Beware of men with cameras

An Associated Press release has reported that Gordon Wayne Wright, age 57, is accused of distributing sexually explicit fliers that included images of his two ex-wives. Evansville, Ind., police arrested Wright and charged him with distributing obscene matter and invasion of privacy

Wright, who told police he was having a nervous breakdown, said he wanted to get back at one of the ex-wives whose picture appeared on the flier. He did not indicate why he included the photo of the other ex-wife. Wright, police say, distributed at least 1,000 of the fliers that depict the two nude women in sexually explicit poses.

Another man, who is responsible for the multi-million dollar business that distributes the “Girls Gone Wild” video series, is in trouble for allegedly including on the tapes underage women who, for whatever reason, chose to take their clothes off in public.

Then, of course, there are the recent accounts of high profile models, actresses, and beauty queens who have found their nude photos or films of explicit sexual acts released for public view. What were these women thinking?

Well, I think I can guess what they were thinking. With the exception of the women who drink too much and disrobe wherever they happen to be at the time, most of the other women probably think that they can trust their boyfriend or husband to keep the record of intimate moments private. Apparently, some of these women in the numerous news accounts were wrong.

With the advent of digital cameras and unfettered access to the Internet, a private moment with someone can easily be transformed into a global humiliation. It used to be that an irate boyfriend or estranged husband would slash tires or put sugar in the gas tank. Now, after the romantic ardor has cooled, these former lovers and spouses can forever shame and embarrass their partner for the remainder of their lives.

No woman, of course, ever believes that her man would ever stoop to such a dastardly deed. But, emotions that run hot and sensual can also turn cold and bitter, and it is not uncommon for intense love to be transformed into a seething hatred. And, once the photos hit the Internet, they belong to the world.

It’s hard to feel much sympathy for the bimbos who reveal themselves at Mardi Gras or show themselves at a beach or a bar. They may have regrets later but the sad truth is that these young ladies have no one to blame but themselves. Those, like the two ex-wives of the man in Indiana, who make themselves vulnerable to a man they trust with the most intimate moments of their lives, are another matter.

The reasons that a man would shame and dishonor a woman in this way are all sick and pathetic. These men are abusers just as surely as if they had beaten the trusting women with a steel rod — except the wounds, scars and damage done is for life.

So, my old-fashion advice to the women of this high-tech age is simply this — keep your clothes on, except with your husband. And, even then, you might insist that the cameras be kept out of the bedroom. Otherwise, you may find yourself in the awkward position of having no secrets from your family, friends, and millions of strangers.