AP News Publishes Photo of Dying Soldier

Your thoughts?

We have been sheltered and separated from the reality of our wars for too long.

During Vietnam, our leaders witnessed their people coming together to protect the soldiers, by demanding an end.

Since then, our conflicts have been carefully presented in sanitized fashion. Life goes on at home, apart from the war.

What is more obscene, a picture of a dying soldier or a soldier dying quietly as a statistic?

"What is more obscene, a picture of a dying soldier or a soldier dying quietly as a statistic?"

Good question?
Why should we be afraid to see the product of the war machine?

I think I have a unique perspective of this here on the forums...I can see both sides. Personally, you have to imagine it as if it were yourself. Would you want your children or parents to see you, for all eternity, in such a state? Especially depending on the age of the child, it could be traumatizing. This was done strictly as part of an agenda and/or for political gain, and to effect a specific emotion in people. I personally feel as though not involved in the war have no business seeing certain aspects, and there is nothing to be gained by seeing said things.

The young man's family asked for the pictures not be published, and as far as i'm concerned, that should be enough for them not to publish the picture.

To Steve:
The fact that most people don't feel involved is a carefully crafted perception to further the efforts of the pigs. To publicize these images would service the troops in the greatest way, while undermining the war effort.

To T Myers:
Respect to the family is paramount, but it's painful to think that their reservations are actually most harmful to the rest of the young folk dealing with this reality on the regular.

And Steve, you're USN. If you're not SEAL or Seabee you havo no similarities to infantry whatsoever. Except for lost sleep and attack paranoia.

No, showing a dude dying does nothing good. Nothing at all.

The on site journalism of Vietnam didn't play a role in the domestic attitude?

On site journalism is vastly different from a dead soldier. Being displayed against the military and families wishes.

I think I respectfully addressed the family. While I maintain that their stance is unfortunate and, ultimately, harmful to all other soldiers.

They should have final say. I can't argue that.

No, it isn't harmful. Now on top of all the stress we deal with out there, we have to worry that our family and children will have to see us in our final state if we have that happen to us. This isn't going to change minds about the war. Pro-war people hate it, anti-war people were already anti-war. It's a stupid thing that is nothing but disrespectful and harmful to what we continue to do out there. It's something a terrorist would do.

You don't think it would affect the national climate if, instead of numbers, the news broadcasred visual footage?

You don't think it would be more respectful to the deceased to represent them as individuals, rather than arbitrary numbers?

I can't think of any person who would want their final seconds shown in any form of media. There are plenty of other non-graphic ways to represent them as individuals.

If your ship went down in a terrorist attack, don't you think it would be more productive for our citizens to deal with the most accurate details of our collective loss,

rather than "5,000 sailors were lost today..."

Sorry, I missed the consession before I posted.

If you can agree that representing the individual is important, it can't be so far removed that the most accurate (graphic) representation would be the most productive.

Bottom line, war is a public affair. The privitization of which is a major crime of our government, facilitated by our media.

The greatest trick the devil ever pulled...

No pictures of war please. We need more pics of Jennifer Aniston

Dang! Trotter wrote:

No pictures of war please. We need more pics of Jennifer Aniston

exactly