how have the notorious photos affected you emotionally?

[mopaul]

you can't be the same after you've seen them. anyone with a human soul will be affected somehow, unless you're g.w. bush. i felt a kick in the guts, similar to how i felt on 9-11. we know the photos affect people in different ways. we all know this stuff goes on, we just don't want to think about it. and we all know that these photos are only the tip of the iceberg, let's face it.

the images bring out the hidden emotions that we luxury-soaked americans rarely feel. horror. hate. revulsion. shock. and denial. and there are much worse images that al jazeerah t.v. shows to the arab muslim world. burnt babies and other unpleasentness.

brace yourselves for more horrific images coming soon. these images have entered the image iconology of american history, like those images of burned vietnamese children, and a man being executed in the street. these images affect you permanently.

george w. bush wishes we had never seen those photos, because he knows it affects us emotionally. this is something he does not understand, because when he said he was a compassionate, lover of jesus, he lied.

[SheilaT]

1. You used "affect" correctly.

It means to be aware of ones emotional feelings.

Effect is the result.

And you're right, I think. Those pictures probably will become part of the emotional territory of this era.

[mopaul]

2. thanks sheila t,

i'm slighltly dislexic or something when it comes to spelling.

[Burma Jones]

3. Anger, Anger, Anger

Seething rage at a usurper. Shame that this country allowed a bunch of criminals that lost the fucking election to perpetrate such crimes.

Disgust at the low life scum that pulled this crap. Disgust at the leadership that believes the ends justify any means.

Curiousity at job opportunities overseas.

[workforpower]

4. Oh Please!

The world is full of prisons and jails and your self-righteous outrage is so lame. Our tax money pays for this all the time right here. The USA is the leader in incarcerated people,worldwide.

[Name removed]

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[rooboy]

5. Those pictures are the perfect expression of * and his minions...

Bush's supporters think that there is a righteous anger about him. The fact is that he is just a mean, sadistic bastard. A trait shared by all his allies, in fact.

To me, those photos were like a mainline from Bush's soul straight down the chain of command. Kind of like a lightning strike exploding a light somewhere else.

[zbird]

7. Anger, revulsion, shame, fear and maybe some despair.

I was in tears instantly when I saw those horrible images. Add those images to the images of the injured/mutilated/dead innocent Iraqis, the injured/maimed/dead military from any country, and it is unbearable. I am horrified that "intelligence gathering" is being contracted out to people (I guess I should call them what they are, mercenaries) without a soul, and who apparently have been told by the US government that they answer to no military or moral code of behavior.

I am ashamed of the leadership of this country, and the shame seems to grow exponentially with every new revelation.

I fear for the lives of the young (and not-so-young) military, for I am sure that retaliation is in the future. And, who would blame those who retaliate... these were the "liberators" performing these atrocities.

I despair for the future of my country when over 30% (by some polls) of the citizens see no problem with the torture and abuse of the Iraqi prisoners/detainees. I despair that we have lost our humanity.

[pebbles1]

8. they have not affected me as much

as the 300 or so bodies found buried in Saddam back yard or the pictures of Saddam's guards torturing prisoners ad throwing them off of buildings.

I am still embarrassed and disgusted that a few of our soldiers decided to humiliate prisoners by making take their clothes of and simulate sexual acts. I am sure we will punish those few.

[mopaul]

9. so, mysterious pebbles, you approve of torture?

bam bam

[zbird]

10. Call me silly, but I hold my country to higher standards than

"not as bad as Saddam". We are the ones who are supposed to be liberators. We are the ones going in there on our high moral horse. We are supposed to be the "great Christian nation".

By the way... do the pictures of the Iraqi children killed by US strikes affect you in any way?

[pebbles1]

13. I also hold my country to the same standards as you

I approve of no torturing of any kind! I understood the question to be what affects the photos had on me. They gave me a horrible sicking feeling especially knowing our country did this. I do believe they are the few and far between. However, the pictures of mass amounts of dead people I saw and wondering how long they suffered before their deaths or throwing a live human beings blind folded off a building has had much more of an affect on me as far as nightmares go.

Not sure how you brought the Christians in this, but so be it

[zbird]

19. "Christian" (note the quotes) was brought up because...

our fearless leader keeps bringing up the notion of the "great Christian nation" of ours. I was brought up in a Christian church and was taught compassion, love for fellow man, and that oldie but goodie, "do unto others as you would have them do unto you". I see no evidence of any compassion or love for our fellow humankind in those pictures (or most anything this misadministration does).

As far as "do unto others..." I fear the karma on this one is going to be a real bitch (sorry about that term, DUers, but that's the phrase).

As far as the torture episodes being far and few between, I am afraid it is probably more common than you or I would care to admit. The US has hired mercenaries to do the interrogation, has "off-shored" detainees to Gitmo, and, if I remember correctly, has handed over some detainees to countries where "interrogation methods" are questionable.

[pebbles1]

25. are you kidding!

we hand off our detainees to others! For christ sake does this country insource anything!

However, I am afraid you are right up torture episodes being far and few between. I wonder as I look at my children, what kind of world did I give me

[hexola]

15. Welcome to DU Pebbles1

I hope the images will make all the other killing of civilians, babies, innocents, seem just as atrocious.

Many try to dismiss the "collateral damage" as "the cost of war" and something we should tolerate. We should not.

[pebbles1]

17. I wonder how anyone could see the killing

of civilians, babies and innocents and NOT being atrocious and damn down horrific. I have no words to describe this accept to say this should never be dismissed as "collateral damage."

[hexola]

18. Agreed - but that's what "they" want us to accept...

That's the message I hear from Rummy etc..."This is war" - That's their excuse...

an excuse that is getting lamer and lamer by the second...

[ComerPerro]

22. Yeah, that affected me too

And the worst part is, those bodies were bodies of people who were most likely killed in the late eighties by Saddam. It sickens me to think that the US was allied with such a monster as he slaughtered his own people. But, I'm sorry, my bad. Reagan was a great man, wasn't he?

[OKNancy]

11. Disgust

but as a side note, I am getting a weird and troubling notion about the outrage here. Specifically about the woman shown. For some reason it seems that people are so appalled by the woman in the picture and her role. I'm may be making something out of nothing, but it is a weird feeling.

And then this:
An Iraqi prisoner commenting -

"They were trying to humiliate us, break our pride. We are men. It's OK if they beat me. Beatings don't hurt us, it's just a blow. But no one would want their manhood to be shattered," he said.


"They wanted us to feel as though we were women, the way women feel and this is the worst insult, to feel like a woman," al-Shweiri said.....

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040502/ap_on_re_mi_ea/pr...
-----------

[mopaul]

12. the fact that it's a cute young girl shocks american sensibilities

which is silly, women can be just as big a jerk as men, but lizzie borden was considered innocent by many in her day, because no one thought a woman could actually kill anyone, let alone two people, with an ax. but they surely can.

and certain muslim religions are hardcore subjigaters of women.

[supercrash]

14. Well....

I feel vindicated

This is the real USA...we have been exposed

We have a habit of arming rebels and terrorists, we have a habit of overthrowing eleted leaders only to install a military puppet regime that is willing to sell out it's countries resources

We have a history of corruption and torture, we think the Geneva Conventions only apply to other people

This IS the real USA

[neebob]

16. They make me feel disgusted and ashamed

to be an American, but they pretty much just confirm everything I've always thought about this war - and the other one, too. So, really, I'm no more disgusted or ashamed than I was before. I have to say my feelings are about the same. More than anything, I'm afraid for the future and horrified at the stupidity of people who go along with this - this being the whole bogus war on terror - or defend it in any way.

Did people think we weren't taking any prisoners or being super nice to them or something? Duh. The only thing that surprises me is they were dumb enough to take pictures.

[Toucano]

20. My response is shifting now.

Of course my despair for the victims was great. What if that were me?

Then I realized my saddness for the perps whose humanity was stripped away to make them monsters. They're like junkyard dogs; Pathetic and pitiful.

Today, I can't stop seeing a big target on every single person I meet. How many of them will be killed or mamed to pay for this injustice? And for how long will we have to bear these targets? Can anyone wash the targets off, scrub them away?

[democratreformed]

21. Sad, more ashamed, and somewhat hopeless

Disgusted, too.

[AlienGirl]

23. I am sad but unsurprised

They have confirmed what history and ethology suggest about humans: any time one group of humans has complete power over another group, abuse is inevitable.

Tucker

[mopaul]

24. humans have always tortured other humans all through history

but we sometimes overlook this sad fact. even the girl next door can be a torturer, the elements simply have to be in place.

[AlienGirl]

26. It's not just humans

Chimps do it too. Sometimes I really dislike the Great Apes.

Tucker

[AlienGirl]

27. I wrote this years ago; it sums up how I still feel

The Dinner

The fish is brought out, its flesh cut but still weakly alive. This proves that it is very fresh. A napkin covers its eyes so the diners won’t be disturbed by an expression of fear, or pain. The fish buckles, exposing bones and bleeding a little. The diners have chopsticks for the easy parts, and knives for skin and recalcitrant bits of flesh. The diners speak lightly of friends not present and accounts they’ve won. The fish’s gills shudder; the exposed side is eaten to the rib-bones. The diners open the tail. The fish survives almost until the meal ends, almost until all that remains are bones and guts and blood. The diners only notice that the fish isn’t trying to move any more. Satisfied and full, they put their jackets on and leave a tip before walking out into the upscale night.

How the fuck am I supposed to trust people, when this is considered a delicacy?

And yet I know, they can’t help it. Just as hyenas will eat a wildebeest alive, or a cat will play with a terrified mouse, human beings will commit small atrocities and large ones.

They are as blameless as a shark. All the Great Apes are, even though all species create horrors that even they find reprehensible. Like a shark, like a hyena, the Great Apes have no choice but to do these things. It’s somewhere in their instincts to savor the suffering of another. Even one of their own.

In a war on the other side of the world, winning soldiers line the children on the ground. Another soldier, a child himself, only thirteen, picks up the ax. His officers smile and crack jokes as he begins the process. The village children are made to stretch their arms flat against the ground. The kid with the ax aims for the middle of the arms. One girl screams when they pull her arm up to expose it. The soldier with the ax cuts her lips off as punishment. The officers pick up the hands; one gets silly and chases another with a hand stump-end out. Blood is everywhere. Some of the children will live. In a refuge for amputees one girl later says she hardly felt the blade; it was so sudden it didn’t hurt until later. But she used to enjoy drawing.

Blameless and pure as piranhas.

Tucker