Conscience bugging me.

[nedflanders]

So this morning a work colleague sends me this e-mail of a canadian sniper (I think it is real) and it shows him shooting 3 taliban fighters from long range. At first I thought this was fascinating but now it I am starting to think I am a sicko. Am i sick or would you all watch it have I played call of duty too much and become dehumanized and why did i spell dehumanized with a Z?

[ELVIS68]

Only 3?....pah!

[carlos]

I wouldn't worry too much about it nedflanders - i think it's only natural to be curious about our mortality - How many people watched in disbelief when the twin towers fell, probably the biggest media event there has been in modern times. Should I feel guilty that every time I see a replay of it I watch? Or the Challenger explosion? I've come across similar things as the sniper video while surfin' the net and although i don't go searching for it, sometimes a wrong click can take you to the darker side of the highway. I can't say that i feel particularly guilty about it, but it doesn't give me a thrill and i probably wouldn't download it and put it on my phone to show everybody either! With the media being as it is and boundaries being pushed it's probably only going to get more extreme. I know what you mean with the dehumanisation thing - It's something i've been thinking about recently - i've got nieces and cousins all in their younger years and what I considered to be cutting edge horror effects when Freddy Kruger was knockin' about can now be seen on Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Take the Orcs in the Rings trilogy or even the dinosaurs in Jurrasic Park - or am I being a bit overprotecting?

[twonk]

I think the fact that you are questioning your motives in watching the film shows that you haven't gotten to the stage where you're dehumanising people just yet - but it may have been a wake up call? It does raise interesting questions. Please don't think I'm asking you personally but it raises the philosophical question of if people can be arrested for downloading child porn and watching it because of the fact that the demand for it brings these children into danger then why is it any different for killings? Where is the line drawn? And who draws it? And do we all bear responsiblility for these actions?

I agree with Carlos to an extent that the world of information and media that we live in today is changing and the news is now much more graphic than it ever used to be - supposedly in 'public interest'.

With the case of 'this' clip - I wouldn't worry about it too much - it's been done and you've seen it. That cannot be undone. But if you can I would try and put it out of your head. We all have a certain morbid curiosity but if it has made you feel uncomfortable don't watch any more. And maybe ask your friend not to send you any more clips like that?

[sunflower71]

murder is murder, doesnt matter if its a 14 year old kid killing an 11 year old or in some bush arse licking person killing a civillian who is fighting for his/her country.