Ethical Disimination Torture Photos?

Randy Cohen’s piece in The New York Times does a good job tackling the issue of the power of pictures and how they influence us. I do not agree with his conclusion but I appreciate his thinking and his address of an important, ethical topic.

I think it is ok, even good, judgment for our government to withhold these violent and disturbing images from the press and the common citizens. I also think this is different than the government keeping the people from having a better understanding of the situation.
The pictures up for discussion are pieces of evidence related to violent crimes. They depict and convict people of power mistreating incarcerated citizens and that is political. They also depict beating, humiliation, inhumane violence and the like. I can find no good reason for people to view disturbing violent crimes. Knowing that they occur is important; the people should experience emotion and react to such incidents.

These torture photos should be seen by the jury or the judge or whoever is responsible for bringing the abusers to justice. They are pieces of damning evidence and should be viewed as such. They, like all criminal evidence, are legal documentation and should be viewed in a legal courtroom.

Let’s look at a parallel civilian situation where power is not a factor. A rapists or murderer video tapes his crimes, he records his violent and disgusting act. Would it be wrong of him to post those videos online for the public to view? It would be criminal and wrong, right? Would it be wrong of his friend to post them online? You bet. How about the prosecutor in the case? Yes, I think so.

Cohen gets it right when he discusses how, “photographs can communicate so movingly,” and I share the his passion about having an open, transparent government. Yet, in this case, I feel that the words are enough, that the facts are sufficient to rouse enough public awareness, emotion and reaction that the criminal acts of torture needed not be viewed by the masses but reserved for the courtroom and used as tools for justice (“Neda, Obama and the power of pictures”).