Thread: With respect to servicemen/women is this too much or not enough?

I say show the truth, in all its brutality. There are still people who believe the Bush line about Iraqis welcoming the US troops in the streets. Show the flag draped caskets at the airports. There are still people who believe there is some way to win this nonsensical occupation.

Maybe some of you would like to come with me to my next appointment at the VA Medical Center?

If I was in your hometown I would.

I am working on furthering my mediation and legal training and I will be applying for a BA in Psych next fall. My goal is to work with families, elderly, and vets. There will be a need for an intermediary. People need to know what they have experienced and the challenges that face them now and the nightmares that will follow them to better advocate for the vets, for the elderly, for the families.

In all honesty, I would probably walk out of the place and vomit. I would think that would be a normal reaction.

Originally Posted by singlewedge

The AP recently published a picture of a fresh faced 21 yo Lance Corporal that was gravely injured by an RPG in a firefight despite wishes of his family and the Pentagon.

Should more of these images be published? Should we sanitize the war, or should we see more images? Didn't we have this debate during Vietnam and didn't we see these same images?

With respect and a heartfelt thanks I submit this post.

I guess the question to ask is - is it wrong or immoral to publicly display these photos?

I doubt there are many, if any, who are so naive to believe that war is in any way "sanitary" despite the photos displayed, cleaned up or not.

The picture is wrong if for no other reason than the parents have suffered enought with the loss of their child.

Witholding this picture would not have been "sanitizing" the war, it would have been allowing the parensts and his sister to grieve without an image to go along with the mental anquish. This seems to me be grandstanding by a reporter who wanted a possible prize-wining photo for her career. Can we ever forget that picture from Vietnam where the South Vienamese Col. executed that man?

We should not be playing into the culture of death by providing sick young people with real photos of war.

If a peson is curious about that picuture, then let them join the marines and go and find out what war is like.

My co-worker served in Vietnam from '67-'68 and he had a few ideas for that reporter and the higher-ups in the media who decided to show it. The only reason they showed it is becuase print media is nearly dead and this photo sold some copies to the those in the death culture. Follow the money.

I think the truth should be seen. What ever it may be.

Sarend, whilst it may be easier for the parents of the person who died not to see those pictures, what about for all the potential victims parents? Do you think it is fair that people have a glorified view of war? That they should not know that they might end up missing half their body bleeding out in the sand some place?

I cannot agree with you because that one mans suffering is a warning to some one elses son, or daughter, brother, sister or cousin. We should not protect the few to betray the many.

I'm sure they wouldn't publish a photo of their own son or daughter. I'd say its hypocritical.

But I think its about time that people started to "understand" what is going on today in the military.

Originally Posted by singlewedge

If I was in your hometown I would.

I am working on furthering my mediation and legal training and I will be applying for a BA in Psych next fall. My goal is to work with families, elderly, and vets. There will be a need for an intermediary. People need to know what they have experienced and the challenges that face them now and the nightmares that will follow them to better advocate for the vets, for the elderly, for the families.

In all honesty, I would probably walk out of the place and vomit. I would think that would be a normal reaction.

You can go on your own. Park and walk around. Find the Transportation Office and strike up some conversations with the folks in the chairs waiting for rides. Here's how to find the VA Med Center in Portland/Vancouver: Portland VA Medical Center - VA Northwest Health Network

Originally Posted by gssixgun

OK I am going to open my big fat trap here...

Unfortunately the mainstream media is bias, let's face it...

Showing US servicemen/women dead/wounded is OK, showing them doing bad things OK etc: etc: etc:

Showing the Islamic terrorists/religion crashing planes into the Twin Towers is BAD, Executing Americans is BAD, Torturing Americans is Bad, Beheading Americans is Bad.... See a pattern here????

Promoting that America is bad = OK
Showing America as Good = Bad


To all US Military Personnel "Thank You for your service".....

Thank You Glen. I tried to give you Thanks but the button disappears when I click on it.

I'm an Active Duty serviceman in the U.S. Air Force.

I am also in the honor guard, we bury fallen comrades and veterans among other things, and I can tell you that if this Marine's family really did protest such an image being made public that it should be left as such. All of this non sanitizing war crap does not fly, perhaps if the family wished the photo to be seen, because they felt it would have some sort of impact then that is another matter.

I can assure you, if a news reporter came to an active duty funeral, waltzed up to the casket and began shooting photos of the deceased, under the pretense of something like "Hey y'all, this is war, See ? This is what happens." That would not fly, they likely would not make it out of the funeral.

The media for the most part, does not take photos of uncle jimmy after he blows his brains out and print them saying "Well I just thought we should un sanitize suicide in this country, its hell, everyone should see uncle jimmy's brains."

But that's just my two cents worth.

from my understanding their guidelines are supposed to be in consideration of the family, so it's pretty clear what to do.

if they want to show the horror of war they should just find a family that is on board with that.