Squeamish Americans

I want to see the video of the Nicholas Berg execution by Al Qaida in Iraq. I've attempted unsuccessfully to find it and view it on the internet.

I'm deeply puzzled by our news media's filter on war issues. Prison mistreatment photos take by American GI's from Abu Grhaib are ok to show over and over again. Why because they are not too gruesome and are important. But Nicholas Berg's execution by Islamic terrorists can't be shown because it's too gruesome and would offend the sensibilities of civilized people. Same with the video of Daniel Pearl's slaughter by Islamic terrorists. Same with the graphic video of people jumping out of the World Trade Center towers after being attacked by Islamic terrorists.

Are we getting the picture here? American mistreatment - not too gruesome. Islamic terrorists activities - too gruesome to show. That should give you all the perspective you need. As Sean Hannity said on his radio program all week, it should define for you the difference between mistreatment and atrocity.

But it's not enough. I think Americans are way too squeamish on this and should suck it up and view the videos so that we fully know what this War on Terrorism is all about. The full depth of it. I frankly don't have patience with my fellow countrymen on this point. We're going to commit troops to fight and die for a cause, but we can't be bothered to be offended by viewing the reality of that war?

I see it as analogous to "The Passion of the Christ". Sure I already knew the story of the crucifixion of Christ. Sure it meant a lot to me. But Mel Gibson correctly understood that people needed to be visually confronted with the reality of those last twelve hours, in all of their violent content, to truly internalize the meaning. It's the same principle here. Sure we understand the pure evil of Berg's killing. But have we, in a two day news cycle, really internalized what it means about the enemy that we are in a life and death struggle with daily?

I think public opinion of the war in Iraq would be far different and far more committed if Americans had been allowed to view the complete Twin Towers video, the Daniel Pearl video, and the Nicholas Berg video.

To the networks: stop censoring the video.

To my friends and family: stop averting your eyes. You owe it to our troops to be fully committed to why we sent them there.