Should film footage of Steve Irwin's final moments be destroyed? Shouldn't his children have the final say?

Question

Steve Irwin's manager has said film footage of the ebullient TV naturalist's final moments should never be shown.

The tape was currently in police custody and should be destroyed, John Stainton told the CNN television network.

The tape apparently shows Mr Irwin pulling the barb left by a stingray's tail from his chest moments before his death.

"It should be destroyed," Mr Stainton said. "When that (tape) is finally released it will never see the light of day, ever.

"I actually saw it and I don't want to see it again," he said.
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Shouldn't Steve Irwin's children have the choice to decide, once they are old enough, whether they want to see what happened to their dad in his final moments or not?

Or should that right to decide be taken away from them by Steve Irwin's manager, John Stainton?

Answer 1

The Guy is dead. Move On. What an insult to his living family all this rerunning of how wonderful he was and how everyone loved him. Very few of you knew anything about him except what the media prostitutes feed you to line their own pockets.

Television is an illusion; you know a moment in time and space.

Now I ask all you that talk about how much you learnt from him, what can you says with certainty you learnt, very little I bet! You were in love with a television persona. You talk about all the good work he did for conservation, remember Greenpeace, WWF, and hundreds of dedicated people that look after injured wildlife that is injured on the road or through shootings.

Steve Irwin didn't own the word conservation.

Hmmm and how come he called himself the "crocodile hunter" what is a hunter, look in the Webster dictionary it is “someone that hunts for subsistence or profit”! Either way that doesn't sound like a conservation message.

Hmm and what about the chooks and meat he feed to his crocodiles and the mice he feeds to his snakes to entertain the visitors at his zoo, don't the chooks and mice have the right to live? Or are they excluded from Mr. Irwin’s campaign of conservation?

As to the video, given that he like to "play" with his friends as he called them, and who remembers Timothy Treadwell AKA Grizzly Man who sad he was the brown bears friends yet they ate him and his girlfriend. http://www.adn.com/front/story/4110831p-4127072c.html

I wouldn't be surprised if in fact he did grasp the stingray (given only two people are known to have died from their sting) but they want to destroy the video to protect themselves from public humiliation of people saying "I told you so" and with the Queensland Government thinking this guy dead or alive brings more money and tourist to the state they are going to shatter the dream run they have.

People saying how sick it is to want to watch it, personally I have no desire to watch it, I have been to war and seen death, I saw people die on 11 sept just to name a few....Remember the innocent victims who don't have the profile on a television

And again let me ask you misguided people, how many of you watch the news about murders, or slow at a car accident to have a look, how many are glue to the television to look at the twin towers falling, or watch war movies.

How many of you people hunt, or fish? How many of you would stop and help an injured animal on the side of the road?
I will bet most of you would be happy to turn you head and convince yourself that someone else can do it. When was the last time you gave something even your time to your local dog pound to help them or to a local wildlife shelter, I bet never!

Don't worry people the worlds wildlife won't suffer any less with Steve’s passing, I can only hope that genuine hard working volunteers might get a thought and much needed help by all you CONVERTED KNOWLEDGABLE people instead of providing a millionaire lifestyle and home to a demigod!

Yes little did you know that Mr Irwin lived in a 1.5 million dollar home on a private island in Queensland? Poor guy!!! Or that the Australian government gave Mr. Irwin a 2.6 million dollar grant in 2004 and then gave him another 2.4 million dollar grant in 2005, all tax payers money. As to buying land all over the world for national parks, dream on, he bought land but it is in his name and there for is privately owned land. He has never denoted land as national park or wildlife refuge.

His wife was what made him, if it wasn't for her and her intelligent business sense, Steve would still be running a rundown reptile park.

He has never contributed any scientific work for others to further the broader collective knowledge of saving wildlife.

I only hope his family can find peace far from all the media and the bleeding hearts people who believe this person was the only person doing a good job. All you have to do is some genuine honest research for your self to see much of your claims of being the only real conservationist are your lack of true understand.

Answer 2

I think Terri should have the last say so Who are we, the general public to even ponder the idea of releasing that horrific accident for the whole world and possibly his children to see? Very wrong. Terri will do the right thing. As for beentheredonethat, you are a sour person and you think you know everything? they lived in a big mansion huh? Wrong, They lived at the Australia zoo. which was started by his father, get a life and criticize yourself before you rag on a GREAT MAN LIKE STEVE IRWIN. Everyone has suffered loss so get off of your high horse and get a hobby.

Answer 3

I think that is his wife's decision, not theirs. I think the tape will more than likely be destroyed, but who knows? Maybe his wife does want it in case her children want to see it later on. But I don't see how keeping this tape could possibly help them cope with this. I think you should always remember the ones you love in the best times of their lives, not their death. It is Mrs. Irwin's decision, not the kids. It may also depend on who has the legal rights to the tape. Anyway, I hope and pray for the Irwin family and hope that Steve rests in peace.

Answer 4

His children are only 8 years old and 2-1/2 years old!
Neither would hardly be in a position to make this decision. And yes, the footage SHOULD be destroyed! (I don't know why YOU are so concerned about whether Irwin's manager has a say so or not. You aren't part of the proceedings and neither are any of the other people here who are insinuating themselves into this debate, hence it isn't up to you - or them - to worry about it.) It cannot serve any purpose other than for the authorities to view it which has now been done. Actually, this is such a silly debate as film footage is NOT part of the demise of most people. Peace to Irwin's family, and now, time to move on to other important issues of the day.

Answer 5

People who want to see this tape remind me of the way Romans was in the their bloodfests. Why is it that some people like to watch other people die horrific deaths? I think that the tape shouldn't be destroyed. It should be put on a shelf for 70 years and after that the children should decide what to do with it. Kind of like music copyright laws.

Answer 6

I don't think it should be destroyed but I don't think it should be released publicly. People have a morbid fascination with watching things like this but it's not right. Even if you are not religious I think it is reasonable to consider a person's final moments to be somewhat sacred. They are certainly not for people to gawk at!

Whether his family view it or not is personal matter for them. Even if they seemed happy for others to see I really don't think it should be shown. There would have to be some explicit instruction from Steve Irwin.

Answer 7

Though the tape may be shocking i would want to see it. Steve was
my alltime hero and i want to see how he died. I do think his children should have the final say but they are a little young to decide. I want the fottage show mostly because i wont beleive hes gone untill i see it.

Answer 8

What kind of a child would want to see their father killed? Children who see their parents shot, stabbed, whatever, around 98% of the time develop mental illness and become unstable, and sometimes even become clinically insane. Mr Stainton is just doing what he thinks Steve would have wanted. I support his decision completely.

Answer 9

The right is not TAKEN AWAY BY STEVES MANAGER, NOT ONLY WAS HE HIS MANAGER HE WAS HIS BEST FRIEND!!.

STOP FEEDING THE WEAK MINDED RUBISH, UNLESS YOU LIVE IN AUSTRALIA RIGHT NOW YOU DON'T KNOW WHATS HAPPENING.
His children have thousands of hours of footage of him doing the things he loved!! this is just not the choice of his Managers, It is Terri's choice, and steves fathers choice, IT WILL BE DESTROYEDThe children do not need to see something so horrific, if it is kept there is every chance that scum will get it and it will be for the world to see.
Dont try and pass judgement on terri, She is doing it so hard.

LIKE THE GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD EVEN CONSIDER THINKING THAT IT SHOULD BE SHOWN, YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO SEE IT NOR DO YOU HAVE ANY RIGHS TO BELIEVE YOU ARE ENTITLED TO SEE IT, OR FOR PEOPLE TO EVEN CONSIDER ITS WHAT STEVE WOULD WANT.


TED.S u are a f u ck head, no wonder your a level 1

Answer 10

This is a person who made his living filming his encounters with deadly creatures. I find it difficult to believe that he hadn't already let his film crew know exactly what HE wanted them to do in the event that they film his death. We should honor Steve's last wishes...whatever they may be.