Have your kids seen the Saddam Hussein execution video?
Filed under: Gadgets, That's Entertainment
Much like many other people around the world, I found out about the Saddam Hussein execution this past weekend and immediately went to the computer. It is my nature to find out as much as I can about a subject and this was no different.It wasn't very long until I saw a link to a camera phone video of the minutes leading up to the execution. I clicked on the link and started the video, but chose to stop it. I know there are many different opinions on Saddam out there but personally, I did not feel comfortable watching someone's final moments on the Internet.
As I've seen more and more images of his final moments broadcast on the news, I can't help but wonder what people with children who are old enough to understand what is going on are doing. What do you say to a child who asks what is going on in the picture on your computer? What if your teen clicks on the execution video?
A boy in Pakistan recently tried to imitate the video and accidentally ended up killing himself.
If you are a parent, have you had any conversations with your child on this issue? Would you let him see the video if he wanted or do you try to make sure that the topic is not broached in your house?
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
1-02-2007 @ 12:17PM
Raquita said...If my kid is old enough to be awake when the news is on in our house then we'll be discussing it. but other wise , no. I would expect that I wouldn't need to broach the subject until my kid was eight, nine, ten year old range.
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1-02-2007 @ 12:15PM
Raquita said...sorry forgot to put in my url with my actual comment
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1-02-2007 @ 12:57PM
Jenn said...I felt similar to you....no matter how I felt about Saddam, our involvement in Iraq, etc etc...I am extremely uncomfortable watching someone's last moments on film. It just feels wrong, like we have gone back to medieval times, or the French Revolution, when executions were public entertainment.
I understand the concept of filming it for the purposes of proof, but to make it available to the general public?
In the US, recording devices at executions are forbidden by the witnesses. But then, criminal executions are not public events in the US. And we've not had any executions of someone whose actions impacted so very many people.
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1-02-2007 @ 5:17PM
Cassie said...We watched it today in class, and I had watched it yesterday with my mom.
Perhaps this isn't something best brought up over dinner, but if a kid asks about it, I'd explain it to them the best I could.
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1-02-2007 @ 6:15PM
ann adams said...The girls knew about it of course but no they haven't seen the video and neither have I.
I probably wouldn't take them to a hanging in our town square if it once again became fashionable either.
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