Images Matter: Part Two

A few weeks ago, the Obama Administration lifted a ban on images of returning fallen heroes from Iraq and Afghanistan.

In a blog posting, I pointed out that images matter. It is difficult, for instance, to ignore the horrors of war when we see images of fallen soldiers coming home in coffins draped in American flags. Likewise, it is difficult to ignore the tragedy and injustice of child abuse when we see images of abused children. (For that matter, animal abuse and environmental issues bother us far more when we see images that make these problems real to us.)

And now, it seems likely that the Administration will release images of harsh interrogation against suspected terrorists. The Administration knows that images matter. It will be difficult to support such interrogation techniques when we, the American public, are confronted with graphic images.

Images matter.

And so, the Administration asks Catholic Universities to cover up the image upon which they were founded. They know, images matter.

And the media publishes the images of fallen soldiers and victims of child abuse and (it seems likely) images of possible torture against terrorist suspects. They know, images matter.

But the image of an unborn child, aborted at any stage of gestation, will not be published. You won't see it. Not because it is banned. Not because it is in poor taste. But because you will clearly see that it is an evil that trumps all evils.

They know, images matter.