Limits

[The Spaceman]

I have CNN on in the background every morning as I get myself and the kid ready to head out for the day. One of their lead stories today was about the poor guy who was killed by a NY subway train, apparently after being pushed onto the tracks by a guy he was arguing with.

The story today wasn't about the guy's death itself, but about a NY Post front-page photo of the man desperately trying to get back on the platform as the train approached. The headline was "You are looking at a man who is about to die!"

CNN reported that many people are very disturbed by the image, and that the Post is getting a lot of heat for printing it as a huge, front-page story. Of course, the irony of CNN showing the photo over and over while reporting how people are disturbed by it was amusing to say the least. Also, many people are angry at the photographer for snapping pictures of the guy, instead of helping him.

Frankly I'm not happy about seeing this desperate man's struggle to live the moment before his death. Regardless of the photographer's ability or inability to save the guy, I didn't need or want to see his photo.

It seems to me that almost all the media have lost any sense of restraint or decorum. In the UK they are actually considering restraining laws on the freedom of the press in response to the Murdoc outrages of tapping phone lines and hacking email and voice-mail of murder and kidnapping victims, and various public figures.

As much as I believe in a free press, if they can't police themselves, they're opening the door to the government to step in and do it for them. On the other hand, perhaps this is an analog to the drug smugglers: they're pretty awful people doing terrible things, but if they didn't have a market, they wouldn't be there. It seems there's no shortage of people who want to see graphic images like this.

[sarnali2]

I certainly don't, and I think restricting the press and freedom of speach is reasonable under some circumstances such as this. This is a classic case of giving an inch and them taking a mile. Just the same as they hound "celeb's" to distraction and jam a camera into someones face whose just lost a love one, all the time cooing about what a tragedy it is the guys wife and kids just burned to death (and make sure you get the grimey teary-eyed firefighters in the back ground too).

It's f*cking pathetic and just as pathetic as the vultures and gouls who want to see this sh*t. When the Constitution and Amendments were written I'm pretty sure the intent was to not limit political speach, not give them carte` blanche` to jam their as yet un-invented cameras and microphones in everybodys business. Or at least if they did the aggrieved could salvage their honour by shooting the bastards in a duel or sword through the gizzards. Nowadays you have crawling sh*t like those Kansas church inbreeds dancing on still warm graves under the guise of "free speach".

Just like spoiled children, they need their backsides blistered and their toys taken away until they can learn to control themselves.

[Buzglyd]

Just watch ESPN gleefully replaying video of someone's leg getting snapped over and over.

[The Spaceman]

Originally Posted by Buzglyd

Just watch ESPN gleefully replaying video of someone's leg getting snapped over and over.

I used to work with a guy back before we had internet firewalls and filters at work who was spending time on a couple websites that showed horrific images. He called me over to his cube one day and started popping up stuff like car accident photos, coronor photos of suicides, etc. It was sick beyond words. After 3 or 4 went by I said: "Robert, if you find that amusing, enjoy it at home, but if I ever see you viewing that crap at work again I'll fire you." What a sick **** he was.

[Buzglyd]

My dad was a fireman for 33 years and saw that stuff for real.

One time, when we were kids, my sister mentioned watching Faces of Death. He lit her up. It's no laughing matter.

[jmdonald]

Today’s media is a sad reflection of the loss of morality in this country as well as the world in general. I know, one man's morality is another man's abomination but this issue seems to be bothering more people than just me. Everyone can define it for themselves. I do however find it comforting to know that Obama had Rachel Maddow and Al Sharpton over to the White House to discuss tax rates. With input from those two economic geniuses it is only a matter of time before the debt problems of the United States are solved. As far as work goes, surf the net at home. At the very least do it on your own time. If thine eye offend thee pluck it out.

[schizuki]

Sorry, I'm pretty much a free speech absolutist. When you start talking about drawing lines, my question is who's doing the drawing. I don't want the entire country living under college speech codes. Besides, it helps identify the a$$holes. I'd rather have them in the open than under a rock.

[The_AirHawk]

I resemble that remark.

Still, there is such a thing as "decorum", and sadly the society-at-large is largely lacking a shred of it.

[schizuki]

Originally Posted by The_AirHawk

I resemble that remark.

Still, there is such a thing as "decorum", and sadly the society-at-large is largely lacking a shred of it.

Oh, believe me, I want a$$holes to shut the f*** up. I'm just not comfortable with governing bodies making it compulsory.

[12er]

^ what he said.