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Over the weekend the AP published a photo of the young marine as he lay dying. They did this despite being asked by the Defense Secretary and the parents asking that they would not do it. Why? Because they said that it shows the sacrifice of young men and women of our country in a time of war.
Was it Wrong?
Gov. Sarah Palin calls it evil, and Patterico asks where the photos of those that jumped out of the twin Towers on 9/11 are1, but I’m not quite sure why this is that big of a deal. We know that the AP is anti-war. We also know that they’re trying to sell articles to papers, and this is getting a lot of publicity.
The truth is, war is bad. War kills people and breaks things. People are maimed and killed every day, and it’s the price that we must pay because we are at war—regardless if we want to be or not.
Is it right to show a picture of a man mortally injured? That’s hard for me to say. Not because I think that it’s a good thing to show, but that I have a hard time believing it from some of the outlets that I read.
Consistency
Many today that were for the war in Iraq/Afghanistan just a few months ago when President George W. Bush was in office are now against the war. Now, it’s partially because these people are convinced that President Obama is not in it to win it, but I think a lot of it has to do with who is now calling the shots.
Just as I mentioned last week when I talked about President Obama talking to school children, the determining factor for whether it’s a statesman like move or an attempt to corrupt young minds seems to be determined by whether it’s your guy in office. The same is the case with the wars.
Now we have some people that argued that the beheadings that were happening in Iraq of American individuals be shown and available because America had to learn who her enemies were and what they are capable of have decided that a photograph showing our casualties is wrong.
It’s right if it helps us to get behind the war, and wrong if it detracts from it? The person that died was on the same side—both were Americans.
Which is it?
I wish that people would simply get on one side or the other. If it’s wrong to show people dying or dead for the sake of their families, then they should not use those same images and justify them simply because it helps their point over the enemies.
And lastly, there are more gruesome things shown for entertainment in America right now. Perhaps the fact that some people consider this photo acceptable should be cause for self-examination.
I’m not saying it’s right. Neither am I saying that our men and women in the armed forces shouldn’t be shown the highest honor and respect.
What I am saying is that they shouldn’t be used and manipulated either way. Either let it all stand or put it all behind the curtain. Don’t be selective.
- HT: Palin to AP: Publishing That Picture Was Wrong And You Knew It – Say Anything [↩]
Hi, MIn,
Some good thoughts here.
Honestly, my view is that *we* who are conservative are just looking for things to pick at. We’ve adopted Alinsky’s rules, ourselves – whether in an effort to win back the White House or out of genuine fear. Fear has made us lose a lot of our rationality.
That said, I don’t think they should show a dying soldier – no matter who is in the administration. Yes, we see worse things – but this is real. I am now old enough to remember the good ol’ days when they would not show dead people on television. I used to watch the news with my Dad every night as a child. It was our time together. There’s no way I would let my child watch the news now.
I miss the old days when children were not allowed to be depicted as graphic victims of horrible crime on television, either. Yes, it happens, but I think the constant viewing of something desensitizes us to the horror it invokes.