23 Oct 07 The weight of words
Soused curmudgeon and gifted writer Christopher Hitchens, reflects in the new Vanity Fair, on something that no writer or journalist ever wants to face. Having volunteered for Iraq, Mark Daily was killed in January by an I.E.D. While reading a story about Daily in the LA Times, Hitchens came across these words:
“Somewhere along the way, he changed his mind. His family says there was no epiphany. Writings by author and columnist Christopher Hitchens on the moral case for war deeply influenced him … “
Daily enlisted in the military as a direct result of Mr. Hitchens’ articles and words. That’s heavy shit. Regardless of what you might think of Hitchens, his reflections in this article reveal him to be undoubtedly human.
Being an aspiring journalist myself, this is something that no professional would ever like to experience. In front of Hitchens was clear, direct evidence that his rousing support for the war and his own words, led directly to the death of a young man in Iraq.
It’s an interesting read and brings up a lot of issues concerning journalistic ethics and responsibility. Should Hitchens feel anything at all? Maybe, maybe not.
How would you deal with this situation?
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i think hitchens dealt with it exactly the way it should have been dealt with, with a sense of grace and decorum. and i think i would have pursued the exact same options.
so far as journalistic ethics are concerned, i don’t think they have anything to do with daily’s enlistment. he was a grown man, obviously educated, from an educated family. even if he was originally influenced by hitchens, the choice was finally his, and involved no force from anyone else. it’s clear that he took pride in his job and his country, and i think hitchens should be more proud than anything that he helped america be represented by such a bright, shining young man in a situation where a lot of negative, disgusting behavior occurs.