HOW MUCH DO YOU WANNA SEE?

[Carsman]

for some people in here to say that you need to see it in order to believe it and see the brutality of terroist(basically) is just a crock of shit as far as I am concerned...9-11 did that already

Personally, I don't visit gore sights, not my thing. And, I don't gain any insight from seeing victims of car accidents and such, so I choose not to look at them.

But, for me, when it comes to what's really going on and who's who in war zones and conflict areas where the US is directly or indirectly involved, I know there's a lot of confusion, spin, propaganda and agenda-based reporting. Sometimes seeing the true colors of a person or group doing what they do reveals more of the story and can affect perceptions. It can also change the course of events. That's not only true with acts of extreme violence, it's true in general. That's one of the reasons that I appreciate photojournalists like James Foley.

I think it's important for people to see what's happening, IF they so choose. Seeing that video yesterday made it even more clear to me what the people terrorized in Iraq and Syria are dealing with on a daily basis. It made me glad that the US had not (to the best of my knowledge) armed the Syrian rebels last year; IS is the leading rebel faction in the country. Hearing and seeing James Foley read the scripted message he delivered gave me a little clearer view as to the American stake in Iraq and Syria. Reading another person's second hand account of it in writing would not have had the same effect on me.

The video jolted action from German and French leaders to commit support to the Kurdish community fighting against IS in Iraq. It prompted British PM Cameron to return from vacation to address the Iraq/Syria crisis more urgently and start the investigation into whether it was a British jihadist who carried out the beheading. It prompted headline stories about the number of western fighters now physically fighting for IS forces and how different countries are monitoring that activity as a part of their homeland security. It got some people who haven't been following the news to take interest in what the US is doing in Iraq and weigh in. These are not the same terrorists as ⁹⁄₁₁ and many of the factors in play are different, as I see it.

Seeing it may not have have affected your thinking as it did mine and others, though, and I understand why you heeded the warnings of graphic content and chose not to look. I don't think all people who choose to look are sick, just like I don't think all people who choose not to look are weak.

As for kids seeing such images, it wasn't stated in the OP that the question was specific to adult viewing, but that's what I intended. It's up to parents to determine what their kids can access, IMO.

I have said it before and I'll say it again.

HotD is one wise woman, she articulates sentiments precisely!

She is spot on!