RECAP
The case:
A mother is dragged to court by 16yr old daughter because she wasn’t allowed to access the internet.
Session so far:
The prosecution has placed its case in front of the court, and now it is the defense’s turn. Who will win?
Courtroom reporter
JN: Now I ask the defense to open its case.
A: Thank you, your honor. We have already established that it is not paranoia that hold Sazna. I like to believe that all parents know deep inside that the internet is like a monster which baits young people and engulfs them all. Simple facts of the world are that there are more internet addicts that there are alcoholics and narcotic addicts put together. Movie piracy, drug trafficking, even terrorists function via the internet nowadays. Internet has opened up a whole new dimension of crime that engulfs the entire virtual world. Hence it is absolutely natural for any parent to worry about their children’s lives in this virtual world. Because they are children, and they lack the sense or the maturity to take appropriate precaution. If a young child wants to play with fire, it is absolutely the Parents’ responsibility to force the child away from the fire.
I would like to call forth my first witness: Rahma Maylord.
CC: The court calls upon Rahma Maylord to the witness stand and take the oaths of *insertreligioustextname*
A: Miss Maylord. Would you please introduce yourself to everyone here?
RM: My name is Rahma Maylord, and I am an escort at the city.
*gasps from the audience*
A: So, obviously this is not your original name?
RM: This is my true name. I use the name Pinky at work.
A: Could you tell us how you ended up at your present… occupation?
RM: Well, when I was in college, I had put up my details on a certain social networking site, including my photos and all. Some people somehow extracted all of it from the site, grafted my face to the bodies of heroines in a few adult movies, which then did the rounds on campus. I was thrown out of home, and rusticated from college, and well… I had to join the one place that would still not throw me out. That’s how I ended up here.
A: But you could have sued the website in question, cyber police does exist?
RM: Even a lawsuit requires money, and I had none. By the time I started earning some money in my present profession, there was no case left as I had joined the place I was accused to be at originally.
A: Today do you have any regrets?
RM: Joining that networking site might have been my biggest fault. I have always regretted doing that.
A: Thank you Rahma. Your witness, Nicholas.
N: Call me Nick, please. *turns to witness* Ah so Steffy, do you recognize me?
RM: No. Not very much.
N: So tell me, why did you respond when I called you Steffy?
RM: *alarmed* Oh, well… umm… that’s because…
N: Because you lied on oath? Your work name is Steffy, not Pinky.
RM: No that is not true. Our names keep changing every week.
N: Alright. Because you are very truthful. So, this site page of yours… it provided all security options and all?
RM: I suppose they did.
N: Did you set your privacy on these options?
RM: Yes, I did.
N: Not lying again, are we, miss Rahma, is it?
RM: No I am telling you the truth. They stole my details despite all that.
N: Well, I am convinced. But do tell me. Do you know who grafted your face onto the video?
RM: No I don’t.
N: Well, cuz in the FIR that you drafted after the release of your video, you blamed your step father for it, I think. I have the copy right here, Miss Rahma. *passes one copy to the justice*
RM: I… umm…
N:*to the justice* Your honor, I request that the witness be treated as unreliable.
RM: Wait I can explain. Plus it doesn’t matter. whoever grafted my face into the video, the web page still ruined my life.
N: Actually, Miss, it does matter. If it truly was your stepfather who grafted your face, then he could have clicked pics while you were not noticing, hence putting the blame on a webpage and that too under oath is obstruction of justice, and you could be jailed.
A: Objection your honor, He’s conjecturing.
JN: Objection overruled. The witness will now get off the stand.
A: But… alright. *waits for the witness to go away* Now I would like to call Hash Hurnds onto the stand.
CC: The court calls upon Hash Hurnds to the witness stand and take the oaths of *insertreligioustextname*
HH: I am Hash, and I am a hacker with the city police.
A: Will you please explain what your job entails?
HH: I am a hacker. I design security sytems for the government, and if there is a cracker who tries to infiltrate a government site, it is my job to stop him.
A: So you are like a good guy hacker. you hack for the government?
HH: Sounds about right. *grins*
A: Would you comment upon the security systems employed by various social networking sites?
HH: Well they usually give a single level of security to the social networking sites, while we give three levels to the sites in the government. But I must admit that they don’t underperform. So yeah the security isn’t as good as the government sites, but they are pretty strong in themselves.
A: Would you be able to hack past all security on a given site and extract any amount of data required?
HH: Yes.
A: In how much time will you be able to beat the security system?
HH: Give me 7 minutes.
A: Thank you. *Turns to sit* your witness Nick.
N: So Hash, you are like this computer geek aren’t ya?
HH: I wouldn’t call myself a geek, but…
N: So tell me, who designs these security systems for these websites?
HH: Well, they employ hackers such as myself for the purposes.
N: So you design a security system which you can beat in 7 minutes?
HH: Well, that is what they paid us for.
N: So the damand defines how tight the security is to be?
HH: Yes, ofcourse. National data is higher up on the priority chain.
N: Hmm… What does the term backdoor mean to you?
HH: Its basically an opening which every programmer puts into his code so he can enter without detection to do repairs and upgradation.
N: Surely you don’t do that to national data? The government wouldn’t like to have a backdoor they do not know about.
HH: Oh, yes, but… what are you asking me?
N: Do programmers much like yourself put backdoors and all those loopholes that people fear into the sites you secure? Do you do it to the national government webpages or to simpler social networking webpages?
HH: *sweating* erm… no.
N: So there’s nothing to fear?
HH: No. Nothing at all. Can I go now?
N: Yes, you may. No more questions your honor.
*Both counsel meet midway and Annan says a few heated words to Nicholas. Nicholas simply laughs and pats Annan’s back*
JN: Counsels to the chair.
*Justice asks the counsels if there is a problem, Nicholas simply smiles, while Annan stutters a negation. Case resumes*
A: Your honor, this is the data regarding all the hacking attempts that have taken place on said social networking site *hands list to justice*
N: Objection your honor. None of these attempts have ever succeeded.
A: How long before one does, Nicholas? And fuck that. Even if one attempt had succeeded, do you think they would tell that out? Its bad for business you see.
JN: Mind your tongue counsel.
N: Call me Nick.
*sniggers in the audience*
A: What?
JN: What?
N: What?
*laughter in the audience*
JN: SILENCE IN THE CHAMBER.
*silence*
JN: continue, counsel.
A: Next I would like you to check out these articles which experts from world around have written on the issue of addiction to the social network sites and internet. Internet is a tool; a knife, which a teenager can use to cut his own wrist without realizing it. The truth of the matter is, that web pages need to be carefully monitored by the government before being released to the public.
N: Objection your honor, opposing counsel is igniting anti democratic views.
JN: Not that he meant it that way, but objection sustained. Counsel maintain control of the words you use lest they be misinterpreted.
A: I apologize your honor. These articles and reports should be enough for you to make your judgement, but I will still call the defendant to place her case before the chamber.
CC: The court calls upon Sazna to the witness stand and take the oaths of *insertreligioustextname*
A: Kindly speak your mind on the issue at hand.
S: I am Rezma’s mother and I have seen her grow from her birth. I have also seen the birth of the internet and its growth into what it is today. I have protected my daughter from diseases, street urchins, and vile animals. I have seen her grow from diapers to frocks to mini skirts. I love her. She is the only family I have, ever since my husband… *wipes tears* left us to meet the Almighty 13 years ago. If something happened to her, like to that whore girl, pardon my language, I would die. She says that it sets her apart from other children, but doesn’t it also protect her from all the negative things that the internet brings onto her?
Lets for a moment forget that there may be terrorists hidden in there. Lets take a normal case. What’s to say that she doesn’t meet a person online and starts liking him? What’s to guarantee he is a normal person and not a psychopath impersonating as someone else. Like the opposing counsel pointed out, a person can sign up using false information, and this could very well ruin her life. I ask you, on behalf of all parents, that is it not within our rights to protect our children from such a bad world for as long as we can?
*Audience parents start applauding. Tears glisten in Rezma’s eyes as she tries to speak, except Nicholas stands her down*
I love my daughter and that is why I accepted this trial. We parents do what we do for your sakes, cuz you are not mature enough to see all the repercussions of your actions.
A: Thank you, Sazna. Your witness Nicholas.
N: Its Nick, Annan. Beautiful tear jerker there, Sazna. But I wonder, are you mature enough to see all the repercussions of all your actions. No don’t bother answering, it was rhetorical. So, tell me. How many of your friends are present here in court today?
S: I can see about 13 of them right here, but I am sure many are following this trial on television.
N: How many of these, 13 you said, 13 parents not allow their children to access the world wide web?
S: I doubt any of them do?
N: So they must not love their children as much as you love Rezma, because clearly they are letting their children into danger.
*laughter in the audience*
JN: Silence.
N: Answer me, Sazna.
S: I do not suggest that they do not love their children enough. They have… different approaches to
the matter.
N: Care to share a few? For example, what does the lady in pink there do at her place?
S: She… well she monitors her kids’ activity.
*gasps from the crowd, woman in pink grows bright red*
N: Are you suggesting that certain parents spy on their kids?
S: Well, yes but… no… erm…
N: A concrete answer is what all the teens are expecting from you, ma’am… especially pink lady’s son there on the right.
*Pink lady’s son seems very angry and is glaring at his mother. His mother is making pleading signs at the witness*
S: No.
N: Anyone else is doing anything or is it only you who is trying to curb her child’s freedom?
S: I am not curbing my child’s freedom.
N: You are not letting her go online. I am pretty sure that conflicts somewhere with the fundamental rights of a person. I am not sure they let me wear this black robe for nothing.
S: What do you want me to say? I do it for her protection.
N: Your daughter is 16 now. This is the time when girls nationwide become pregnant. And you are protecting her from virtual terrorists?
S: I ---
N: No more questions your honor.
*Annan leads a shocked Sazna from the witness stand to her seat*
A: The defense rests, your honor.
JN: The counsel will now come forward for their closing speeches.
A: Your honor, the prosecution have made no effort to deny the fact that the internet is not safe. A person is very vulnerable on the net. He is faced by the lure of pornography that ruins young minds, and also identity theft which as in the case of one of the witnesses, ruins lives too. A person’s details on the internet can easily be stolen and misused; the advent of the internet has increased credit card fraud. Many online stalkers have jumped up and there are many a fake accounts of celebs setup to lure innocent fans.
People put up advertisements with false prices to make one believe in so much bull shit. One puts up a pic and it can be copy pasted to certain pages of adult content, making you look bad. A soft copy does not have a watermark signature, so it is possible to actually fake account details online. Any security set up can be actually overcome in a matter of minutes, making security in social networking nil.
Youngsters are of young blood, they will always want to run and jump about. They hardly think about where they will land, and it is a parent’s duty to protect them form hurting themselves, a duty, which my client has taken up sincerely. The opposing counsel have only managed to manipulate my witnesses to take a non committal stand, not exactly give up their stand on our side. I request humbly your honor, that while passing judgement, you think also as a parent, and pass what would be best for the future of this young generation.
*Annan walks back and takes his place on Sazna’s left. He puts his hamd on hers to keep her from shivering. There is pin drop silence in the chamber. Nicholas gets up and walks to the centre of the courtroom, buttoning up his coat, yet again*
N: I remember when I was a kid, BMW had brought into the market a new car. I was barely 14 or 15 when my dad bought it. I wanted to learn it, to drive it,, but my father kept telling me, “No son, there might be an accident, and these vehicles are new, not many know the road rules yet, so it is very dangerous”. I wanted to protest, to ask him a simple question: How does one learn to ride the cycle without falling? But no. I was a child, and he was the more knowing adult. So my face was stuffed with treats and I forgot the issue.
Today’s generation is much smarter than mine. Not dumb enough to quieted if given sweets. What is true for the car is true for the internet. Yes there are bad guys. I do not deny that. Yes there are dangers of the internet that leaves the user vulnerable in various ways as pointed out by the opposing counsel. But you walk into a train, there will be guys who will leer at a girl, make vulgar comments, some will even try to touch inappropriately. In my opinion they should be shot down, but that is not the world. That is not the law. At the same time, you cannot stop commuting too. So one makes a compromise. Or rather, takes precautions. No amount of precautions are fool proof, that too I accept. But one doesn’t avoid the problem just cuz he cant solve it permanently. Some things just don’t work that way.
We talked about paranoia. The truth is paranoia is not a social difference between fear. Paranoia is not when one fears more than others in the same society. It is when one starts believing that a certain problem has no solution and is convinced that it will be the end of the world, or his/her world, while the rest of the society sees a solution, or atleast a less dire situation. Sazna here is paranoid, while our honorable judge is just worried.
Everyone knows that the teenage generation is the rebel generation. You tell them not to do something, you actually force them into it. They will do it just cuz you said no to it. That is what Sazna here did to her daughter. One must realize that this is something similar to sex. One needs to be told about it, taught about it, not shunned away from the very knowledge of it. That is what all parents do. All except in this case. Some may monitor their kids work on the net, some may even black a few facilities in order to keep their kids safe. But in the end, it all falls down to trust.
Give your children some trust. You think you know everything, they are your children. They are not that dumb not to rationalize. Please trust them with information, and they will not break it. End of day, the truth is, you can lead a horse to the pond, but you can’t force it to drink the water.
*pin drop silence as Nicholas walks back and takes his place on the right of Rezma. Rezma looks at Sazna, and she looks back. There is some understanding, as though the problem has been solved mutually*
JN: Internet and social networking is a tool like a knife. A knife can be used by the doctor to save a person’s life, while it can also be used to kill a person by a murderer. Similarly the internet can be used for both good and bad. Neither of the two sides denied that the internet helps us. Neither could defense council prove that the dangers of internet outweigh the benefits it provides. The truth is, they do not outweigh the benefits. However, it is a medium that begs instruction. So I judge that the child be allowed to work on the internet, however be guided in the process so she knows what is right and what is wrong. For education is just a guiding process, it is not within our rights to decide what they do with that education. We can just hope that they move in the right path. Youth is our future, and our hope. I declare this case… closed!
Norah
“So what did she pay you for this case, Nick?” Norah asked as she hugged him outside the courtroom. “I am telling you I did not charge her a penny for the case. I am a man of service.” He said.
Just then the girl passed them, on her way to meet her mother. They seemed to have worked out their differences. She stopped, winked at Nick, and whispered into Norah’s ear, “He didn’t charge me, it was I that discharged him.”
The girl giggled and skipped to her mother, just as it started dawning on Norah.
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