I support publishing this photo. I was there. Two blocks downstream of the mayhem. Thankfully. Wearing my patriotic "Home of the Brave" t shirt and, ironically, my Ballots not Bullets button given to me by 10th Dems. Attending this celebration and trying to extract some remnant of pride in this country only to find myself running for cover from an as-yet unknown threat. The kids knew what to do because they've been trained in active shooter drills. I followed. I mean WTF? Yes, we must display the grotesque, ugly horror. Make it real, relevant and personal. Show the same leadership of Emmett Till's mother. Put terror on display until we just can't take it anymore. Because we just can't take this anymore. We are a sick country. And only we can make ourselves well. There is no cavalry coming. The political class is failing us. I'll stop here.
Sadly, I agree. So often the raw carnage gets whitewashed. While the stories of the tragedies are moving, a picture is worth a thousand words. If photos of the horrific scenes nationwide don't stir conscientious people to rise up to demand removal of weapons of war from everyday America, nothing will. 20M assault rifles are in private hands and the numbers are growing exponentially. Their sole purpose is human death. The 2nd Amendment has been perverted. If the Court and members of Congress want to hang their hat on defending originalism, then let's go back to single shot muskets and handguns where an expert may fire two shots a minute. We need thoughtful, independent minded, courageous representatives, not the best money can buy. VOTE.
You are a reporter, a journalist, of ethics and morals. The thought you put into this, and the reason you chose to show the picture - even the concerns you had in making your decision - are examples of how people in or near our profession should act in similar situations.
Thank you for sharing your thoughtful perspective. I say show the blood. The more visceral the better. Society is tolerating irrational inhumane decisions from a decaying devolving government. Not “for”, but against “the people”. Words don’t do the job.
I totally agree with you about posting it. Too often we only see the self righteous gun owners and politicians posing with guns, never the blood and guts.
Irv, we need to see more photos like this. We hide behind strollers, shoes, cups of alcohol or coffee, it's time, time to see the truth. Thank you for telling us the truth
Irv, you are 100% correct. I was also an outspoken advocate of publishing the Uvalde photos. This is what it looks like when someone uses a weapon of war on unsuspecting, peaceful citizens enjoying a communal celebration in their public space. We need to ban assault weapons. There is no other solution here. Thank you for this brave stance. I am sharing absolutely everywhere.
I still remember a photograph I saw as a child - Life Magazine, I believe it was. It featured a boy my age on the ground in a pool of blood. The boy was black. It knocked my heart. Was I shocked? Yes. I should have been, we all should be. I understand the fear that we will get numb to these images, but if we never see the harm that guns do to a human body, we risk making these events somehow less gut-wrenching than they are. I applaud your decision - and Mamie Till's.
I support publishing this photo. It's high time the gun lobby and its supporters at home and on the Hill have to speak directly to the carnage their glib responses to such horrific terrorist killings most often by white men whose guns were obtained legally has perpetuated. Showing grieving families is about as effective in turning American culture away from the sexualization/fetishization of guns as Wayne La Pierre's "hopes and prayers" after Sandy Hook. When the public finally gets a full dose of the carnage, there will be change--the Supreme Court majority that wrote the purpose of the Militia clause right out of the Constitution be damned.
I support publishing this photo. I was there. Two blocks downstream of the mayhem. Thankfully. Wearing my patriotic "Home of the Brave" t shirt and, ironically, my Ballots not Bullets button given to me by 10th Dems. Attending this celebration and trying to extract some remnant of pride in this country only to find myself running for cover from an as-yet unknown threat. The kids knew what to do because they've been trained in active shooter drills. I followed. I mean WTF? Yes, we must display the grotesque, ugly horror. Make it real, relevant and personal. Show the same leadership of Emmett Till's mother. Put terror on display until we just can't take it anymore. Because we just can't take this anymore. We are a sick country. And only we can make ourselves well. There is no cavalry coming. The political class is failing us. I'll stop here.
Sadly, I agree. So often the raw carnage gets whitewashed. While the stories of the tragedies are moving, a picture is worth a thousand words. If photos of the horrific scenes nationwide don't stir conscientious people to rise up to demand removal of weapons of war from everyday America, nothing will. 20M assault rifles are in private hands and the numbers are growing exponentially. Their sole purpose is human death. The 2nd Amendment has been perverted. If the Court and members of Congress want to hang their hat on defending originalism, then let's go back to single shot muskets and handguns where an expert may fire two shots a minute. We need thoughtful, independent minded, courageous representatives, not the best money can buy. VOTE.
You are a reporter, a journalist, of ethics and morals. The thought you put into this, and the reason you chose to show the picture - even the concerns you had in making your decision - are examples of how people in or near our profession should act in similar situations.
tl:dr; You done good. You done right.
Thank you for sharing your thoughtful perspective. I say show the blood. The more visceral the better. Society is tolerating irrational inhumane decisions from a decaying devolving government. Not “for”, but against “the people”. Words don’t do the job.
I totally agree with you about posting it. Too often we only see the self righteous gun owners and politicians posing with guns, never the blood and guts.
What Frank A. & Kathy R. said.
I hate this, and thank you for posting.
Irv, we need to see more photos like this. We hide behind strollers, shoes, cups of alcohol or coffee, it's time, time to see the truth. Thank you for telling us the truth
Irv, you are 100% correct. I was also an outspoken advocate of publishing the Uvalde photos. This is what it looks like when someone uses a weapon of war on unsuspecting, peaceful citizens enjoying a communal celebration in their public space. We need to ban assault weapons. There is no other solution here. Thank you for this brave stance. I am sharing absolutely everywhere.
I still remember a photograph I saw as a child - Life Magazine, I believe it was. It featured a boy my age on the ground in a pool of blood. The boy was black. It knocked my heart. Was I shocked? Yes. I should have been, we all should be. I understand the fear that we will get numb to these images, but if we never see the harm that guns do to a human body, we risk making these events somehow less gut-wrenching than they are. I applaud your decision - and Mamie Till's.
I support publishing this photo. It's high time the gun lobby and its supporters at home and on the Hill have to speak directly to the carnage their glib responses to such horrific terrorist killings most often by white men whose guns were obtained legally has perpetuated. Showing grieving families is about as effective in turning American culture away from the sexualization/fetishization of guns as Wayne La Pierre's "hopes and prayers" after Sandy Hook. When the public finally gets a full dose of the carnage, there will be change--the Supreme Court majority that wrote the purpose of the Militia clause right out of the Constitution be damned.