Let’s just establish a few things about [] Fox News’ decision to show Islamic State’s (IS) ritual human sacrifice of downed Jordanian pilot Lt. Muath Al-Kaseasbeh.

1. The Fox News link is here.  It does, in fact, show, a graphic ritual human sacrifice done by evil death cultists.  The professional-level quality of the video editing confirms that this was done deliberately, ritually, and as part of a larger plan.
2. I fully understand that somebody might not want that in their head. I didn’t want it in my head, either.
3. Demonic death cults – and no, I am not trying to be funny* – do not go away when you put your head under the covers.
4. Talking Points Memo (I’m singling them out because they were the first ones that came to hand) seems to have a problem with #3: at least, they carefully quoted Malcolm Nance, who is right now desperately trying to argue that when a demonic death cult starts broadcasting their ritual human sacrifices, the best response is to pull up that blanket and hide.
5. It will shock precisely nobody here to learn that Malcolm Nance notoriously downplayed IS/ISIS/ISIL, back when it was known as al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI).  Which is to say: the man who told you that these people weren’t really a problem then is the same person who wants you not to look at their metastasized descendants now. But, hey: Mr. Nance gives a good quote, am I right?
6. The Washington Post has Fox News’ response: “After careful consideration, we decided that giving readers of FoxNews.com the option to see for themselves the barbarity of ISIS outweighed legitimate concerns about the graphic nature of the video,” said John Moody, who as Fox News’s executive vice president and executive editor has authority over the Web site. “Online users can choose to view or not view this disturbing content.”
7. Again: I do not blame any person who doesn’t want to have those images in their head…

…But we cannot pretend that they did not happen. We have returned to the days where evil men walk openly in the sunlight. I wish that we had not, but we have. And pretending that nothing has changed is neither wise, nor safe.

Moe Lane (crosspost)

[Since lightly edited]

*This is Black Mass territory, folks. I’m not going to get into comparative religion, here – but whatever IS is doing, it’s not theology. Demonology, I might buy – and yes, that feels weird to even write.