So ... what about the Pentagon and it's censorship of images of the war dead?


http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ABPub/2001906046.jpg (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/EnlargePhoto.pl?MediaUseId=2001910676)
Disrespectful? Tami Silicio lost her job over this photo, which violated Pentagon policy. (Silicio/Seattle Times (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2001910594_pentagon23m.html))

The US Air Force, in a move which further stirs the controversy, has released more than 360 photographs of American dead (72 of them, according to NASA, are actually images of the Columbia's fallen crew). These images are available at The Memory Hole (http://www.thememoryhole.org/war/coffin_photos/dover/), whose pages are being carried also by Information Clearing House (http://informationclearinghouse.info/2clearing2/gallery.htm). (The Memory Hole is currently taking many, many hits; the ICH link might be preferable.)


http://informationclearinghouse.info/2clearing2/tn_DSC_0204.jpg (http://informationclearinghouse.info/2clearing2/page179.htm)
Disrespectful? Receiving the dead at Dover Air Force Base. (USAF/MemoryHole/ICH)

I must respectfully disagree with those at the Pentagon who are and have been inclined to consider the publication of such images disrespectful. To the contrary, I believe such images actually inspire a certain amount of respect. I know I have nothing bad to say about soldiers when I look at the coffins being offloaded.

Nor is it shocking; this is a war. If I can stomach pictures of Yassin's face in six pieces, or an Iraqi child with shrapnel in his head, such somber images as these are not disturbing in the least. I don't believe in Heaven or Hell; I don't believe in Judgment. These tempestuous souls now rest, and the humanity of this war is exemplified in these flag-wrapped coffins. The dead Iraqi is political fodder in American eyes; this is a statement of our own costs that hasn't really been made.

Of course, neither is Ted Koppel's planned tribute (http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/TV/04/28/tv.nightline.ap/) going over well. Apparently an affiliate owning 62 station (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2001916488_iraqdig30.html) will not run the episode.

Can anyone tell me how, exactly, this is disrespectful?
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• TheMemoryHole. "Photos of Military Coffins (And Astronaut Fatalities) at Dover Air Force Base." See http://www.thememoryhole.org/war/coffin_photos/dover/
• InformationClearingHouse. "Dover AFB." See http://informationclearinghouse.info/2clearing2/gallery.htm
• CNN.com. "'Nightline' to honor U.S. military dead." April 28, 2004. See http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/TV/04/28/tv.nightline.ap/
• Seattle Times. "Broadcaster won't run 'Nightline' death roll." April 30, 2004. See http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2001916488_iraqdig30.html

I would say it give people a final chance to pay respect to those who has fallen before they are buired(sp?).

It was fare more disrespectfull how that football player was paraded around, or how the man in "charge" of your country not have visited any of the fallen soldiers under his command (AFAIK), then again if the familier was around they might see it as and insult.

Disrespect to the living is sad as well.

http://www.angelfire.com/md2/customviolins/ovalawful.jpg

No one can honestly say pictures of a flag draped coffin(s) are disrepectful. It is respectful if anything.

There is another reason the pentagon would all of a sudden start causing a fuss about it. They want to keep people's minds off the fact that we have people dying over there. Well, we do and we should acknowledge it with honesty and respect.

Two Views: Benson, Devericks


http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/benson/gifs/042804benson341.gif (http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/benson/042804benson.html)
Steve Benson - Arizona Republic, 4.28.2004

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/art/editorial/cartoon/2004/575/042504.jpg (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/editorial/cartoon/2004/042504.html)
Eric Devericks - Seattle Times, 4.25.2004

I support the war and support the release of these pictures. If we are not prepared to admit the truth about this war then we should not be there. This war is about insuring that no one attack America on our home soil ever again. If they do we will pick out some more sovereign countries that the terrorist use to hide and train in and we will engage them in battle and convert their cancerous society into a more amicable one. If we do this consistently then there will be a point at which they will either stop attacking or have no place to hide and recover then they will be destroyed. We are at war for our very existence as a free nation and we will have to pay a very heavy price before this is over.

This war is about insuring that no one attack America on our home soil ever again. If they do we will pick out some more sovereign countries that the terrorist use to hide and train in and we will engage them in battle and convert their cancerous society into a more amicable one.
Err What 'tewwowists'?
You got a link or are you just making that up weasel?
So hows the Iraq conversion going?
Well I hope.
I just love those new post liberation amicable eyeraqis!
Dee Cee

There is no need to suppress the release of the photos in question. Sure, they'll probably be used as ammunition by a few shallow ideologues with an agenda (suppressing them can also be considered as this), but I find that hardly a compelling reason to prevent their release. Americans have always had a distinct ability to seperate the military from politics, and consequently harbor nothing but the highest respect for the former.

The Pentagon isn't censoring these specifically though. It's been a common practice not to allow photographing of our returning dead since the Vietnam War. You can still get the pictures, you're just going to have to file a FOIA request to do it.

That was just my opinion and a hope. What kind of links are you looking for? Iraq and Afghanistan both ran training camps for terrorist. They don't anymore. Several surveys have shown that over 50% of Iraqis believe their lives are better off today than they were a year ago. If America can hold the course and turn over power in a controlled manner then Iraq will probably end up with a free society. This is dangerous to a lot of fundamentalist because freedom is contagious once you see the results of it you want some for yourself. This will destabilize the mid-east for many years as each society adjust to the necessary changes. I hope that the changes are non-violent but I hope they happen soon. It is sad that people have to die weather these changes occur or not. We can only hope that there will be enough less deaths when Iraq is freed that it makes up for the cost in freeing it. Those pictures illustrate the extremely high cost that the soldiers are paying.

It depends on whos they are. If they are with or not with United Nations.