Voices From The Rubble

Families of victims of the 9/11 attacks and the New York Times battled the city of New York for release of 911 phone call tapes made during the horrific nightmare. New York was forced to release these tapes to the families and today the tapes were made public. Whereas most of the families did not want to hear the tapes nor did they want the public to hear them, some tapes with victims? voices were made public and played on news networks.

One is forced to ask why. Why do we need to hear them? Why would we want to hear them? Death, panic, and desperation are such private matters and are not sounds we want to be privy to, nor should the average Joe be privy to them. It is a family matter. To relive a nightmare accidentally is one matter, to relive a nightmare on purpose is quite another. Do we want to watch replays of a loved one?s car accident or continue to hear their desperate cell phone pleas over and over?

Perhaps we could delve into the psychology of horror and loss, but why must we? Perhaps we could discuss closure to a loved one?s death. Again, closure is a private thing. It?s not a national event. It?s a private affair between the dead and their loved ones.

For some odd reason, today?s news reporters, agencies, broadcasters, and writers feel the need to make everything public?everything. Today?s release is an example of excruciatingly poor taste. What will be next? Will we next release tapes of the screaming and agony of our soldiers being killed in Iraq? Will we release the final breaths made by dying government officials as their families watch on? Perhaps we can hear the dying words of Ronald Reagan, if there were any. Maybe I will attach a microphone to my death bed and allow the world to play it back for my neighbors.

It?s just another news day, right? Apparently, it is just another news day for those vultures sitting behind their computers waiting for a morsel of human suffering to feed themselves and the public. For me, it is just another example disrespect by our nation?s broadcasters. No, it?s not necessarily disrespect for victims? families, but disrespect for their audience. Newscasters just can?t get it through their heads that the average Joe does not want to crawl inside the deathbeds of everyone who has suffered in this world.