I have been disturbed because of the news story about the man from Pennsylvania who was beheaded this past week. This poor man's family has no one but the news media to blame for this terrible act.
The media spend most of their time looking for items that can make the current administration look bad, to further their own agenda. Someone got the bright idea to release the pictures of what some of our own people did to prisoners in Iraq. Don't get me wrong, I do feel that this investigation is just, and we do need to find out who is guilty, and punish them. But did we have to see the pictures? All those pictures did was to inflame our enemies and give them more reason to hate us.
We know, and the media certainly know, that we are hated in Iraq, and someone had to know that these pictures would have the effect that they are now having.
I have a nephew who is a Marine stationed in Iraq, and I worry about him constantly, now more than ever. The media need to be more responsible in their reporting - not hide things from the public, but sometimes we don't need to have all the graphics that are out there.
I wish that the news media could report the facts, and keep the politics out of the reporting. Maybe if they had been more responsible, this man would not have been executed.
-- Elisabeth Woolery, Pinellas Park
Sometimes pictures are too much
Quality news reporting still exists, but it's extremely rare. "If it bleeds, it leads!" Whoever coined that phrase ruined American journalism. I hope that they're happy now.
CBS opened the floodgates, trying to beat out one of the other news sources that felt we needed to see those pictures. Where was the outcry in January when this story originally broke? Have Americans become so "video" oriented that they need to visualize such things? The initial pictures were more than enough, but not as far as the "news" is concerned. We need to see more, even worse, pictures and video.
Now al-Qaida has started using them as further cause for retribution against America and its citizens, as if 9/11 wasn't enough. I shudder to think what's going to happen to Americans the world over.
What do the news outlets say in their defense? It's responsible journalism! Well you're right about that - you're definitely responsible for the death of Nick Berg and all the others who are bound to follow him! Sleep well tonight!
-- Sue Hill, Largo
Putting troops at risk
I just want to personally thank the media for continually printing your reports of the treatment of prisoners in Iraq.
Instead of letting the government handle this situation until our people were safe, you chose to run this over and over again until you put our people in harm's way. Shame on you. I still have faith in our government, but since you are all trying to get President Bush out of the White House at any cost, you decided that this was "just another way." Wrong.
What happened to caring about the men and women who have put their lives on the line to make sure we have the freedom we have?
Don't you people give a damn about what happens to our troops? What if one of the missing Americans or coalition forces were in your family? Would you be so quick to print the news? I don't think so.
It shames me to think that the media feel the need to put lives at stake for a headline. As you probably know, the Iraqi militants' response was to behead one of us and show the video.
I certainly hope that you can sleep at night.
-- Jayne and Frank Catania, Bradenton
Our enemies are ruthless
Re: The Killing of Nick Berg.
The American people have called the prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib inhumane and shocking. Has America forgotten that these prisoners are enemies? These are the same people who in a cowardly way ignite bombs at roadside checkpoints and conspire to launch guerrilla attacks against American troops. The beheading of Nick Berg should serve as a
-- wakeup call to us all: Our enemies are ruthless. At least the Abu Ghraib prisoners will be able to eventually return to their homes and see their families. Sadly, Nick Berg will never be able to.
Mike Lamparelli, Holiday
Time to take off the gloves
Re: American civilian beheaded on video, May 12.
I was initially horrified by the images depicting abuse of prisoners in Iraq by American soldiers. However I am almost beyond words after seeing the video of Nick Berg, an American Jew at the hands of al-Qaida terrorists in Iraq. I am disgusted by the naivete of the left-leaning politicians who continue to chastise the American soldiers, even after this display of savagery.
It is time to take off the gloves and fight with no political restraints. We need to do whatever it takes to preserve our way of life and wipe these monsters from the face of the earth.
-- Lawrence J. Gelb, Clearwater
Don't downplay seriousness of photos
Re: New prison photos even worse, lawmakers say, May 13.
Whether one is for or against the war, Republican, Democrat, Independent or other party, one cannot deny that these photos show a complete lack of humanity.
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, is dead wrong in his statement that "some people are overreacting" to the visual images in the private screening of 1,600-plus photos. A person with his attitude does not deserve to grace the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, let alone be called majority leader. A true leader would not condone or tolerate such inhumane treatment of an animal, let alone another human being.
-- Stephanie Brown, Clearwater
Try separating the war coverage
Like most readers, I am offended by the graphic depictions of violence reflecting the events in Iraq. I am especially empathetic to those who are raising and teaching young children who should not be exposed to such photographs and headlines, especially on the front page.
The time has come, in my opinion, for the St. Petersburg Times to create a new section to its periodical. You can call it "War." How sad, but at least we will know what section we may choose to avoid or keep from young, innocent, developing minds.
-- Amy Dillon, Palm Harbor
We are better than that
I don't want to see any more prisoner abuse photos or videos from Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison. I have seen enough. The knowledge they exist is enough to sicken me, and I assume most Americans feel that way. The consequences we face at home and abroad due to these actions are difficult to think about.
To those that think the ends justify the means in the name of gathering intelligence from presumed horrible and despicable people, I would like to ask you where that attitude has got us now?
It may be pointed out that these kinds of interrogation techniques have always been a part of our intelligence strategy. They do it to us, so why don't we do it to them? Because if we are to differentiate ourselves from the terrorist regimes in any way, it has to be that we follow a global rule of law, including those in the Geneva Conventions and basic human rights. If we fail to do so despite our best intentions, our cause is no more noble, no more just, nor embraced by the international community.
The best we can hope for is that the global community recognizes our democratic process and our genuine attempt to right the wrong. Now that it is out in the open, I believe justice will be served even if not as high up the chain of command as it should be. My worst fear, however, is that our enemies will believe our actions speak louder than words while their own propaganda media outlets will never let them see the full process.
-- B. Duncan, St. Petersburg
This is the way it is
Re: Guards batter Broward inmate, witnesses say, May 8.
The only difference between the front-page story of the treatment of the Iraqi prisoners and this story is that it doesn't deserve front-page world attention. It is not news that the world wants to know about. I sincerely doubt that any nation, at one time or another, has not resorted to this type of treatment. Intelligence information is necessary in time of war or fighting crime in the streets. Sometimes it becomes necessary to resort to various means.
Sad as it is, this is the way it is. Someone was very stupid to take pictures.
-- O.C. Wilkins, New Port Richey
Opening a door to more abuses
Nations sign on to the Geneva Conventions not because they, themselves, are so good, but because their enemies may be bad. Agreeing upfront that we will never mistreat prisoners or civilians is an incentive to the other side to respond in kind. In other words, we follow the Conventions to protect our own troops from abuse.
By the criminal acts at Abu Ghraib, we have now abrogated our responsibilities under the Geneva Conventions, and our enemies apparently see no benefit to acting in a civilized manner. We should not be surprised in the slightest at the beheading of Nicholas Berg, nor should we ever again expect our captured troops to be treated in any other manner.
Our options in Iraq were never very good, but now we look back longingly at what we left behind.
-- Frank Clarke, Oldsmar
Regime change needed here
I am astounded by our insistence on the idea that we are fighting terrorism in Iraq. We know that Saddam Hussein did everything possible to suppress religious extremists and ensure that terrorists could not operate in Iraq. We have been repeatedly reminded that Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11.
In reality, our invasion and slaughter of thousands of Iraqi civilians has terrorized not only Iraqis but also the entire Muslim population. And our brutal occupation (not to mention treatment of prisoners) has created - or demanded - a response in kind.
In the name of national security, the regime change needed is ours.
-- Kirk Smith, St. Petersburg
Not her mother's teaching
On Mother's Day, when I saw the photo of the young woman soldier with the leash around the neck of the naked Iraqi prisoner, I thought that this is not something she learned at her mother's knee but was part of her indoctrination into the military where the enemy is dehumanized. I was reminded of the words of Julia Ward Howe in the original Mother's Day Proclamation, 1870:
"Arise, then, women of this day! Arise all woman who have hearts, whether your baptism be of water or of tears! Say firmly: "We will not have questions decided by irrelevant agencies. Our husbands shall not come to us reeking of carnage for caresses and applause. Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn all that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience. We women of one country will be too tender to those of another country to allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs.' "
-- Patrick Murray, St. Petersburg
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