# Saddam execution video on TV **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 30, 2006, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddam-execution-video-on-tv/386051 "2006-12-30T00:08:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![motomoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a9adbd/32.png) [@motomoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/motomoon)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2006, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddam-execution-video-on-tv/386051/1 "2006-12-30T00:08:22Z")
There is not a small amount of interest in the upcoming Saddam execution, it would seem probably that video of the event will certainly be on the internet fairly quickly. I am less sure of how the television networks will cover the event. Will they show the video with disclaimers? Will they show it early and cut away? Do you think that it’s in good taste to show an execution on TV? Will you watch it? Would you let your children? ---
**Author:** ![Orbifold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orbifold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orbifold)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2006, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddam-execution-video-on-tv/386051/2 "2006-12-30T00:13:43Z")
[QUOTE=motomoon] Do you think that it’s in good taste to show an execution on TV? [/quote] Dear God, no. > [@](#): > > Will you watch it? Again, no. > [@](#): > > Would you let your children? Don’t have any. But if I did I’d rather have them watch a cockfight. In short, no. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2006, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddam-execution-video-on-tv/386051/3 "2006-12-30T00:16:25Z")
They had a piece on this on All Things Considered on NPR earlier: > **[Saddam's Death May Come to TV](https://www.npr.org/2006/12/29/6697347/saddams-death-may-come-to-tv)** > > Iraqi authorities have announced a plan to document on video the complete process of Saddam Hussein's execution, including his transfer from U.S. forces to Iraqi authorities. The U.S. military has been holding him since his capture. How might U.S.... They said that it’s general policy to not show identifiable dead bodies or actual deaths, at least on the network news. But that it would be very likely that one of the cable news networks would show it uncut. ---
**Author:** ![BMax](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bmax/32/4267_2.png) [@BMax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMax)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2006, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddam-execution-video-on-tv/386051/4 "2006-12-30T00:20:15Z")
Should the video be leaked (and if it is filmed, it eventually will be leaked), I don’t doubt that it would show up on al Jazeera. After all, didn’t they broadcast video of various newsmen being decapitated by religious nutjob criminals in Iraq? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2006, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddam-execution-video-on-tv/386051/5 "2006-12-30T00:31:32Z")
CNN reported a few minutes ago that there will be no live coverage. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2006, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddam-execution-video-on-tv/386051/6 "2006-12-30T01:28:55Z")
I don’t have much use for the “out of sight out of mind” mindset, not that anyone here is afflicted with that. I think it should be shown live in Congress, so they can see the consequences of their votes. ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2006, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddam-execution-video-on-tv/386051/7 "2006-12-30T01:36:03Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] I don’t have much use for the “out of sight out of mind” mindset, not that anyone here is afflicted with that. I think it should be shown live in Congress, so they can see the consequences of their votes. [/QUOTE] Sadly, I think most of them would be secretly delighted to watch it. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2006, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddam-execution-video-on-tv/386051/8 "2006-12-30T01:41:23Z")
It will be on YouTube and/or Ogrish and linked here soon enough. Stay tuned. I’ll probably watch it. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2006, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddam-execution-video-on-tv/386051/9 "2006-12-30T02:27:29Z")
Sure, I’ll watch it out of morbid curiosity. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2006, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddam-execution-video-on-tv/386051/10 "2006-12-30T02:27:50Z")
I might watch it. There is no way on God’s green earth that I would allow my children to see it. ---
**Author:** ![Annie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/858c86/32.png) [@Annie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2006, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddam-execution-video-on-tv/386051/11 "2006-12-30T02:34:38Z")
Just glad he’s getting that sled trip to hell. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2006, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddam-execution-video-on-tv/386051/12 "2006-12-30T02:49:16Z")
I’m torn. I have no qualms about watching it myself, 'cause it’s just, y’know, death. Which I don’t consider a bad thing, generally speaking. My kids? I’m not so sure. Once again, I’m trying to teach them that death’s not such a bad thing, so it would seem logical to let them see it, and any other random death that might be in our view. But OTOH, morbid and icky, and to pretend there’s not going to be a huge amount of emotion worldwide around this \*\*particular \*\*death is just asinine. There’s no way my husband will let them, though, and I’m committed to respecting his wishes, as mine are ambivalent, so it’s a moot point for me. (“Moot” meaning hypothetical, of course.) ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2006, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddam-execution-video-on-tv/386051/13 "2006-12-30T02:50:07Z")
I’m just sorry they’re not chopping his friggn head off. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2006, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddam-execution-video-on-tv/386051/14 "2006-12-30T03:26:35Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] I don’t have much use for the “out of sight out of mind” mindset, not that anyone here is afflicted with that. I think it should be shown live in Congress, so they can see the consequences of their votes. [/QUOTE] Absolutely. Too often, under the guise of ‘poor taste’ or somesuch we shield ourselves for the real world impacts of our behavior. Hell, I’m a newsie at this point, I’d show the sucker to people and tape their eyelids open so they could really feel it. I’m not crying that the guy is dead, far from it. But I hate the hypocrisy that could make people say ‘He should be dead! But someone ELSE should take care of it.’ ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2006, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddam-execution-video-on-tv/386051/15 "2006-12-30T04:31:22Z")
[QUOTE=Jonathan Chance] Too often, under the guise of ‘poor taste’ or somesuch we shield ourselves for the real world impacts of our behavior. Hell, I’m a newsie at this point, I’d show the sucker to people and tape their eyelids open so they could really feel it. [/QUOTE] Play some Beethoven while you’re it. That’s real horrorhow, droog. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2006, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddam-execution-video-on-tv/386051/16 "2006-12-30T04:44:43Z")
[QUOTE=Johnny L.A.] CNN reported a few minutes ago that there will be no live coverage. [/QUOTE] Which makes sense. If something had gone wrong during his execution (like the rope snapping) and he survived _and_ people saw it on TV it would’ve been a PR nightmare for the Iraqi government. ---
**Author:** ![BMax](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bmax/32/4267_2.png) [@BMax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMax)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2006, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddam-execution-video-on-tv/386051/17 "2006-12-30T05:45:39Z")
> [@CNN](#): > > [The execution was videotaped and photographed, state television reported, and those images will be distributed to the media.](http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/12/29/hussein/index.html) I’ll probably wathc it when it hits youtube. I don’t have any kids. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2006, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddam-execution-video-on-tv/386051/18 "2006-12-30T06:24:42Z")
I’d like to think the SDMB is too good to allow itself to be used as a place to directly link to snuff films. ---
**Author:** ![Random](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/57b2e6/32.png) [@Random](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Random)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2006, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddam-execution-video-on-tv/386051/19 "2006-12-30T06:41:05Z")
Highly unlikely that there will be a video of this execution released anyway. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2006, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddam-execution-video-on-tv/386051/20 "2006-12-30T07:07:49Z")
[QUOTE=motomoon] Do you think that it’s in good taste to show an execution on TV? [/quote] No, which is precisely why executions _should_ be shown on TV; it’s not in good taste to execute someone, either. (I’m not against the death penalty per se, particularly in cases of “crimes against humanity,” but I feel strongly that, as **Jonathan Chance** said, people who support it should see it happen.) [QUOTE=motomoon] Will you watch it? [/quote] Yes. [QUOTE=motomoon] Would you let your children? [/QUOTE] Depends on how old they are. I don’t have children, but I think children of, for example, thirteen and under shouldn’t see it. Older than that, they definitely should. (I’m using thirteen as a general guidline; some children are more, some are less mature at that age. Their parents can make the call.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saddam-execution-video-on-tv/386051.md?page=2)