Kim Post 11

Kim Hambright

1. In times of war, countless images are captured via digital cameras, camcorders, cell phones, and other sorts of electronic devices. The images are sent back to the United States and shared with friends, family members, and often times millions of strangers through their placement on the World Wide Web. The more the images circulate, the more people see them, and the greater chance they have of becoming “official” war images. “Official” images, by social definition, are images that are well known to a large audience. In this case, “official” images of the Iraq war would be easily recognizable to a majority of the American public. Without captions or explanations, the images would be understood, and given meaning. Though the particular meanings of each image will vary person to person, an undeniable understanding of the patriotism, terror, and destruction of war is undeniable in the images.

In the first “official” image, a number of American soldiers form a line in anticipation of some sort of attack. The faces of the men are clearly visible, easily recognized as someone’s son or brother. The interest and intent of this picture, whether conceived purposefully or not, is to gain support for the war. Since the figures are personal, the viewer feels connected to the soldiers, sharing their anticipation, their worries, and their pain. One feels as thought the soldiers are innocent; with their gentle faces and almost timid appearances, these men in uniform can do no wrong. Even amidst what the public knows to be a cruel and harmful place, the viewer sympathizes with the soldiers of the Iraq war, remembering their ties to fellow Americans.

The second image depicts an Iraqi child and an American soldier. Clearly an anti-war image, the photograph contrasts the stark and barren ground with the chaos of war. The soldier standing on the left with the gun is not immersed in battle, nor can the viewer detect any immediate harm in his proximity. In spite of the current lack of necessity for the soldier to don any extreme means of protection, the photographer captures this American soldier with a gun. Several feet away from the soldier stands a young Iraqi child. He appears to be both enamored and afraid of the grandiose adult standing before him. The viewer cannot help but wonder what is taking place in this image, is the soldier threatening a young and innocent child? Or is the image just a cropped version of a larger scene? Whatever the case, the image appears to capture inappropriate behavior on the part of an American soldier. Anti-war activists would look and the image and be horrified; after all, what is an armed American soldier doing anywhere near children?

2. When answering the question, “Can images be harmful?” one must take into consideration the context of the word harmful. Who or what is one worried about harming? Surely the images of the American soldiers at Abu Ghraib were harmful to the reputations of the soldiers and their families, and likewise the images of the planes hitting the twin towers on September 11 are harmful to America’s overall opinion of Middle Easterners. Who though, does one wish to protect from harm?

I agree with some of the statements made by Libby, Gogan and Sokolowski that images can be harmful. Surely images of war and violence can be demoralizing and shocking to the public viewer, though I tend to agree more with Sontag. I feel that people are often too caught up with their immediate reactions and emotions when viewing a photograph that they often forget it actually happened. Ignoring the image mutation possibilities created by programs such as Photoshop, I feel that the raw truths of images are often forgotten or misunderstood when viewers focus on their own reactions to the photos. Whether one is afraid, excited, horrified or unsure of an image is irrelevant. In my opinion, artists of war photography rarely take photographs for the sole purpose of indulging the viewer’s emotions. Instead, photographers attempt to capture real life actions, telling genuine stories of the soldiers overseas and their lives. Though the images may be “harmful” or “offensive” to the masses, I feel that it is the duty of war photographers to capture and expose war as it factually happens. Photographs are meant to bring the truth of an event, regardless of how one feels about it.

3. Looking at war images as a whole, and understanding the power they hold, I still feel that the most important thing is education. Censorship in times of war may be necessary, especially when concealing graphic images of deceased American soldiers; however, I do not feel that it should be used to an extreme. The most important aspect of war photography is informing the public. Thousands of miles away from the action, it is nearly impossible for anyone in the United States to begin to comprehend what the war is like without media venues such as photography and television. It is the responsibility of the people involved with such venues to provide accurate and unbiased information on the events taking place overseas, whether or not said information reflects positively or negatively on the United States military. In order for everyday citizens to make informed decisions and opinions about the war, especially when Presidential elections and other voting situations roll around, it is necessary for them to be accurately informed. The images depicting torturous events taking place at the Abu Ghraib prison may or may not affect the way a particular individual feels about the war; though, it is his or her right to be informed about what his or her country’s military forces are doing overseas, with or without the government’s permission.

I feel that censorship is warranted when concealing situations that would undoubtedly evoke an uprising in the public. In these cases, censorship, controlled by the government, should not only be acceptable, but encouraged. Along with the responsibility to inform the public, comes the responsibility to protect the governmental structure. It is not this way in all cases though. For example, images of destroyed cities, distraught soldiers and unfair treatment of prisoners have no reason to be censored. Granted, I do not believe that images similar to the ones from the Abu Ghraib prison should be displayed in a museum gallery, I feel that is of the utmost importance that all people of America be informed as to the way the soldiers, supposedly fighting for their country, are acting.