Whether you are for or against this Iraqi War (and I believe it is an immoral affront to thinking people everywhere) you must realize that those who are actually fighting and dying in that foreign land have no choice in the matter. Yes, for whatever reason, they did choose to join the military, but they took an oath to defend the Constitution and follow the orders of the President. They (probably) assumed the President would do the same, but they were wrong.
Now, almost 6 years from the time the public was lied to about the existence of Weapons of Mass Destruction and a non-extistant link between Iraq and 9/11, the fallen soldiers, sailors and airman will be publicly recognized, if their families allow it.
Families of America's war dead will decide whether the flag-draped caskets of their loved ones can be photographed by news organizations when the fallen return to U.S. soil, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday.
According to the article, Robert Gates is taking full credit for lifting the ban put in place by the Bush administration, but if you read the article carefully you will see that President Obama asked him to look into it.
I have always felt the ban on photgraphing the flag draped coffins was disrespectful to those who gave their lives in this farce. But I have also felt that it allowed the American public to be able to turn an even greater blind eye to what was happening. We, as a nation, have grown incredibly self absorbed through the years and do not seem to pay attention to anything that occurs outside of our safe little worlds. We have been asked to sacrifice nothing, do nothing, think nothing about the so-called War on Terror. Maybe, with the lifting of the photography ban, we will at least be called upon to FEEL something for those who gave the greatest sacrifice.
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2 comments:
This development doesn't excite me at all, but then, if you've seen a very important one far too early in life, there are few things more horrible to see in person or in a photo than a coffin.
I notice that the news reports are being scrupulous about speaking only of the war dead, when it is really the container boxes, the coffins, that the photos will show, and not what's inside. But showing that would make some really undesirable points.
Good point, Carl, but those rows of flag draped coffins MAY show the public that there are actual people dying over there. Maybe not though, we, as a nation, seem to be able to stick our heads far far in the sand.
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