Score one for photographers' rights.

[Village Idiot]

Gates orders review of ban on photos of coffins

 

[Garbz]

What the? There's privacy concerns regarding fallen soldiers? Aren't their names published anyway? Anyway I don't think they would care.

 

[stsinner]

This is bad.. Soldiers' coffins should not be on public display..

See my full comments here.

 

[Josh66]

I think this is a good thing. Hopefully the ban gets lifted.

People should know what sacrifice our armed forces are making for them.

(I want to say more, but I won't - as it will likely result in (or lead to) lockdown of this thread...)

A University of Delaware professor who unsuccessfully sued to force the government to release pictures of flag-draped coffins returning home said taxpayers should see the cost of war.

[...]

The fallen troops "died for all of us — they died for the nation, they died for the cause," Begleiter said in a January interview. "It's a right for all Americans to pay their respects for those who made the sacrifice. It is not a right held exclusively for the families themselves."

I agree.

 

[Judge Sharpe]

It is not the deads privacy that nees respecting, it is their families. The news reporters will sitck a camera in anyones face. Please give the greiving families a little space. I have lost family members and would never impose on others in that situation.
Judge Sharpe:thumbdown:

 

[abraxas]

Score one for our rights period! Many of the previous administration's policies should be reevaluated. I'd rather make my own moral decisions instead of being denied the right entirely.

 

[fwellers]

The fallen troops "died for all of us — they died for the nation, they died for the cause," Begleiter said in a January interview. "It's a right for all Americans to pay their respects for those who made the sacrifice. It is not a right held exclusively for the families themselves."

This guy is an IDIOT ! How can he tell someone whose child just made the ultimate sacrifice that they don't have the right to grieve their child in privacy ? He has all the sensitivity of a tireiron.

 

[stsinner]

It's not a matter of the privacy of the families or the privacy of the fallen soldiers-it's the disgusting way the rabid anti-war dolts will use pictures of the C-130 bays lined with flag draped coffins as fodder for their arguments against any war, no matter the politics, and the American public is generally so ill informed that this is all they will see. Public opinion will then turn against the conflict and our soldiers will lose support in the field.. Emotions have no place in the war theater, and all seeing soldiers' coffins does is stir emotions.

As much as I agree with the freedom of photographers, this situation will be used for ill-gotten gain and no good can come from it. I agree with the ban.

 

[Chris of Arabia]

Let's keep the politics out of this one shall we. This topic will always be one that polarises opinions, but name calling of anyone, whether a forum member or not, is unlikely to do much for the longevity of this thread.

 

[Village Idiot]

Generally I think that if some anti war person was there photographing and acting like a fool, they'd have no qualms about tossing him into the street....infront of a moving vehicle.

In a Feb. 9 letter to Obama, Lautenberg said the Pentagon should develop a new policy to allow "respectful" media coverage while protecting the privacy of the victims and their families. Generally, the remains in the caskets are not publicly identified.

 

[abraxas]

Generally I think that if some anti war person was there photographing and acting like a fool, they'd have no qualms about tossing him into the street....infront of a moving vehicle.

I've seen some pro-war persons act like fools, how about throwing them under a bus too?

 

[stsinner]

Might as well go ahead and lock it, Chris....

 

[Chris of Arabia]

So be it...