Photo-Voyeurism

I did not feel compelled to comment upon the demise of Osama Bin Ladin. What is worthy of comment, in some small way, is the "conversation" over the alleged images of the body. I say "alleged," simply because there appear to be some who believe that these images do not exist, because "the US just made it up."

Some claim we need proof, for some sort of catharsis. What I sense is that most of these people just want to see dead people. Killed dead people. Like small boys at play they taunt; "if you really have a frog/gun/girlie magazine, you have to show it to us." Mr. Obama, arms crossed, says "Not gonna." Wise man.

I understand what these photo-voyeurs want. Every time there is an accident on the road I am travelling, I see it. The news folks call them "rubber-neckers." The road is clear in all lanes, but they stay at 15mph, hoping to see a splat of blood, dismembered limbs, a Body.

What is strange is their fascination AND the probability that they will be disappointed. Over the years, we've seen plenty of pictures of "real" dead people, and plenty of Hollywood corpses on NCIS and the various "CSI:YourTown." Fact is, real dead people look fake, while Hollywood dead people "Look so Dead, They Could Be Live!" Talk about a jaded populace. Life imitates Art.

For those who think the US just made up the story, I am therefore quite confident that the technology exists to give us a wide selection of photos of a "dead" Mr. Bin Ladin, with or without bullet holes. With the body gone and nothing left but stains on the floor, someone is going to have to work hard to prove who was the "victim" of the raid in Abbottabad.