To write about another’s tragedy, be it a rape, torture, a brutal murder should have a specific purpose. So what was OJ Simpson’s purpose writing his book, “If I Did It”? It is not right to take the tragedy of another and turn it into entertainment, and it is especially distasteful to think someone who may very well be guilty of the crime is profiting from an act that is so despicable in the first place. To take a humans life and turn it into entertainment is ugly and though everyone associated with it’s publication gets rich, they will be poor in spirit. It is disrespectful, in line with bullying someone who cannot defend themselves. Treating the brutal murder of one’s ex-wife in this manner is highly suspect- Why would you write such a book?

Ultimately, the ‘problem’ with what is ‘right’ to write about, is that as a society we do not have an agreed “what is acceptable and what is not.”

It is ethically wrong to write a book about someone’s’ tragedy unless it would either prevent the same thing from happening to someone else, or would bring a criminal to justice. To write about murder and real-life tragedy for entertainment and to make money is quite ugly.

But I might read it if someone else wrote it. And I have to ask myself why that is. If I wouldn’t write it, how can I feel okay about reading it? I suppose I am not exploiting anyone if I am just reading, but the truth is that I am now just as guilty as the author, because I paid to read about someone’s misfortune.

It is not much different from slowing down to see how bad an accident is. Our society wants to read and see movies about tragedies to escape our lives, even though our lives may very well be “perfect.” We can feel even better about our lives when we are faced with the details of the horrors of others. But is this right? Is it right to want to read or see or hear about another’s pain?

It is of course O.J. and Nicole, Jon-Benet, and Laci and Scott Peterson who come to mind when thinking of what is “right to write” about, because of the speed of information and the images flashing at us day and night. Why are we so fascinated with these people in the first place?

You may notice that physically attractive people are much more newsworthy than people that are… ordinary looking. Whether it is print or television, the ‘actors’ in these real life dramas fascinate us. It isn’t ‘ right’ but we the watching public give it the go ahead by our participation. If we didn’t ‘buy’ these stories they would not be published and therefore would not be written.

It isn’t right to profit from the pain of others. Unfortunately, the public who is outraged is the same public that will buy the books, watch the shows, see the movies. We are a nation of hypocrites. It isn’t right but we have the right, so we ignore that pesky little voice.