• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Should the horrific photos of Newtown victims be published?

Should the horrific photos of Newtown victims be published?


  • Total voters
    53
Should the horrific photos of Newtown victims be published?

Yes
Only if all the parents agree.
No

No. To what end would that be at all productive?

It is important to report this tragedy, and for the public to dialogue about it with the facts.

But what is the purpose of showing the gore? So the news organization can get some more page hits?

That's not journalism. That's just violence porn.

As soon as someone can give me some actual reason why publishing something like that is necessary, I'll roll it around. But right now, it seems like nothing but a ploy for publicity -- capitalizing on someone else's pain.
 
No. To what end would that be at all productive?

It is important to report this tragedy, and for the public to dialogue about it with the facts.

But what is the purpose of showing the gore? So the news organization can get some more page hits?

That's not journalism. That's just violence porn.

As soon as someone can give me some actual reason why publishing something like that is necessary, I'll roll it around. But right now, it seems like nothing but a ploy for publicity -- capitalizing on someone else's pain.

I'm not saying it would be productive, it's just a poll question and thought it would be interesting to see what people said about it.
 
No. To what end would that be at all productive?

It is important to report this tragedy, and for the public to dialogue about it with the facts.

But what is the purpose of showing the gore? So the news organization can get some more page hits?

That's not journalism. That's just violence porn.

As soon as someone can give me some actual reason why publishing something like that is necessary, I'll roll it around. But right now, it seems like nothing but a ploy for publicity -- capitalizing on someone else's pain.

the purpose is so that pimps like Biden can use the blood of the children to paint all gun owners-especially ones who don't vote democratic-as responsible for those deaths
 
the purpose is so that pimps like Biden can use the blood of the children to paint all gun owners-especially ones who don't vote democratic-as responsible for those deaths
I tend to agree with this. The gun control movement is losing its momentum and needs something to shock people back onto their side.
 
no
And I cannot be adamant enough about this !
If we do this, we are sick uncivilized savages...
But, there will be many more mass murders until the conservatives release their strangle-hold and allow complete , 100% checks which can, over time prohibit the semi-insane and the criminals from gun ownership..
That "liberties" be compromised YES
 
I tend to agree with this. The gun control movement is losing its momentum and needs something to shock people back onto their side.
no need
The mass murders will continue until the law-makers improve and grow testicles to control the guns...
I'd give them another twenty years....
This is what we are working with....
 
If the relatives and friends approve of it, it should be done. Let people see just how much damage these kinds of weapons can do.

NO
Even if someone approves, still NO
Far too sickeningly and disgusting. And it will not sway any conservative any more than it will change the mind of a fence post..
We need better Congressmen, and campaign reform to allow is to happen...otherwise, it will be business as usual - with nothing being done , due to ignorance and fear..
 
Far worse things on the internet. I don't really care if they get published or not, if they are they should be published after permission is granted. But I'm not sure that's a 100% necessity for publishing photos of folk. Otherwise the paparazzi would be out of business.
 
I almost think if such photos were published then that would change the stance of extremist gun nuts and lead to consensus to ban such weapons, but no, it wouldn't. Some really need to be slapped across the face with the consequences of their positions, but even then, I doubt it would make a difference.

Also, if this happened to me or my loved ones, I would not want such photos going around for everyone to see, and these were small kids. I don't want to see any of that. Didn't want to see even bin laden's corpse. It seems like such a classless and disgraceful thing to do in the end.
 
I almost think if such photos were published then that would change the stance of extremist gun nuts and lead to consensus to ban such weapons, but no, it wouldn't. Some really need to be slapped across the face with the consequences of their positions, but even then, I doubt it would make a difference.

I was thinking of this in a very similar context, with completely opposite applications. We do need to realize the consequences and responsibilities of freedom. Allowing guns in a society does mean you shall reap a certain amount of gun crime, including homicide. Isolated, random, and low frequency mass shootings as the likes that had occurred in Newtown are also probabilities in the exercise of freedom. Given enough time, all probabilities are realized. So we need to understand that this tragedy, while a tragedy, is also a consequence of freedom. To keep freedom, we need to realize the dangerous state we call for, the work and responsibilities we must shoulder to keep it. While we can always work in ways to limit probabilities and prevent certain outcomes; the fact that we are free means that we cannot be safe. To keep freedom, we must understand the underlying dynamics and consequences.
 
If parents want to allow pics of their kid's bodies made public then so be it and who are we to say otherwise? It's a very personal decision and none of our business.


In response to whoever said "everyone knows what [these weapons] do" - that's bull. Most people have no clue what those things can really do. All they "know" is what's in the movies and we all know most of that is overblown. If the parents are willing then this is information, which is always a good thing when making decisions of such importance.

It doesn't matter how many times you repeat the lie, it's still a lie. The shooter at Sandy Hook used 4 handguns, not a semi auto rifle.
And that information, too, should be captioned with the pics. We shouldn't be hiding the evidence but we should also make sure it's not being skewed by misinformation, either.



Should the horrific photos of Newtown victims be published?

Yes
Only if all the parents agree.
No
I voted in the middle - but I think it should be the parents of the children being used that need to agree. Not all parents have to agree to let their kid's body be published for others to be shown. Personally, I wouldn't do it but it's not my child that was killed and it's not my place to make the decision for the parents.
 
Last edited:
No. To what end would that be at all productive?

It is important to report this tragedy, and for the public to dialogue about it with the facts.

But what is the purpose of showing the gore? So the news organization can get some more page hits?

That's not journalism. That's just violence porn.

As soon as someone can give me some actual reason why publishing something like that is necessary, I'll roll it around. But right now, it seems like nothing but a ploy for publicity -- capitalizing on someone else's pain.
It can be violence porn or just publicity but it's also information. If someone wants to go to the cost and trouble of simulating the damage with gel then I'm good with that, too. Form up a few child gel dummies and put some rounds into them. Doesn't matter where the information comes from but some people need to see what damage is actually done instead of making up their own visions based on Hollywood's fictional special effects.
 
no need
The mass murders will continue until the law-makers improve and grow testicles to control the guns...
I'd give them another twenty years....
This is what we are working with....

Mass murders will still continue even if you are somehow magically able to remove all guns from society. You can make bombs with the very things that are under your kitchen sink. And there is not near enough LEO's to watch every single person every minute of the day. Not to mention not enough people to watch the LEO's that are watching everyone else.
 
No. There is absolutely no need for anyone to see pictures of these dead children. Publishing the pictures changes nothing.

Anyone who condones shamelessly exploiting dead children to push whatever agenda they are peddling needs to have a good look at themselves. Stop trying to claim the moral high ground by clambering onto the corpses of children, it's disgusting.
 
No. There is absolutely no need for anyone to see pictures of these dead children. Publishing the pictures changes nothing.

Anyone who condones shamelessly exploiting dead children to push whatever agenda they are peddling needs to have a good look at themselves. Stop trying to claim the moral high ground by clambering onto the corpses of children, it's disgusting.

I couldn't have said it better. I can't understand why anyone would want to publish pictures like this, especially for some political agenda. It's exploitation at it's very worst.
 
I was thinking of this in a very similar context, with completely opposite applications. We do need to realize the consequences and responsibilities of freedom. Allowing guns in a society does mean you shall reap a certain amount of gun crime, including homicide. Isolated, random, and low frequency mass shootings as the likes that had occurred in Newtown are also probabilities in the exercise of freedom. Given enough time, all probabilities are realized. So we need to understand that this tragedy, while a tragedy, is also a consequence of freedom. To keep freedom, we need to realize the dangerous state we call for, the work and responsibilities we must shoulder to keep it. While we can always work in ways to limit probabilities and prevent certain outcomes; the fact that we are free means that we cannot be safe. To keep freedom, we must understand the underlying dynamics and consequences.

Perhaps, but there's still really no good reason to publish those pictures. We usually do not publish pictures of dead people, and why should we? It's especially disturbing when it's dead children.
 
What I'm trying to say here is that by virtue of carrying a weapon capable of multiple shots without the necessity of reloading for a while, the killer was able to shoot small children so many times he actually dismembered some of them. Does that help?

Yes, and that is a societal problem. Would you rather they use a bomb? People who want to kill are going to use whatever means necessary to do it and if they want to kill a lot of people, then they are going to come up with a way to do it.
 
Perhaps, but there's still really no good reason to publish those pictures. We usually do not publish pictures of dead people, and why should we? It's especially disturbing when it's dead children.

There is a site that's been around a long time that I won't name or link to that specializes in dead pics, and the grosser, the better. It links to porn sites, or at least it did when I became aware of it over ten years ago. Something to think about....the prurient interest.

And Adam Lanza has been described as a "glory-killer." He had worked on a spreadsheet and done research for years, including studying other mass murderers. There are other wannabes out there fantasizing about beating Lanza's "score" who would post those pics on their basement walls, look at them daily...so, no.
 
If the families don't mind getting pimped and in turn pimping their dead, who am I to stop them?
 
If the families don't mind getting pimped and in turn pimping their dead, who am I to stop them?

You are the larger society, that's who. Also someone who is not in the throes of deep grief and therefore worth listening to.
 
I do not think there should be a court order or some official suppression of the photos. I believe freedom of speech/expression/press is absolute.

But, I sincerely hope they are not released unless the parents vote to allow it...and why they would do that is totally beyond me.
 
What I'm trying to say here is that by virtue of carrying a weapon capable of multiple shots without the necessity of reloading for a while, the killer was able to shoot small children so many times he actually dismembered some of them. Does that help?

Because Lanza couldn't have possibly achieved this if he had to take a couple of seconds to reload a smaller magazine, than resume.... :roll::doh
 
Back
Top Bottom