarders are cursing each other and the priest uses some racist language. Also, it looks as if Monsignor Baron and some skateboarders pushed each other.
Monsignor Baron “will now take a period of rest and refreshment for the remainder of 2007,” according to a Church spokesman. Although he resigned on his own accord, the article reports that after this video was posted on YouTube he was ordered to take an indefinite leave.
More difficult to be abusive in public
The point is camera phones are making it more difficult to be abusive in public, whether you’re a public figure or not. You never know when someone will have a camera phone recording your behavior.
Overall, this is a good thing. But we sacrifice privacy. And photos and videos certainly could be taken out of context.
Good riddance to bad rubbish!
Posted by: Cholo | Monday, August 27, 2007 at 02:55 AM