There has been rising criticism of YouTube censoring content on its site and today is another example. People posted the video of a mob taunting a man nearly beaten to death at a Fourth of July event. The video has triggered a debate over hate crime investigations as well as the simple lack of humanity found in today’s society. In other words, there is a substantive debate surrounding the videotape. However, YouTube says that it has been taken down for disgusting content. It rekindles the objection that YouTube has become a private censor — rather than a forum that warns of such content but allows people to make their own choices. [UPDATE: The video appears to be going up and coming down on YouTube but appears to be currently available here with a warning. I have not problem as I stated below with the addition of such a warning and wall]
There is no question that there is a lot of disturbing videotapes out there. Another example is ISIS. The Islamic extremists clearly use their horrendous acts to recruit. However, these videotapes also show the vast majority of people — including the vast majority of Muslims — the depth of depravity of this group and the reality of religious extremism in the world. Shielding people from such images (rather than allowing them to decide) is a controversial role.
Critics have said that the most important images on YouTube are often disturbing but that they are the very images that trigger meaningful public debate. Otherwise, YouTube seems catered to videos of cats playing piano. The removal of this videotape is problematic in my view. Yes, there is blood and a terribly injured man. However, most people linking to this video (as on this blog) are engaged in a discussion about our values and more concretely the evidence needed to start a hate crime investigation. Why not but up a wall and allow people to decide for themselves? What do you think should be the standard?
Ken Rogers
1, July 8, 2015 at 6:25 pm
@ Jonathan Turley 1, July 6, 2015
“Cincinnati Man Beaten Almost To Death As Crowd Laughs and Jeers
“There is a growing controversy in Cincinnati where police had to fight their way into a scene to rescue a white male who was nearly beaten to death at a Fourth of July concert. The video below shows the mob laughing and taunting the nearly dead man lying on the ground. Critics have asked why the beating of the white male by a largely black mob was not immediately identified as a possible hate crime. They charge that, if the situation were reversed, the reaction would have been different in the media and the police.”
@ doctoryes
1, July 6, 2015 at 11:43 pm
“More on Christopher McKnight’s condition
“McKnight was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center with minor injuries, according to the police report. He was released from the hospital Sunday.
“On Monday, [CPD Captain] Neville said McKnight suffered a concussion, broken nose and facial injuries.
“Nasty beating? Yes. Nearly to death? No.”
@ RTB
1, July 7, 2015 at 9:45 pm
“I just read a more detailed article about this attack. I don’t know what prompted the fight, but the police said the man was treated at a hospital and released the same day. A man who was beaten ‘almost to death’ as this misleading headline says, would not be released the same day. [McKnight was actually released the following, not the same day, but RTB’s main point remains valid].
“What is with the racial hype Turley?”
I second that question. Why throw half-baked, inflammatory chum like this piece into the already racist-infested waters of your comments section?
The video offered as evidence of “mob violence” doesn’t afford a shred of evidence regarding who was involved in the man’s being injured, whether he was injured by one or more people, what their ethnicity may have been, whether the man had simply lost a fistfight, whether the injured man had initiated the violence, how serious or minor his injuries were when the video was made, nor how much time elapsed between his being injured and his receiving medical attention.
What the video does evidence, however, is that all but one of the many audible comments in it are expressions of concern for McKnight, and for his getting immediate medical attention.
Based on the evidence afforded by the YouTube video, the purportedly key extant piece of evidence regarding the incident, “Cincinnati Man Beaten Almost To Death As Crowd Laughs and Jeers” is simply indefensible.
Lunatic fringe, We have passed the tipping point. The situation is getting ugly. I hope I’m wrong.
Paul,
There´s a difference between loaning a country money and then later callin-in the debt when you need money and bailing a country out.
Riesling – when we loaned the Germans money, the Nazis lost power, when we called in the debt, they gained power. That is the only point I was trying to make.
And certainly not the Americans because then they´d lose one of their biggest excuses for not providing their hard-working taxpayers with the social benefits that most other industrial nations enjoy.
Paul, you´re getting your world wars mixed up. Also, I really don´t think anyone wants Germany to have an offensive military – least of all the Germans.
Riesling – I am not getting my wars mixed up. When Germany was in deep deep financial trouble we loaned money to the Germans to pay their war debts allowing their economy to actually run for a change. The Nazi Party lost votes in the next elect. This continued until we had to call in the debt when the depression hit and we needed the money for ourselves. Then the Nazis gained votes again.
Germany definitely has its niche manufacturing high end goods for the rich who can afford them.
How to get permission to work in Germany if you don’t live in the EU:
http://www.bamf.de/EN/Migration/Arbeiten/BuergerDrittstaat/buerger-drittstaat-node.html
You need to have proof that you will have a job the entire time. That’s quite a bit different than in the US. Somehow I don’t see politicians closing our borders to the poor.
Riesling, I don’t remember the name, but from your description, it could very well have been about the Autostadt. That is so cool that you’ve been there! And your description of the used car salesman was hilarious. I don’t think anyone can express offense as well as a German!
My grandmother was German. Her mother emigrated with the family before WWI. Many years ago, my father told me that the harsh, punishing conditions demanded after WWI helped create a platform for the Nazis to rise to power. That was one of the reasons why we were so forgiving, by comparison, after WWII.