Disturbing Images Appearing on You Tube

Where do you go when you want to waste some time and view some entertaining videos? Why You Tube of course! However, You Tube is not all fun and games anymore. Anti-American propaganda has been popping up all over the website. These videos contain chilling images of United States soldiers being killed in action. Jihad extremists are believed to be the ones who have been posting the recent videos. Most of the images are very graphic; soldiers’ bodies being burned, soldiers shown being shot in the head and even some executions of people. Watch the story here.

Anyone can put up a post on You Tube. The only thing that is stopping people from putting up these types of videos is whether or not they have internet access. You Tube is a virtual bulletin board service, and videos are just uploaded onto the site for anyone, of any age, to view. Videos that display the deaths of United States soldiers should not be allowed to be posted. However, the people who are posting these images do have certain rights. Mark Rasch, former Justice Deputy Prosecutor for computer security, states that “You Tube has terms of use and terms of service. They say (You Tube) that anything that insights violence or insights criminality; they will remove.” I guess the videos cannot just be simply removed, because that would mean You Tube was signaling out the Jihad members. I believe that the videos should be removed from the website, because they promote violence and criminal acts. How obvious do the videos have to be? Images of soldiers being shot is enough to prove that the videos promote violence. Mark Rasch goes on to say that You Tube should “remove these images, because it is the right thing to do.”

I think it pretty outrageous that You Tube has not taken immediate steps in removal of these videos. When a video is sent to a news station, like CNN or Fox, it is the stations choice whether or not they air the image. You Tube on the other hand does not edit or view the videos that are submitted on a daily basis leaving them unaccountable for the images that the site presents. You Tube will remove certain videos if complaints arise, but it must be a good reason to why they have to remove the video.

I think the media has a responsibility to the people who are viewing the content. You Tube is now considered to be a major figure in the mass media, and videos like these are totally unacceptable. These videos do not provide any real sense of information; but only that of crude images of soldiers’ deaths. I think You Tube should take responsibility for what is shown on their website. Because if these videos are found “acceptable”, then what is next? The line has to be drawn at some point, and I believe this is good place to start.