The Associated Press Has Gone To Far

[Alysser]

There's a point to where I want to hear about what's going on in the war, but I have never, ever looked at pictures of the war, unless they were already infront of me before I knew it. That article thoroughly disgusts me...ugh.

Having seen a death (of an animal not a human but still) to someone I was close to, and witnessing it. It's such a personal thing, it's not something that should be put on display for the public to see, honestly. I feel so bad for his father. May this soldier, rest in peace.

[pomtzu]

Living only about 15 miles from Dover AFB, there is usually not a day goes by that I don't see a transport flying over, carrying these soldiers on their journey back to the states. Just seeing the planes is enough for me - I know what the cargo is - and I certainly would not want to see a video of the journey from beginning to end.

[RICHARD]

So, we must revoke the media's option to 'publish' photos of the war?

All the protest groups wanted the pictures of the coffins coming off the transports, but we dig a little deeper and everyone freaks out?

So, we let this poor guy die on video, then turn out heads in disgust.

Not a good way to honor OUR own.

I think the word is 'transperancy' we are offered the ideal by the new regime, why not take it and use it for something constructive?

Nope, instead we wuss out again and bury this poor kid's sacrifice because death, especially one as fricking horrific as that, makes us uncomfortable and fidget in our seats.

People talk about losing our "taste for war"-

We can either have it 'served' occasionally and be reminded of the aftertaste that lingers in our head, or have it served every day and get used to it on our plates.

[Grace]

So, we must revoke the media's option to 'publish' photos of the war?

All the protest groups wanted the pictures of the coffins coming off the transports, but we dig a little deeper and everyone freaks out?

So, we let this poor guy die on video, then turn out heads in disgust.

Not a good way to honor OUR own.

I think the word is 'transperancy' we are offered the ideal by the new regime, why not take it and use it for something constructive?

Nope, instead we wuss out again and bury this poor kid's sacrifice because death, especially one as fricking horrific as that, makes us uncomfortable and fidget in our seats.

People talk about losing our "taste for war"-

We can either have it 'served' occasionally and be reminded of the aftertaste that lingers in our head, or have it served every day and get used to it on our plates.

Very well said, Richard.

Bob Herbert wrote an opinion piece for the NY Times a few weeks ago. I wish I could express myself the way he does. For anyone interested, here is the link.

Speaking of Iraq and Afghanistan, he says this -

Most Americans have conveniently put these two absurd, obscene conflicts out of their minds. There’s an economy to worry about and snappy little messages to tweet. Nobody wants to think about young people getting their faces or their limbs blown off. Or the parents, loaded with antidepressants, giving their children and spouses a final hug before heading off in a haze of anxiety to their third or fourth tour in the war zones.

[pomtzu]

IMO - there's a big difference between seeing a flag draped coffin, and watching a video of how that person inside ended up there. One's death is a very private and personal matter, or at least it should be.

VietNam was overkill. It was shoved down our throats day after day by every broadcast station. You couldn't watch a newscast without seeing the death and destruction every day - and for how many years??? Wasn't that enough???

It's simply disrespectful to his family members to have the world able to view their loved one's horrific death. I'm certain that those images will be burned in their memory forever, and they will have to live with those images for a lifetime, rather than more serene and pleasant memories. Even the coffin as a last memory is by far, more preferable then what they have been left with.

[RICHARD]

IMO - there's a big difference between seeing a flag draped coffin, and watching a video of how that person inside ended up there. One's death is a very private and personal matter, or at least it should be.

.

Correct.

A sanitized version of the war is an aluminum casket.

I am not happy to see pics of young kids (and I do not use that term perjoratively) 'dying' on a battlefield. I put dying in quotes because of a special I watched about wounded soldiers coming back from the ME.

One guy said something like "I celebrate two birthdays, my real birthday and then the day I was wounded."

I guess that is the way to look at things-I can imagine the pain and the reminders of getting wounded in a place far away from home, fighting a war that is unpopular back home.

----------------------------


We have a few options here.

We tuck tail and walk out.

We tuck tail and run out.

We stick to it - I effing hate the term "Stay the Course" because it's a clean version of "Let's keep sending money, men and more shiat to a war that should have been decisive and relatively fast." That and the fact that it turned into a catchphrase for financial, insurance and political stupidity.


Let's get our shiat together, walk into Afghanistan, clean the AHs out and come home.
I don't have the taste for a war that we 'fight' and have to follow every rule and every bomb with a mea culpa Eff this, no one holds homicide bombers and Taliban eff ups to any standards. I think we can bend the rules a bit.

AMEN.

[pomtzu]

Well Richard, I really don't think there is any way to sanitize it. War, and death by war is dirty. We all know that. We've seen way too much of it in our lifetime.

All I'm saying, is respect the person that gave his/her life, and their family as well. Show the coffins if you must, if only as a reminder that they are still dying, lest we forget. But please, keep the rest private.

[moosmom]

IMO - there's a big difference between seeing a flag draped coffin, and watching a video of how that person inside ended up there. One's death is a very private and personal matter, or at least it should be

My opinion too, Ellie.

[lizbud]

VietNam was overkill. It was shoved down our throats day after day by every broadcast station. You couldn't watch a newscast without seeing the death and destruction every day - and for how many years??? Wasn't that enough???

Better not tell that to blue, he doesn't believe it. At least that's what he said in another thread.

War wasnt served up on the radio or at the movies during the World Wars? Granted Im not old enough to even remeber the Viet Nam War, but didnt they have nightly news broadcasts and news reels at the movies during the WWs?
Wasnt it during Viet Nam that the nightly news stopped being objective and started injecting opinions?

[blue]

Better not tell that to blue, he doesn't believe it. At least that's what he said in another thread.

A couple of things here...

1. Havent I been posting enough for you to make a personal insult without going back to a post from last month?

2. Does your reading comprehension suck that bad you cant recognise a rhetorical question?

3. You do know the difference between a statement, something that is said, and a question, something that is asked, right?

4. It is highly possible you are just simply being deliberatly obtuse, to feel better about yourself.