Contact: Leah Barbour
Photo by: Beth Wynn
Today's young people must face 21st century challenges head-on, Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood told the more than 380 delegates for Boys State at Mississippi State University on Thursday [May 30].
One of the biggest challenges is how to deal with technology, especially regarding social networking and texting, Hood explained. People are creating digital images of themselves that will impact their reputations, so young people need to make smart decisions by not engaging in foul language or sending inappropriate pictures.
"It's a felony to possess a photograph of a person under the age of 18⦠When you hit that button to send that picture on, you're participating in child pornography," he said. "It's a crime that many of you aren't aware of: in actually receiving it and then turning around and transmitting it."
Hood, the chief civil and criminal legal officer and advisor in Mississippi, also discussed the importance of respecting intellectual privacy laws. Sharing music and movies without paying for them deprives the people who created them from earning the profits to which they're entitled. These aren't the big corporations; these are individuals, he said.
Domestic violence was another challenge young people face, and changing a culture where violence is the norm is critical to protecting women, children and families, Hood said.
Overall, Hood stressed young people need to protect their privacy, and he encouraged Boys State participants to consider giving back to the community by going into public office.
"Making a difference in people's lives and how government can do that: I encourage you to consider going into public office," he said. "You get so much more by giving than you do receiving."
A Chickasaw County native, Hood received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Mississippi; he then served as a clerk with the Mississippi Supreme Court, as an Assistant Attorney General, and as District Attorney for the Third Judicial District in North Mississippi.
The university is serving through 2015 as host campus for the Mississippi American Legion Boys State. Boys State is considered the nation's premier program for teaching how government works while developing leadership skills and appreciation for the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.
For more information about Boys State, visit www.msboysstate.com. For more information about Mississippi State University, see www.msstate.edu.