Another key element is that adults owe a special duty of care to children.
Kids are by their very nature niaive, and this is reflected in the law by the fact that they are not culpable for crimes in the same way as an adult would be. The exploitation of their innocence is seen as a perticularly heinous crime.
By comparison, the foreign contractors in Iraq were to some degree aware of the risks involved.
Ye Gods, if Musab al-Zarqawi started beheading children, I think the allies would send the whole army in to ensure his demise. Even I would be tempted to bring the monster to justice!
Originally posted by obliterationNothing is served by distributing this footage. Isn't it doing what the terrorists want? If not then why did they film it? Every right thinking person understands how barbaric this is, without having to witness it. 'Sick ' individuals may want to see it - but should we be allowing them to? [By the way I'm not saying that everyone that views it is sick]
Websites such as ogrish.com that broadcast live real executions
of innocent people and the like, should they be put in the same
category as for instance child porn and banned form the net?
Videos of men paraded in front of the camera giving final speeches
with masked soldiers in the background and then decapitation scenes in, with warriors chanting ...[text shortened]... lah Akhbar, holding the head aloft is
perhaps too brutal and strong for most of the population.
It isn't a matter of political correctness. It is a matter of common sense and also sensitivity.
Showing these videos is also highly disrespectful to the victims and their families. I am sure they would not condone their spouses' murder being broadcast all over the net. Also where I am sure most people looking at them would be doing so out of morbid curiosity rather than wanting to change the world. Just by the very nature of the site, it is designed for voyeuristic viewing. Porn is fair enough, but not real live murders!
Having some respect does not come under the heading of political correctness.
I agree that there are a lot of situations where political correctness does go to far. All the bureaucratic ideas where you cannot sneeze without someone accusing you of polluting the atmosphere.
Lau
Actually, the original thread was about if it is right for the site to show those terrorist videos. I fully agree that child porn is worse but I introduced that as an argument that it is illegally made and should not give anyone authorisation to distribute it for all to see.
However, adult porn, where everyone consented and are over 18 are legally made, hence there isn't a problem for them to be distributed (as long as they aren't accessible to minors).
Originally posted by lauseyThese "illegal" videos are on a small website, where you actually have to look for to see them.
The film is made illegally, so basically should be illegal material like child porn and filming of rape. I don't believe they should be shown by anyone.
What about all the "illegal" videos that are broadcast 24 hours a day on tv showing bombing campaigns in Iraq? Should they be classified the same as child porn and rape? If not, can you tell me what the difference is?
I actually think that the bombing campaign videos are more despicable because they are being used to objectify the war and arouse patriotic 'USA kicks butt' feelings. When u see a 'precision' missile homing in on the target (or what u assume to be the original target), do u feel any connection with the 200 villagers/school children/patients or possibly military personnell, many of whom have just been decapitated by the bomb? Or do you see a nice explosion, thinking to yourself, chalk down another terrorist target, useless against the might of the american military.
At least with the beheading movies (which I haven't seen), there can be no mistaking what is actually happening, and the true horror of war is revealed. Sanitisation and objectification can't happen when u see a head fall from shoulders.
D
Originally posted by RagnorakYes, sensationalisation of war is dispicable. For the reasons you have just mentioned. The media do it all the time.
These "illegal" videos are on a small website, where you actually have to look for to see them.
What about all the "illegal" videos that are broadcast 24 hours a day on tv showing bombing campaigns in Iraq? Should they be classifie ...[text shortened]... fication can't happen when u see a head fall from shoulders.
D
For someone to find terrorist murder images, he/she has to put in the effort of searching for it. I cannot say that the person would be doing it for the sake of resolving the world problems, but out of just morbid curiosity. If BBC news decided to broadcast these videos, it would be grossly insensitive. OGRISH.COM did not put it there for the purpose of "news".
Just the description of what has happened to these victims would be enough to reflect the true nature of war. Of course, people would have to have watched these videos to even begin to know what is happening to describe to the rest of the world.....but to then allow sites to show it cannot be a respectable thing to do.