The public doesn't need to see these photos

[Drake Tungsten]

You know, you would think people would remember the outrage caused by the Rodney King tape and the Kent State shooting and realize that it might not be the best idea to unnecessarily release photos that will most likely cause similar anger and outrage in a population we need to win the hearts and minds of if we plan to be successful in our current geo-political struggle...

[GePap]

Anger over the Rodney King situation was not sparked solely by the tape, but by how the situation was handled after the tape came to light.

As for Kent State, I doubt the news of troops shooting university students would have remain silent without the release of photos, beyond the fact of course that both these events happened out in the public, so specially for Kent State 0 assumption of secrecy ever existed.

[Drake Tungsten]

I never called for secrecy. I'm just pointing out that, as people have already said, photos are more visceral and inflame emotions much more than the printed word. As such, unnecessarily releasing photos that will more than likely cause outrage in the Muslim world and give our terrorist opponents another valuable propaganda tool seems pretty stupid, IMO at least.

[GePap]

If you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen.

There are costs to be had for messing up, and this will be one of the costs for the admin. Serves them right.

[Drake Tungsten]

I'm glad to see you take such a responsible POV as regards the fight against Islamism.

[General Ludd]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
I never called for secrecy. I'm just pointing out that, as people have already said, photos are more visceral and inflame emotions much more than the printed word. As such, unnecessarily releasing photos that will more than likely cause outrage in the Muslim world and give our terrorist opponents another valuable propaganda tool seems pretty stupid, IMO at least.

No, what's stupid is leting the scenes depicted in the photos happen in the first place.

It's only right that the photos are shown when these thigns do happen - the USA needs to own up to it's dark little secrets for once.

[MrFun]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
I never called for secrecy. I'm just pointing out that, as people have already said, photos are more visceral and inflame emotions much more than the printed word. As such, unnecessarily releasing photos that will more than likely cause outrage in the Muslim world and give our terrorist opponents another valuable propaganda tool seems pretty stupid, IMO at least.

IMO, winning the hearts and minds = whitewashing questionable and outrageous actions

[Drake Tungsten]

How is it being whitewashed if the actions have already been reported in the print media?

[MrFun]

Pictures are worth thousands of words -- printed media only covers part of the story, IMO.

[Drake Tungsten]

So it's being whitewashed if you don't see a picture of it?

[MrFun]

If you choose to only tell part of a story, you are not presenting the whole story accurately.

Pictures go a long way in explaining the entire story in conjunction with printed media. With a printed story about an outrage, you can get some sense of the extent of the wrongfulness of the particular act.

But pictures bring about a much more clear, vivid realization of that wrongfulness. This is one reason why some would not want pictures publicized -- it would send a much stronger message of the wrongfulness and the injustice of such an act.

That is how I come to my opinion that omitting pictures is a form of whitewashing when it is motivated by a desire to minimize the impact of the story on readers and listeners.

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
more than likely cause outrage in the Muslim world and give our terrorist opponents another valuable propaganda tool seems pretty stupid, IMO at least.

When they get outraged over things that never happened, I say we give them something real to moan about.

[Slaughtermeyer]

Why stop with photos? Why not prohibit publication of anything critical of the Bush administration's mishandling of the war?

[GePap]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
I'm glad to see you take such a responsible POV as regards the fight against Islamism.

I am glad you are so willing to "win hearts and minds" by making sure the Muslim world knows that while we torture them (something they can read all about), we feel them too backwards and ignorant and violent to be allowed to see the fruits of our labor

[DRoseDARs]

Oh look, a hole in the ground! Let's stick our collective head in it and pretend that by refusing to release the photos and the peoples' right to see (or not see, if you can't stomach them or are otherwise "offended" by any mention of wrongdoing on our part) what our government is doing in our names makes everything better ... somehow.