This first post is completely atypical of what I intend to blog about, but you have to start somewhere. So how did this become my first blog post? People at my office were complaining about the President not releasing the pictures of Osama bin Laden. For the record, I am not a fan of President Obama, but I do not hate him either. With that being said, I think the President is making the correct choice in not showing pictures of Osama bin Laden with his head blown off. The simple reason is that I just don't think it will make the world a better place.So why am I so disappointed? Simple I was having a discussion at work about this. Several people where demanding that they should show the pictures. The reason they say they want to see the pictures is that they want proof. After all seeing is believing right?
No it really isn't and hasn't for a very long time. I work at a software company and I am shocked by the idea that I am the only one that has ever heard of Photoshop. We discussed that photos could be faked, but that didn't seem to work. Then they said "well experts can tell the difference". Maybe but "experts" have been fooled in the past. As far as proof goes, all that proves is that the expert didn't think it was faked. So at this point, I thought that we could all agree that showing the picture is no more proof than the word of the President, the word of the Navy Seals that carried out the mission, the DNA test results, the crew of the carrier where they buried him at sea, and even various terrorist organizations? No. The final argument I got was "just because you say it is so doesn't make it so!". No it doesn't, but I am willing to stand by the statement that a picture on TV is not proof.If it is not for proof, why would anybody want to see a man with his head blown off? I can only think of two reason.
1. They do not like being told that they shouldn't see this.
2. They want to satisfy their need for revenge by seeing Osama bin Laden's head blown off.
To the former group all I can say is I know how you feel. I hate being told that I don't need to know or see this. However, I simply ask you to consider this question: What will it help? Will seeing those pictures make the world a better place? I honestly do not think it will. If you really feel that it will, then we have an honest difference of opinon.
To the latter group, I suggest that you think about it. Is this even healthy for you? I have heard people say things like "Why not show them?" and "Why do we care? They don't care about inflaming us!" Or worse ,"If it was one of our guys they would be dragging him through the street and spitting on them!" That is all true, there are people that would do that. A lot of people that would in fact. You see them on TV and think they are disgusting.
I am no fan of President Obama but his actions here have increased my respect for him. Now it is time for the people of the US to do the right thing as well. Time for us to say that we actually trust the President when he says that we have taken out Osama bin Laden. It is also time for us to be proud of a our President for deciding to do the right thing and not show those pictures just to satisfy some critics.
My next post hopefully with have nothing more political in it than OS/X vs Windows or AMD vs Intel.
My next post hopefully with have nothing more political in it than OS/X vs Windows or AMD vs Intel.
1 comment:
A third possible reason is sheer bloodlust. People gathered to see Christians thrown to the lions, people gathered to see public hangings, people slow the car down and look at accidents, and people looked up Steve Irwin's death video online. It's a dark corner of human nature.
Those in the US are hated enough just by being "infidels" and we have probably made more of him by making him a martyr than he was by just being a figurehead. The Muslim extremists rioted when a cartoon was drawn of the prophet Muhammad, and actually it is only against the teachings of Islam for a Muslim to make a depiction of Muhammad. When that preacher just threatened to burn some Korans, again they rioted - though this time in response to a few nutjobs intending to be provocative.
They hate us for the greed and waste that happens with capitalism. They hate us for our immorality - and where I disagree that a woman showing her forearms is immoral, there's room for criticism.
If pictures of the late Osama bin Ladin were released, how long before they would be Photoshopped into venomous humor? Another dark thing in humanity is the desire to be cruel; and although it is more common in children, too many people never grow out of that.
I agree with you David. It is not a good idea to either feed or provoke the darkness in human nature.
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