GP blog entry 2
Title of article: 8 kids die imitating Saddam's execution
link:
http://www.todayonline.com/articles/164930.asp A series of copycat hangings have followed shortly after the surfacing of a second video about the execution of former Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein, on the Internet. The footage of the hanging was shot by a mobile phone camera and witnessed by the eight young victims.
I feel that the execution of the former dictator is a highly controversial issue that should not be taken lightly. The person who was responsible for the uploading of the execution video obviously had little regard for the repercussions of his actions. These days, censorship rules are getting increasingly lax and almost anyone can gain access to such online sources.
The younger generation is vulnerable and extremely impressionable. They are not exposed to the bigger picture because what stands between these children and the plain truth is often, an over-protective parent. Parents see it as a duty to protect their children from the negativity of society, but looking at matters from a different angle, some of us might find that this is actually doing children a disservice. This is because by avoiding discussion about topics pertaining to violence or events of a similar nature, parents are depriving their children of answers - answers to pressing questions with regard to events that have resulted in severe loss of lives or societal breakdowns. When a child’s curiosity is not satisfied, he or she will resort to other means to get that one desired answer. And somehow, they stumble across visual sources that show them another side of the story. Being impressionable, they would thereafter possess a tendency to mimic what they had previously seen. The consequences that follow are usually dire.
I am able to arrive at two conclusions from the above mentioned. Firstly, policies should be implemented to ensure stricter regulation of censorship. Videos containing footage of Saddam Hussein’s execution should never have surfaced on the World Wide Web as such an event is controversial and has raised great tension within certain communities. What can we gain from viewing footage about the process of a person’s death? If the answer is satisfaction, then I reckon that the person is really no different from the former dictator who had caused the deaths of so many innocent civilians.
Pertaining to the issue of over-protective parents, I feel that it is necessary to take a different approach the next time a child asks his or her parent a question like “Why is the man hanging in the air?” Instead of avoiding the topic entirely, I feel that the parent should sit the child down and explain the situation to him or her carefully. This way, the child can better understand the situation and be more well-informed. This would satisfy their curiosity and prevent them from probing further and end up getting exposed to undesirable sources.
After all, prevention is better than cure. Similar tragedies can be prevented if parents take the correct approach in educating their young about many things. So next time when a child asks you a question like "Mummy, why is the man holding a knife at its throat?", answer truthfully and show him the bigger picture. It wouldn't hurt to know more, but on the contrary, you never know what can happen when you are not as well-informed.
