April 25, 2008
Studio 360’s Lu Olkowski talked to artists (including painter Fernando Botero), writers, and a former soldier who have spent years trying to figure out what the Abu Ghraib photos really mean, and how seeing torture changes us.
Weigh in: The enduring impact of the Abu Ghraib photos?
Thank you for airing this incredible show. I have been working with images from the Iraq war as well as Goya's Disasters of War etchings (which by the way, were of the Peninsular War in Spain, not the Inquisition), embroidering them with human hair, as in the tradition of mourning pictures. (My work is on jennkristen.blogspot.com).
I feel that the public needs to continuously be reminded about the tragedies at Abu Ghraib and of war in general; it is very easy for us in the United States to forget and turn our eyes away.
Thank you again.
Jennifer Perry
These images will continue to be used by terrorists to degrade America's reputation in the world. They should be used to encourage Americans to act against any of these practices.
Our occupation of Iraq encourages the worst behavior of people who otherwise live honorably. Abu Ghraib repeats processes well known from psychology studies here in America.
Americans should see the human cost of war, the bloody wounds of military and civilians the psychological wounds of both. Perhaps we would be less inclines to declare war.
Iraq was and is just what Al Quaida wanted, we played right into the hand of terrorist recruiters.
The real tragedy of Abu Ghraib was media interpretation of pranks played on criminals as torture.
I remember far greater embarrassment in college, hazing and fraternity hell nights than was portrayed as torture in those jail pictures. Do we fail to understand what we actually see because we analyze it to death and look for meaning other than what it actually is?
What pleases Al Quaida most is our public criticism of our own actions by our own people. Airing our dirty laundry in full view of our enemies empowers them beyond anything Osoma Bi Laden could ever do.
What most New Yorkers (I was born in NYC) overlook, there is a reason subways haven't exploded and more planes haven't destroyed buildings. Our military is fighting those in Iraq who would otherwise be here in America on our streets creating that chaos.
Al Quaida has sworn to kill all "non-believers". What side of the world do you want them to be killing non-believers?
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