TV Violence: Is the News Taking It Too Far?

2:00 am
I don't think I've seen this hour in months! For some reason (*cough* new meds *cough*) I can't sleep tonight. I keep having nightmares and I'm absolutely exhausted, but I can't sleep. I decided to get up because I felt bad for waking up my fiancé every time I moved.

The nightmare I kept having was about something I saw on television today. I was flipping channels around 3 pm; I'd just finished listening to/watching an episode of America's Next Top Model and I needed something to bring my IQ back up. I went through the news channels and stopped on CNN. They were talking about the possibility of a cease-fire in the Middle East. I am all for peace, so I decided to watch the story.

As the top of the hour rolled by, they showed the most recent development in the escalation of violence: a group of Hamas men on motorcycles dragging the body of an alleged Israeli spy through the streets of Gaza while crying out, "God is great!" I was horrified! I am an extremely sensitive person when it comes to seeing violence and this crossed the line. I was absolutely blown away that they would show this at three o'clock in the afternoon. They did not preface it with, "This shows graphic images" or anything like that. How many kids had yesterday off from school and could have been flipping channels like I was?!

Around 8 pm or so, my fiancé and I were watching Anderson Cooper 360 and for some reason he or his producers thought it would be important to show a bunch of "graphic images" while Anderson talked about what had been going on lately. Anderson prefaced it with, "We are about to show some very graphic images..." While I appreciate the warning (I hid my eyes, but I wasn't quite quick enough), AC360 is a primetime show. How many families are flipping through channels on their first night of Thanksgiving vacation and accidentally see a baby wrapped in a Palestinian flag being lifted in front of a crowd for all to see?! At 10 pm when AC360 came back on after Piers Morgan's show, he did the same thing. I, again, didn't watch; but I wasn't as bothered by CNN showing those images at 10 pm than in the middle of the afternoon and during primetime.

While I understand that this is news and it needs to be shared, I really feel like the brazen reporting needs to stop. I am extraordinarily sensitive to this kind of thing, yes, but as a future parent, I take exception to this. I wouldn't want my children watching the news for a school project or something and all of the sudden see someone being dragged behind a motorcycle. What kind of message does that send to my kids? That the networks care more about the ratings they can get with shock value images than they care about the fact that the person being dragged has a family who might not even know he's dead?

What if it had been an American soldier being dragged behind the motorcycle? The networks would never have shown it! It would have been news, sure; but they would not have repeatedly shown the clip of it actually happening. They would have mentioned it and said something about how it is just immoral and horrifying that those heathens would do that to one of our soldiers. But someone who isn't an American? Sure, let's show that to the world. Some ally we are, showing our ally spy's body being desecrated.

I have immense respect for reporters and their crews. The job they have is incredibly difficult and sometimes dangerous. I don't want Anderson Cooper to take this personally (not that he'll read it; but maybe he will) because I think he's a brilliant reporter. I just want to bring awareness to the fact that just because something happens doesn't mean we need to see it in real time. Wait until after 9 or 10 pm and then show it if you really think it has merit.

Parents, please consider what your kids are exposed to. Even if you're "doing the right thing" and limiting TV time and making sure they're not watching R-rated movies, or whatever you think is the "right thing," pay attention to what they're watching. Remember that if you're watching it with them in the room, they're watching it, too. If the news gets too violent, turn the TV off, have a family game night or something, and watch the news online after your kids go to bed. Violence breeds violence. We need to breed a generation of peace.

Enough. Time for some sleep.

11:30 am
I just proofed what I wrote last night and think it's ready to share. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi

Middle East: Justice?

Headlines Today

• U.S. destroyers that are carrying cruise missiles are on their way to Libya's coast after the attack on the U.S. consulate that left four Americans dead (still no word on how many Libyans were killed).
• There are now protestors and riots at the embassies in Yemen, Egypt, and Iraq.
• Al-Qaeda released a video of a USAID worker who is still being held hostage.
• Apple released the iPhone5, the new iPod touch, the new iPod nano, and new earbuds (aka "earpods). 
• McDonalds is posting the calorie count of each item on their menu up on the board where everyone can see it as they order.
• The Chicago teacher strike is in Day 4, but they say they are making progress.
• Fashion Week!!! I have been so negligent about this--it's been going on for a week almost and I haven't written anything about it! I may make a whole post just about Fashion Week...I have so many favorites!

There is so much going on! I am going to write a little bit now and then I'll write more later today. I am having problems with my macbook and so I get to drive back to Cincinnati. Again. The closest Apple store is 40 minutes away...Louisville's only 80 minutes away...maybe I should just go back there! :)

Okay, so let's start with the Middle East.

Some sources (GMA this morning) are saying that the attack in Libya was planned to be on the anniversary of September 11. The other protests are apparently in light of the movie trailer that is bashing Mohammad. And now we have ships over by Libya. With missiles on them. Obama is saying that Egypt is not necessarily an ally and Romney is bashing him for not having more security at the embassies in the Middle East.

Oh my goodness! The problem here is that I don't really even know what to say. I am horrified by the attacks on U.S. emabassies and consulates, and extremely upset by the fact that the protestors killed one of our ambassadors. At the same time, I really don't think that going over there and possibly starting another war is a good idea. I think I am going to take the same stance I took after the attacks on September 11, 2001 (yes, I was only 12 when it happened, but I had an opinion, and I remember exactly what I thought when Bush declared war): The people who committed these acts should be brought to justice, but starting attacks on entire communities is a terrible idea because those communities didn't kill anyone; individual people did. In the war in Afghanistan, for example, estimates are that over 12,000 civilians were killed between 2006 and 2011 (interestingly, I am having an insanely hard time finding statistics pre-2006). Nineteen terrorists were the hijackers in the 9/11 attacks. We were also aware that Osama bin Laden was behind it. That makes 20 people. Now, 19 of those 20 died, seeing as they died in the attack. So that left one person to bring to justice. And over 12,000 civilians were killed in a war to bring one person to justice. I am well aware that al-Qaeda killed some of the civilians. But so did we. Yes, we brought bin Laden to "justice" if killing someone is justifiable to you, but at what cost?

I have to get going, but I will be back later to continue discussing this and the rest of the headlines.

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi