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HOME > PUBLICATIONS > The Intellectual Assault on Jack Bauer’s ‘Counter Terrorism Unit’

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November 29, 2008

The Intellectual Assault on Jack Bauer’s ‘Counter Terrorism Unit’

Bob Parks

 

With "change" and "hope" comes the inevitable emboldening of the long-suffering intellectuals. Their musings fell on deaf ears as they weren't in any position of official influence, but now they are empowered and they are making their opinions known, as wrong as they are.
 
Primary care specialist Dr Homer Drae Venters says the popular drama series ("24") should tone down the violence because viewers have "become accustomed to the idea of torture". Suffocating, electrocuting or drugging a suspect are all in a day's work for Bauer, played by Emmy Award winning actor Kiefer Sutherland.
 
But in an article for medical Journal The Lancet, Dr Venters claims the show's hero Jack Bauer "makes torture popular" and warns that people are increasingly viewing such methods of interrogation as "acceptable".
 
Dr. Venters is basing his conclusion on a television show, thus a grain of salt is in order, however warrant a bit if intellectual sparring.
 
I wonder if Dr. Venters is in any way aware of what goes on behind the scenes to keep him safe from terror attack. Now while "24" is just a television program with talented writers, actors, and crew that have the show's "cult" following coming back for more every season (which is the point of any television program), the issue of torture is a reoccuring theme and also has real-world parallels.
 
Read the rest of Bob’s commentary here.
 
FamilySecurityMatters.org Contributor Bob Parks is an internationally-read political and social columnist. E-mail Bob at blackandright@gmail.com.

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