Last week, Obama announced they were reviewing the ban of cameras on soldier's coffins. Should we remove this ban? http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/18/families-debate-policy-on-soldiers-coffins/ Families Debate Policy on Soldiers’ Coffins By Katharine Q. Seelye As the Pentagon reviews its policy banning cameras from Dover Air Force Base, sentiment among military families appears to be running against allowing the media to witness the return of caskets from Iraq and Afghanistan. President Obama and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said last week that they were reviewing the ban, which has been in place since the first Gulf war in 1991. Families United for Our Troops and Their Mission, which represents 60,000 families of military personnel, including some who have died, asked its members last week in an e-mail whether they favored keeping the ban or changing it. From their unscientific survey of about 600 responses, 64 percent say the policy should not be changed; 21 percent say that if the ban is changed, the families should determine media access on a case-by-case basis, and 12 percent say the policy should be changed to allow cameras to photograph the flag-draped caskets. Here are excerpts from some of the responses from families who lost someone. Their names have been removed to protect their privacy: Mother: “When our son arrived into Dover AFB, my husband had arranged to be there as they took him off of the plane…. we couldn’t imagine him being all alone. It was a very private and emotional moment and one that should have belonged only to us. We were inundated by press at our home, at the funeral and for months after, and we were generous with their access, but were very grateful that they weren’t allowed to be present at Dover…. this was our precious son, not a political statement.” Father: “We drove to Dover to bring our son home. I am so grateful that the media was not there; that was a time we needed for ourselves.” Mother: “I am against the media being at Dover. As a mother of one of the Fallen, to have these photos used to turn Americans against our military and their mission would break my heart.” Grandmother: “My primary objection to having media coverage of the draped coffins is that it has become a political ploy (for some). As a gold star grandmother I know the pride with which my grandson served. Those moments are and should be private to family and those dear friends who can attend. The media has no place in such a setting.” Mother: “I am in favor of controlled media coverage at Dover because I feel people need to be made aware of the sacrifice my son and so many other brave men and women have made for their freedom.” Mother and Father: “We are in favor of the media having access to the arrival of the flag draped caskets. Too many Americans are completely unaware of the sacrifice that soldiers and their families are making.” Families United is opposed to overturning the ban (an earlier version of this post said that the group had taken no position). But Brian Wise, executive director, said that if the administration does change the policy, the families should be able to decide whether to give the media access. Some families, he said, “view the presence of media and photographers as a way to celebrate the life of their hero, while many others question the motives behind media access or understandably want to keep that solemn moment private.” The Pentagon said last week that it would finish its review in a matter of days. It is not clear how soon President Obama might make a decision.
Removing the ban would give a human side to the war. It's drifted into the back of peoples' minds and is seen as "that thing" that's "over there." We know that we've sent our heros over there, but we're not allowed to see how too many of them have come back? War has a human cost, especially for the families. Seeing the coffins in the media would put faces on 4,000+ Americans that have given their lives for something.
I agree completely with Dumbartonbass. The ban needs to be lifted. Americans need to be reminded of the ultimate sacrifice paid by some of our brave troops.
The ban needs to be lifted, but it needs to be lifted carefully. Families should be afforded privacy if they want it, but I have no problem showing unidentified flag draped coffins.
So whoop dee doo? If he's changed his mind to the correct position after 6 years, good for rimrocker. What is your position basso? Scared to take one?
ironic that these soldiers who died... who stood for the rights of the press to take and publish such photos... are in death being used to negate the rights for which they enlisted to protect
There's nothing in that article that contradicts what I said in the above post. Here's the first part of that article... It should be up to the families if they want to be filmed while receiving the coffins. Some will want that, some won't. It should not be a decision made for them based on the political calculations in the White House... and to implement a blanket policy of showing no coffins, even unidentified ones, is wrong.
I'm easy. Whatever they want to do is fine with me. I don't think allowing pictures of the coffins will lift any sort of veil on the cost of war. We've had plenty of exposure to that with all the little biographies of individual soldiers that have died and other avenues of reporting.
Well, not exactly reversed. More like altered slightly. But that should be enough to address the concerns of the families that wanted some media coverage.
