By Katelin Paiz

Daily Titan Staff Writer

Many of you were undoubtedly disturbed following Tuesday’s Mothers Against Drunk Driving event in which a demolished car, little more than a twisted hunk of metal, was put on display for everyone to see in an effort to dissuade would-be drunk drivers.

This is similar to the disturbing images PETA chooses to use in an effort to persuade people to give up their meat eating ways.

It seems that everyone pushing an agenda these days has graphic visuals to support their point.

Inevitably, e-mails and phone calls roll in and people express their disgust.

But what we as consumers and citizens don’t always understand is the power of a single image.

We’ve all heard that a picture is worth a thousand words, but what we haven’t heard is that a photo with a graphic image can be worth an additional thousand.

I won’t say a photograph always tells the truth because this is not always the case. But it does send a message that people cannot ignore. Perhaps that is the reason people react so violently to these images; they are nearly impossible to look away from.

After looking at these images, it’s difficult not to involve oneself in the issue at hand. That’s why they have become a valuable tool and an important aspect of American democracy.

Just as war images show people the true toll of conflict, images used for causes have the power to change public opinion dramatically and more effectively than the most charismatic public speaker.

Living in a society where most of the information and products that we receive are passed through various channels, it is easy for us to become numb to the things that we don’t deal with every day.

Outside of drivers education classes, most of us have not seen the gory result of a drunk driving incident.

The police are quick to tape off the surrounding area of an accident to shield it from the view of onlookers, and it’s all cleaned up in a matter of hours.

Similarly, many of us meat eaters have never actually seen livestock being slaughtered. We pay other people to do the dirty work for us.

If we did see the real and grotesque truth, could anyone argue that we, as reasonable and ethical citizens, wouldn’t be inclined to reevaluate where we stand on these issues?

Perhaps it’s a good thing that many of us have been disturbed by the graphic images thrust at us by these organizations.

They keep us in touch with the harsh realities of life. After all, there is nothing worse than an anesthetized democracy.

By Jamie Iglesias

Daily Titan Staff Writer

Activist groups are everywhere. We see them in the media, our community and sometimes here at Cal State Fullerton.

They are often viewed as a minor annoyance or an entertaining side show on the way to class, but some of these groups resort to the use of graphic images in order to convey their message and persuade others to be part of their movement.

We are exposed to images of unborn fetuses from anti-abortion groups, abused animals from organizations like PETA and destroyed vehicles from Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

These photos do have an impact, but I do not believe graphic images should be the only way for them to send their message.

The use of these images only serves as shock value.

Many of us who come across these pictures are instantly disturbed after seeing such images, but not all of us are going to be inclined to change our perspective.

Activist groups use these graphic pictures constantly. The problem with this is the possibility of deception. We may not always get background information about the context of these images.

By using only photos as a form of persuasion, there is a lack of information, statistics and data that explain the truth behind the image.

The way in which these pictures are used needs to be balanced with factual information because everyone approaches situations differently.

What happens if a child sees these images? They are going to question their parents, and the parents might be placed in an awkward situation trying to answer the question.

Children are being exposed to images that will probably haunt them and make them think about topics they are too young to understand.

When we see these photos, the uncomfortable feeling that follows is probably not going to last long because we all have different values.

These groups should rely more on supplemental information supported by facts. Instead of relying on images alone, they should investigate further and extend their research to find different ways to appeal to different groups of people.

Activists should not assume that images alone will change people’s perspectives.

Graphic photos might not change the minds of others and instead could lead to a larger divide within a controversial issue.

By using images, we dismiss hard facts and rely only on what we see. And sometimes what we see may not entirely reveal the truth.