AP Rides Again.......

Agenda driven Associated Press is at it.............again:

Boys Across World Die Mimicking Saddam Hanging
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Associated Press

CAIRO, Egypt — The boys' deaths — scattered in the United States, in Yemen, in Turkey and elsewhere in seemingly isolated horror — had one thing in common: They hanged themselves after watching televised images of Saddam Hussein's execution.

Officials and relatives say the children appeared to be mimicking the former dictator's Dec. 30 hanging, shown both on a sanitized Iraqi government tape and explicit clandestine videos that popped up on Web sites and some TV channels. (read the short and complete story)


Rovin: While I am saddened to hear of these tragedies, there are some questions to be asked of this AP story.

"The experts say such graphic images can severely affect youngsters who do not yet understand the consequences of death and violence — especially because Saddam's death received intense international attention."

This one paragraph was chock full of innuendos and contortions:

#1) "graphic images"? First, I would like to ask these experts how much these children are effected by the remaining coverage of death and violence that is described in the papers and news footage every day? If the child had access to a suicide vest (complete with trigger) would these children strap one on for testing their curiosities? Are the "graphic images" in today's video games of violence and mayhem that much different? And does the "reset button" on the child's video game send out a false sense of reality, that there is some how a "button" to push in real life that allows them to start over?

#2) "understand the consequences of death and violence". The AP writer here wrongly (or purposely attempts to deceive) the reader by leaving out the very fact that the "death and violence" perpetrated by Saddam Hussein was the purpose of this execution. To call this execution a "consequence of death and violence" is misleading. It would be more prudent to call it a "result".

"After watching Saddam's execution he was constantly asking 'How was Saddam killed?' and 'Did he suffer?'" Akti was quoted as saying. "These television images are responsible for my son's death."

While I am indeed sorry for the untimely death of Esat Akti's son, why would Akti want to know if Hussein suffered? Did he want to know if his son suffered? Could he ask if the family's and relatives of those murdered (in much more graphic and painful ways) by Hussein-----really cared if Hussein suffered?

I read this story as an opposition to the death penalty. And using these misguided children's tragedies to further this AP's writers dissension is a travesty in itself. I could be wrong.

note to parents: If you have the slightest doubt that your child does not know the ramifications of putting a rope around one's neck to dramatize or emulate a hanging------PLEASE-----take the precious time to explain to them that this can be a fatal and tragic ending to some one's life-------And there is no "button" to push to start over.