Sickening.
There was no doubt what would be the headline of today’s newspapers. “Saddam Executed” was certain to be echoed across the entire national press.
But the pictures that accompanied most of them were sickening. Pictures of Saddam either with the noose around his neck with his masked executioners looking on, or soon after being cut down.
These pictures should not have been out on the front page. Although their is justification in claiming that there was no way not to print the pictures after they had been released, the sensationalisation of them was the work of the media themselves. I think it was entirely unnecessary for them to be printed in such an full front-page unmissable manner.
The camera-phone video of Saddam’s execution is a different issue. Although it is sickening in itself, it is entirely the choice of the individual whether or not to view it. Even though I have watched it, I had no desire to see the execution until I knew that there was a video, and that it was easily accessible. Also, it was my choice to view it. The could have resisted the temptation, but chose not to.
What sickens me most is that disregard for personal choice over whether or not to view either the pictures or the video. Had the images been printed in a small size inside the paper, the reader would have had discretion over whether or not to look at them. We didn’t get that choice.
I am not posting the pictures or video or any links to them for a reason: it would be hypocritical of me to do so. They are all easily findable elsewhere, so whether or not you view them is up to you.
Other good posts on the issue: Iain Dale, Dizzy Thinks, Martine Martin
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You could always not buyt he newspaper though? No one is forcing you to do that.
Free choice comes with responsbility for actions. We wanted Saddam dead and look what it has done to a whole country. the more people see the result of our actions the better.
But when the pictures on the front page, you don’t get any choice about whether or not to view the picture - just a glance at it is all you need to do!
It is the printing of the pictures on the front page that sickens me mostly. When the picture is inside the paper, there is far more choice about viewing it.
I’m with the Thunderdragon on this one; I didn’t particularly want Saddam dead and I certainly didn’t particularly want to see images of the gruesome spectacle all over the front pages when I went into the paper shop. Bit unavoidable, though.
I take City Unslicker’s point about people needing to see the results of our government’s actions (not my actions, and not taken with any support from me) but I fear that those who most need to draw the appropriate lessons will, by that very fact, draw the wrong ones; I’ve had a look at some American blogs where the complaint is that the video (which I haven’t watched and I’m not going to) apparently wasn’t gruesome and explicit enough.
This, inevitably, has led to all manner of fevered speculation that it was photoshopped or something. God help us!