The fifth anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks and the untimely death of the "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin were two faces of death, poles apart.
One was a horrific act of terrorism which killed thousands and changed our world forever. The other, the tragic death of a man who entertained millions with his daring exploits.
One, the very public death of private citizens going about their daily lives unaware of the dangers that lay in store for them that sunny September morning. The other, the private death of a very public figure, completely aware of the risks he faced and who had stated previously that if he died in the course of his work, he would like it filmed. Indeed, it was. But in the interests of respect and the desire not to air what would be tantamount to a "snuff movie" the footage will, hopefully, never see the light of day.
The events of Sept. 11 are a different matter though. Maybe because of their importance in framing our world, or because the events were seen live by millions at the time, the deaths suffered that day are something we can watch again, and again, and again. All last week on the CNN Web site I read banners informing me that on Sept. 11 I could watch CNN's coverage of that fateful day in real time "as it happened."
I wondered who would want to watch this. My first thoughts were of the families of the deceased. Would they want to watch the deaths of their loved ones as a tribute? I didn't think so. I have limited experience with death, but when I remember family or friends who have passed away, I try to remember their lives -- not the manner of their deaths. So I asked myself the question again. Who would want to watch this?
When Sept. 11 came, I settled into my usual routine of checking the news online. After a while I came to the CNN site and saw the link that would take me back to that fateful day, in real time. I found the idea of simply clicking my mouse to witness these deaths disturbing.
Fifteen minutes later as I watched the screen, the first tower had already been hit. Smoke was bellowing into the sky and, as we now know, people were jumping to their deaths to escape the flames. I knew the second plane was about to hit, but where was it?
There was an anticipation coursing through me that I found baffling. Then it appeared from the right of the screen, sweeping into the second tower with an almighty explosion.
I stopped watching at this point. I had answered my own question though. Who would want to see these events again? Me, maybe you, maybe all of us. But why?
Figuring this out is the difficult part. Is it just curiosity? Is it an age-old fascination with death that lies within us all? Or, has the spectacle of death -- so diligently communicated to us by the media -- become a regular ritual in our lives?
Maybe the importance of the events that day warrant us watching them again, but I think not. I only hope that in a few years people aren't watching Irwin's death online in the same way. Then, we will have crossed another boundary.
At the moment, watching the deaths of thousands seems culturally acceptable, while watching the death of an "individual" is too much for us to take.
I can only only hope that the "individuals" who died that day rest in peace and that the "individuals" that suffered the loss of loved ones are not too offended by our collective behavior.
Mark Payne
Taipei
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