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Ethical Episodes

Moral Pornography

by Joel Marks

A local murder trial has revealed depths of depravity that are hard to comprehend. But the more gruesome the crime, the more we salivate over the details. How else to explain the unrelenting news coverage? A novelty this time has been the tweeting of developments from inside the courtroom by reporters and other observers. Clearly this story has been milked for its entertainment value.

Lest I be accused of doing the same in this column, let me quickly relate the murder narrative (whose truth is known only to the perps, who are alleged to be the defendants) and then get on with my philosophical parsing.

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