Our need for sensory stimulation is growing exponentially. It's paradoxical that, although many bemoan the unacceptable level of violent deaths and the pain and suffering wrought by our vicious criminals, they turn to the electronic and print media for their daily fix of reported murders, traffic deaths, acts of sexual deviance and other sensational news.

Some are becoming so desensitised by the growing horror around them that they salivate for the chills that macabre scenes of death and destruction bring. They need more and more disturbing images to satiate their blossoming love affair with horror. This has led to the persistent capturing of images of our unfortunate brothers and sisters broken and dismembered in road traffic crashes.

Unfeeling cruelty

Last year I was compelled to comment on the disrespectful and unfeeling cruelty exhibited by a pervert who took and distributed pictures of the July 4 traffic tragedy in Half-Way Tree after an out-of-control garbage truck crashed into and mangled a decent, hard-working newspaper vendor and a pedestrian as they stood on the side of the road. The gruesome images were all over the internet. I had hoped that the article might have sparked some semblance of decency deep within people of like mind, or, at the very least, shame reprobates intent on committing similar insensitive acts into abandoning their plans. I was very wrong.

A few weeks ago, a member of a group of motorbike riders left his companions behind as he sped off on a high-speed thrill ride on Highway 2000. He lost control of the bike, crashed and was instantly killed as his body was dismembered on a guard rail. I was shocked, dismayed and disappointed to learn that someone took close-up, high-quality pictures of the dismembered crash victim and splattered it all over the internet. I also learnt that graphic images depicting the mangled dead and dying in the Easter weekend crash of a public passenger vehicle were sent everywhere by email.

Try as I might, I cannot even begin to understand the warped mind that would derive some sort of sick pleasure from photographing dead and dying fellow human beings to gawk at the images and place them on the internet. I am also sorely disappointed that no one in a leadership role has come out and (at the very least) decried such unconscionable actions.

Official reaction

It occurred to me that (God forbid) if our star athlete and Olympic champion had died horribly in that roll-over crash (again, on Highway 2000) and if some pervert took pictures of what happened to him and emailed it 'to the world', what would the official reaction have been then? There would be a flurry of statements from the high-ups decrying the deviant barbarity of those pictures.

What if the crash victim were a Member of Parliament or someone well-known and well-loved by society? There would certainly be an outcry then. Does the current (official) silence mean that you and I, the ordinary citizens, don't deserve respect? Do our families not grieve like everyone else's? Are their feelings unimportant?

Appealing to the perverts to stop their repugnant practice in the name of decency, respect for the dead and pity for their loved ones left behind is obviously futile. I, therefore, appeal to our leaders to speak out against this ghastly practice and to consider enacting legislation to make it illegal to capture grisly images of accident victims for the purpose of distribution. It's easy to track down the perpetrators.

Garth A. Rattray is a medical doctor with a family practice. Feedback may be sent to garthrattray@gmail.com or columns@gleanerjm.com