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ARTelevision · 05-13-2004, 05:13 AM

This editorial is in today's Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
It restates the case some of us have made here regarding the necessity of apprehending, as fully as possible, the brutal reality of the enemy.

..................

Confronting evil requires showing gruesome images

Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 05/13/2004

Nick Berg started his own telecommunications company and once visited Ghana to teach brick-making to villagers.

Confronting evil requires showing gruesome images

The slaughter of Nick Berg at the hands of murderous terrorists in Iraq has left America and most of the world once again recoiling in horror. Of all the wrenching images that have washed over us in ceaseless waves since Sept. 11, Berg's killing is among the most haunting.
In the video -- first released on an Arab Web site -- Berg's masked tormentors claim to be exacting revenge for the abuses of Iraqi detainees by U.S. forces at Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad, scenes also captured on camera for posterity. After executing Berg by decapitation, his captors claimed that they were acting at the behest of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a reputed lieutenant of Sept. 11 ringleader Osama bin Laden.

Berg's assassination -- and it is exactly that -- has once again provoked debate about whether the news media should disseminate pictures that might compromise the safety of American troops and civilians in Iraq and other theaters of combat in the war on terrorism. Although these images are almost too painful to endure, as a nation we cannot avert our eyes or our attention from the challenges that lie ahead.

Berg's killing is a reminder of the bloodthirsty nature of those who, by their deeds, are sworn enemies of all humanity. Americans' natural horror at the images shouldn't result in censorship. Our democracy, which was founded on an unfettered press and a well-informed public, demands nothing less than staring evil in the face.

But even as we confront the evil in the world, we should draw some comfort from reflecting on Berg's all-too-brief life. While most of us never knew Berg personally, he isn't really a stranger to us.

A resident of suburban Philadelphia, the 26-year-old was described by his heartbroken family as a "free spirit" who had attended several colleges, started his own telecommunications company and once visited the African nation of Ghana on a humanitarian mission to teach brick-making to villagers.

Berg was not the first American casualty in the war on terrorism, and it's unlikely he will be the last. But the challenges we face cannot become our rationale for sacrificing the principles we're fighting to defend.

05-13-2004, 05:13 AM	#81 (permalink)
ARTelevision I change Location: USA	This editorial is in today's Atlanta Journal-Constitution. It restates the case some of us have made here regarding the necessity of apprehending, as fully as possible, the brutal reality of the enemy. .................. Confronting evil requires showing gruesome images Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published on: 05/13/2004 Nick Berg started his own telecommunications company and once visited Ghana to teach brick-making to villagers. Confronting evil requires showing gruesome images The slaughter of Nick Berg at the hands of murderous terrorists in Iraq has left America and most of the world once again recoiling in horror. Of all the wrenching images that have washed over us in ceaseless waves since Sept. 11, Berg's killing is among the most haunting. In the video -- first released on an Arab Web site -- Berg's masked tormentors claim to be exacting revenge for the abuses of Iraqi detainees by U.S. forces at Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad, scenes also captured on camera for posterity. After executing Berg by decapitation, his captors claimed that they were acting at the behest of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a reputed lieutenant of Sept. 11 ringleader Osama bin Laden. Berg's assassination -- and it is exactly that -- has once again provoked debate about whether the news media should disseminate pictures that might compromise the safety of American troops and civilians in Iraq and other theaters of combat in the war on terrorism. Although these images are almost too painful to endure, as a nation we cannot avert our eyes or our attention from the challenges that lie ahead. Berg's killing is a reminder of the bloodthirsty nature of those who, by their deeds, are sworn enemies of all humanity. Americans' natural horror at the images shouldn't result in censorship. Our democracy, which was founded on an unfettered press and a well-informed public, demands nothing less than staring evil in the face. But even as we confront the evil in the world, we should draw some comfort from reflecting on Berg's all-too-brief life. While most of us never knew Berg personally, he isn't really a stranger to us. A resident of suburban Philadelphia, the 26-year-old was described by his heartbroken family as a "free spirit" who had attended several colleges, started his own telecommunications company and once visited the African nation of Ghana on a humanitarian mission to teach brick-making to villagers. Berg was not the first American casualty in the war on terrorism, and it's unlikely he will be the last. But the challenges we face cannot become our rationale for sacrificing the principles we're fighting to defend. __________________ create evolution