QotD: Beheading
Posted May 14th, 2004 @ 09:50am by Erik J. Barzeski
Question: Have you watched the Berg video?
My Answer: No. I began to watch one that was billed as having a "long intro" and I quit the player after about ten seconds. It was obvious to me that what was about to happen was going to be very real, and not a movie stunt, and though I hunt and fish, I could not bear to watch the rest of the video. I know myself well enough to know that I shall never need to see it, and shall avoid watching should it appear before me on a TV or something.
You are encouraged to answer the Question of the Day for yourself in the comments or on your blog.
Donate Life
Posted 14 May 2004 at 11:41am #
I thought a few days ago of how easy it would be to find it; and then with a pleasant surprise I realized I didn't even want to download it, much less see it.
I've seen violence, and it makes me ill. I don't need to pursue this feeling.
Posted 14 May 2004 at 11:49am #
I didn't watch it but I did look at some stills. Normally, I'm someone who stays away from gross out images. I have no desire to see stuff like that. But in this case, it is important to remember why we're fighting this war, to understand what's at stake. The men in that video are the people we're fighting against. They're the reason we needed to free Iraq. And if it takes images of such a horrific nature to make that clear, then, to a certain extent, we're obligated to see them.
Posted 14 May 2004 at 12:23pm #
Yeah, I watched it. I thought I was a big, cynical guy and that I was ready for anything. I was mistaken. I've been haunted by it ever since.
Now I learn that there are a significant number of people who are calling the veracity of the video into question. People who say that the killers are not Arab but "Western," whatever that means. People who say that the person killed on camera wasn't Nick Berg. People who say that there wasn't enough blood, so it had to be fake. And so on.
I don't know how to tell an Arab from a "Western" person when he's wearing a ski mask. I don't know Nick Berg. And I've never seen a man's throat cut before, so I don't know how to tell if it looked real or not.
And I really don't care at this point. I wish I'd never watched it.
Posted 14 May 2004 at 12:35pm #
I got curious and watched it.
I actually felt physically ill for an hour afterwards. The speed in which the men jumped on the hostage to hold him down shocked me.
If anyone gets curious and wants to watch it I'd highly recommend they control their curiosity.
Posted 14 May 2004 at 1:27pm #
I figure his family don't particularly want me to see it, so I won't be watching it any time soon.
Posted 14 May 2004 at 1:48pm #
Same here, started watching before 10 secs closed the window.
The sad thing is that attrocities like this happens more often than what we think and even here in the US. The issue with this one was that it was made public.
But still, I won't watch it because of respect for life. Life is bigger than that ignorance.
May all the relatives of Mr. Berg find peace and courage.
Posted 14 May 2004 at 3:08pm #
I haven't seen it, nor do I wish to. It's bad enough hearing about the stuff going on in Iraq, but to see it makes it so much worse.
As has been said, the Berg family doesn't need this sort of reminder, so it's best not to encourage it.
God bless the Berg family.
Posted 14 May 2004 at 3:14pm #
I watched it, nearly vomited.
Posted 14 May 2004 at 3:54pm #
I would not watch it, as it would probably be burned into my memory, and I would just think about it all the time.
No way, I am sorry for the family's loss and I hope all of this will end very soon
Posted 14 May 2004 at 4:26pm #
Brutality
Erik's question of the day today was something that been on my mind for most the week. The video of Berg's beheading by his captors in Iraq. I've seen stills of the video on CNN and other internet venues, and...
Posted 14 May 2004 at 5:03pm #
I haven't watched it yet... I haven't decided whether I want to subject myself to it, authentic or not, given other people's reactions.
Here's a site that outlines many of the oddities about the video. There are still a lot of unanswered questions and sketchy details. Perhaps only time will tell.
Posted 14 May 2004 at 8:06pm #
One would have to be totally blind to ignore the incredible stench of P2OG Pentagon theater in the case of Nick Berg.
The very first sentence, Brahm. The very first sentence. As soon as I read that, I knew if I wanted to read the rest of it, I'd have to sort out legitimate points of interest and concern from radical leftist propaganda.
I mean, I guess I admire the author for putting it right out front, but come on. Isn't anybody making an objective chronicle of the "unanswered questions and sketchy details?"
Posted 14 May 2004 at 8:08pm #
Ooops. Sorry, Brahm. It appears that I spoke too soon.
Now we learn that he was under investigation by the FBI right after 9/11 for having the same password as one of the al-CIAeda decoys.
That's the point where I stopped reading. The 21st-century version of the Holocaust denier is the 9/11 denier, and whoever wrote that shameful rant is clearly among their number.
Posted 14 May 2004 at 10:52pm #
I'm pretty much in the class with those who watched it and felt physically ill. I thought I was pretty desensitized to things after years of having friends (not by my choice) send me pictures of birth defects, psychical deformities, autopsies, etc. But that video really cramped up my stomach. Thankfully I was at work and had it muted.
Posted 17 May 2004 at 8:28am #
I read this entry and decided, "hmm, I guess I'll pass." Then, I read a rather silly but slightly thought provoking article at kuro5hin and decided I'd go watch it.
Really... it wasn't as bad as I think many other people here are saying it is. We've probably all seen decent horror special effects, this (as far as watching it) is no different. Hell, its really not even as "good" as a lot of things I've seen because of the video quality and camera "work."
However, as far as the unfortunate fact that this is not a horror movie, its real life..... I dunno. I havn't thought much about that because people are dying every day.... It really really sucks that Berg was killed (however or by whoever), there is no denying that. But maybe if every gruesome act committed by someone was taped and publicized as much as this one, we would stop fucking killing each other over absolutly nothing.