Public Shame? Or is it a fancy phrase for bullying?

As I was reading through my news feed tonight on Facebook, as I do every night, I came across a photo posted by one of our local news stations (not the one I watch, by the way). They posted a picture of a tollway booth with the caption that read: "PUBLIC SHAMING: If you have an outstanding tollway fine you might consider paying up or face public shame. The North Texas Tollway Authority is publicizing a Top 100 list of toll violators in hopes they pay up. What do you think? Should local groups follow the NTTA's lead? We'll share your comments at 6am."

I read through all the comments, and then I weighed in. What would you expect me to do? There were mixed feelings about this by everyone who commented. Some agreed. One person said if you don't want to be bothered, you should pay your bills. Simply put, good point. My initial post (that's right, I commented more than one time) was this: "Everybody's doing it, so why not. We advertise the addresses of sex offenders for the public. We post photos and a blurb of arrest reports in the paper. Why not publish names of those with tollway fines. Maybe after that we can advertise people with outstanding credit card debts. And maybe soon we can advertise pictures of people who default on student loans. Let's just advertise all the scum of the world. I mean, afterall, that's what we're making everyone seem like."

Still, I wanted to see what others would say. A few "liked" my comment. Then I saw another woman's comment which read: "Absolutely a great idea. Maybe if ALL LAWBREAKERS were publicly humiliated before punishment, there might be less crime."

This one really made me think. In a way, I wanted to agree, but I just couldn't. My interpretation of her answer was to bully those with outstanding fines. They would be bullied by being humiliated in public. But isn't this what kids today are doing to one another? Yet, we tell them bullying will not be tolerated, and here we are as authority figures doing it to private citizens who haven't paid what they owe. Granted, I don't know HOW MUCH they owe, but I think it's a little extreme to publicly humiliate them in this fashion.

Why is it ok to humiliate other adults in public, but when kids do it to one another, we scold them? I already know the answer to this, but I'm waiting to see if you do. The answer is, it's not ok. In fact, it's just plain wrong. Yes people have obligations to pay their outstanding fines, but there are other methods of collecting than public humiliation. Send them a collection letter and let them know legal action will follow. You can send them to a collection agency. Remember, some of these options my bring down their credit score. Isn't that punishment enough?

So with that being said, maybe I just think people are going too far with what they publish and whose faces they publish, and for what reasons they are published. But that's just me. I'd love to get your opinion. Subscribe to my page on Facebook at facebook.com/christopherleeperez or TheGossipGuy on Facebook, and on Twitter @thegossipguy.