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Monday, May 17, 2004
Oregon Daily Emerald
COMMENTARY
Editor in Chief:
Brad Schmidt
Managing Editor:
Jan Tobias Montry
Editorial Editor:
Travis Willse
EOITORIAI.
Iraq photos
need to be
released,
but carefully
Both the Arab and Western worlds have been abuzz
and enraged over alleged abuse of prisoners at the hands
of American soldiers at Iraq's infamous Abu Ghraib
prison. The deplorable behavior — whatever its motiva
tion — was first broadcast to the world April 28 by CBS,
and then by United Arab Emirates-based Al-Arabiya and
Qatar-based Al-Jazeera.
Reaction was sharply negative in the Arab world:
"Shame on America," said Mustafa Saad, who was read
ing a newspaper in a Cairo cafe, to The Associated Press.
"How can they convince us now that it is the bastion of
democracy, freedoms and human rights? Why do we
blame our dictators then?"
On Wednesday, several ranking Republican leaders op
posed the release of hundreds of photos not yet seen by
the general public.
"These pictures, at this time, by the executive branch,
should not be released into the public domain," Sen.
lohn Warner, R-Va„ told CNN, arguing that the images
could inspire the "enemy."
But other representatives disagree.
"1 think the only hope that we have, really, of re
deeming ourselves here and winning back some of the
support that this incident has cost us (is) if we act as an
open society that will deal with problems openly, that
will hold people accountable," said Sen. Carl Levin, D
Mich., the top-ranking Dem on the Armed Services
Committee.)
And Levin's very close to being right-on. The openness
of a government is more important in wartime than in
any other. Indeed, photographs document the often gris
ly, gut-wrenching ravages of war in ways that words alone
often cannot.
Thus, for their understanding, the American people
should have reasonable access to the unreleased images,
but the distribution of the images should be handled
carefully: All pictures should be released, except those
whose publication would interfere with due legal process
(as of Thursday, seven soldiers face criminal charges in
the case).
The most lurid of the pictures should be reserved for
places where they cannot be found accidentally. A sixth
grader casually thumbing through a metro daily should
n't see prisoners being forced into demeaning sexual pos
es — something some of the photos depict — or charred
but recognizable dismembered human bodies, but an
adult reading online should be able to view them (after
due warnings about graphic content).
The photos should be published in context: Photos as
emotionally galvanizing as those of countrymen (or sim
ply human beings in general) can very easily be used to
further a partisan cause — often devaluing human life in
the process — instead of that of human rights or fair
journalism. Perhaps the best thing newspapers and other
media can do to avoid acting as propagandists (deliber
ate or otherwise) is to define for themselves and their au
diences why they're printing or broadcasting some pic
tures are not others.
Ultimately, Americans need to be informed, and
they're best informed on their own terms.
EDITORIAL BOARD
Brad Schmidt
Editor in Chief
Jan Tobias Montry
Managing Editor
Travis Wiilse
Editorial Editor
Jennifer Sudick
Freelance Editor
Ayisha Yahya
News Editor
SSSoAA
OH UoU> FOR
UoHE ^ournoN
Steve Baggs Illustrator
THE LAST
HOME STRETCH
My softball team, the Cheesy Bacon
Fries, suffered a tough First-round loss in
the softball intramurals last week. We
went down swinging at least, which was
more than we were doing in the First
three innings. We made a couple errors.
As pitcher, I only gave up one in-the-park
home run, or at least 1 stopped counting
after that. And 1 only let the ball roll
through my legs once to the shortstop.
Yeah, the Bad News Bears may have giv
en us a run for our money that day, but 1
couldn't have cared less. I've never had so
much fun on an intramural team. One of
the players made a joke that we needed
to really practice hard in the off-season.
The sad thing is this was the Cheesy Ba
con Fries' farewell season because most
of us are graduating. There won't be an
other time to argue over who's up next
and who's going to make the third out.
There are a few more chances to go to
Burger 'n Brew night, but we won't all be
talking about those close calls that did
n't go our way. It's all coming to an end.
I've never seen my friends more scared
in all my life. 1 maybe have never been so
scared. We all talk in bipolar terms.
"Where are you going to live?" One
minute Portland, the next minute Chica
go, the next day Austin. "What do you
want to do?" 1 want to design, I want to
write, I want to travel.
It is so hard to decide. I've actually be
gun to envy those who are going to grad
uate school! Apply in the fall, hear back
in the spring, and all summer you have
the satisfaction of knowing where you're
going. But some of us aren't ready to go
back to the books. We want a break and a
taste of the big city. We want to work for
the man. Unfortunately, the man isn't al
ways hiring.
Now with a degree under your belt,
you're stuck in the middle. The job you
worked part time in college just isn't good
enough anymore, but you're willing to
move to the business down the street. It's
a job at least, and you somehow Find justi
fication of why it would be a great resume
builder. But after interviewing, you learn
the compensation is a little less than what
you made at your part-time job. Maybe
you'll try somewhere else.
It hurts to turn down a job, especially
when securing one is your main goal.
But sometimes you know a job just isn't
right. Like when they ask you to make a
list of your closest friends and relatives,
to whom they want you to sell insurance.
This happened to me. I stood with the
sheet, looking at my friend, trying to fig
ure out which mutual fund was best for
him. "Average income? Zero. Household
payment? Lives with girlfriend. Employ
er? None." 1 suggested since he was un
employed that he really needed to look
into some health insurance. We both
laughed and then I called the office and
declined the next interview.
Marissa Jones
Cry me a river
Interviews just intensify the nervous
feeling you constantly have. You always
try to walk in confidently, but at the back
of your mind you're always thinking, "I
really need a job so I can pay for this suit
I'm wearing." The salesman inside be
gins to take over as you talk about your
resume and ultimately end up stressing
your great personality.
One time I sat in an interview where
the employer was talking about people
who have the "whole package." She
looked at my resume, saying she really
liked it. I felt pretty good, until she said,
"I just really love these colors you've
used. Your resume is so pretty." Eventu
ally she got to reading the actual words
on the resume. She liked what she saw,
and started explaining how you have to
have the "whole package" to get a job
these days. She thought I had it, citing
my "pretty" resume and professional
dress. Then she did the most appalling
thing. Making a reference to the girl who
had walked out of the interview before
mine, she said, "Like Jenny. She's really
nice, but she doesn't have the whole
package. You have to be cute and smart."
At that point I decided to skip my ques
tion about if the issue of sacrificing per
sonal ethics ever came up at her job. All I
could think was, "I wonder if she'll no
tice. if 1 glance down at my watch." I
turned my head and glared at the door.
All I wanted was a way out.
Some of us will move back in with our
parents. To those people I wish the most
luck. Some of us will take that job we
didn't want and suffer through it for a
few months until it finally gets to us.
Some of us will continue to look for
something, living off a rationed box of
Raisin Bran, which we eat for three meals
a day. Some of us will crash at our
friend's place, realizing futons really
make for horrible beds and couches. But
probably all of us will end up ordering
cheesy bacon fries at Rennie's the last
week, talking about what we've decided
to do. And one day we'll look back at
that night, never remembering the fear
we had at that moment, but remember
ing the friends and food that accompa
nied us.
Sometimes in life you drop the ball or
you swing and miss, but in the end you'll
realize that what's most important is the
people who were there supporting you. I
know it sounds cheesy (how appropri
ate), but it's true.
Good season, Cheesy Bacon Fries.
Now go get 'em.
Contact the columnist
at marissajones@dailyemerald.com.
Her opinions do not necessarily
represent those of the Emerald.
Each week, the Emerald
publishes the results of the
previous poll and the coming
week’s poll question.Visit
http://www.dailyemerald.com
to vote.
Last question: What do you
think of the Atkins diet?
Results: 47 votes.
• It’s awful... and unhealthy:
42.6 percent or 20 votes.
• It’s nothing more than a
moneymaking scheme: 34.0
percent or 16 votes.
• It’s better than exercise!
14.9 percent or seven votes.
• It’s great... It works! 8.5
percent or four votes.
This week: Do you think the
remaining Iraq prisoner abuse
photos should be released?
Choices: Yes, open government
is good government; Yes, people
need to see more of the war; No,
many of the images are too
offensive; No, the depicted Iraqis
have been humiliated enough.