Tuesday, March 25, 2003
This is NOT a picture of an Iraqi with a gun to his head. The instant I saw this photo, I knew that someone, somewhere would try to make the case that it was. Indeed, I have already seen discussions where it was characterized as such. On first glance, the gun does appear to be to the prisoner's head, but even a cursory second glance shows that that impression is simply a trick of the perspective. The man with the gun is in the fore-ground of the shot. Clearly, the picture was taken in such a way as to create this dramatic effect, and it was selected by newspapers and web sites in order to create this mistaken impression, but the gun is NOT to the man's head.
Yeah it is. Look at the hand supporting the barrel of the gun. It aint just hanging there loosely, its being held and pointed.
Repeat after me: p-e-r-s-p-e-c-t-i-v-e. Can you say perpective? I knew you could.
Dood. You are just seeing what you want to see. It might not be pointed at his head, but it is being pointed/held in his direction.
That is very different than what I have seen the picture being characterized as - and what the picture is meant to imply - that the gun is being pressed to his forehead, which it isn't. That's the point.
Oh. Of course its not being pressed against his head. Only an idiot would think that.
DINGDINGDINGDINGDING!