Moscow images are good for the public

When two female suicide bombers detonated bombs in the Moscow subway system on Monday morning killing 39 Russian nationals, citizens reacted both in horror and  in a proactive manner. Citizens and commuters took out their cameras and cell phones and sent video of the tragedy to the Internet. While some critics say that publishing the videos is in poor taste, the videos are needed to inform the public.

The videos displayed on citizentube.com or throughout Russian Web sites showed graphic images of bodies on the platform, as well as videos of people groaning in pain. While the videos are difficult to watch, they are not exploiting a tragedy; they are documenting one.
During the Persian Gulf War, a ban was placed on photos of flag-draped caskets being carried off air crafts at the Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. The ban was lifted under President Barack Obama in February 2009 and allowed an image for tragedy. The lives lost overseas in battle will now be more than just a number, but the American people can see it for themselves.
After 9-11, videos surfaced on bodies hitting the ground, people jumping out of buildings and people running through the streets bleeding from the head. While people hesitated at first, Americans saw those videos as documented history and were included in the documentary “9/11.” Americans did not put a restriction on the images, but rather used them as symbols of tragedy. Because we were able to see the tragedy, we could relate more and empathize more with the victims.
The same philosophy was applied to videos after the Haiti earthquake. Anderson Cooper was seen helping a child bleeding from the head after being hit by falling debris. Images of bodies lined the streets behind reporters in Port au Prince and surrounding towns, detailing the deaths of 230,000 people.
While the images are graphic and sometimes hard to stomach, they are necessary for people to understand the gravity of a situation.
Governments can give a number to a tragedy of how many lives were lost and how many were injured, yet the severity will never be understand unless people see the aftermath for themselves.
That is why people had such a strong reaction to Haiti and 9-11. It is why we are still feeling for those lost in Hurricane Katrina.
The images from the tragedy in Moscow are necessary for the American public and the world community to understand what happened. The number “39” means nothing, but when people are able to see the bodies and see what the result of the two suicide bombers, it will leave a longer-lasting impact.