Breaking: Pentagon to Lift Dover Ban
MSNBC is reporting that Defense Secretary Robert Gates has decided to lift the ban on coverage of coffins returning to Dover AFB. The report further states that individual families will have final say on whether permission is granted to cover the ceremonies.
It’s far past time for this.
I never understood how not showing the flag-draped coffins was called a patriotic act. More like: out of sight, out of mind.
I never understood it either — especially since the media could print pictures of the deceased (with permission, I presume). Why not the coffins — and the ceremony that comes with that (very, very, very moving — no matter what you think about the military)….good job, Secretary Gates.
The report further states that individual families will have final say on whether permission is granted to cover the ceremonies.
… as it should be. I don’t think any media outlet was arguing for blanket access to coverage of individual ceremonies. That’s a private thing. That argument is kind of a red herring.
No, the media was asking for blanket coverage as a means to make President Bush look bad. Perhaps, when Obama loses badly in Afghanistan he will regret this new policy.
In the end, the ceremony is accomplished for the service member and the service not for the press who generally have contempt for the military and no idea of the significance of respect for fallen members.
Making a political statement out of a service members death is very sad.
If respondents to this post have made a “k” call to a family or given a widow or parent a flag as a representative during a ceremony let me know.
It is a solemn occasion not a red herring.
Exactly, Pandora. Other countries televise these ceremonies so their citizens can rightfully pay tribute to these heroes. American politicians, however, are still thinking back to the nightly newscasts during the Vietnam War and how that coverage helped turn public opinion against the war.
The solution: no substantive war coverage, especially of the dead. Embedded reporters and Defense Department-approved footage.
I suggest everyone who hasn’t yet seen “Taking Chance” on HBO do so. All of those involved in the transfer of our troops’ remains are touched. It made me wonder why we would NOT want to honor these men and women in such a public way.
Making a political statement out of a service members death is very sad.
The political statement was made by censoring the images, not by showing them.
Seems that support the troops should read support the live troops.
Now, if everyone will excuse me for a moment… Protack, please STFU. Your assigning of motives to those of us who agree with this position is offensive and obnoxious.
Protack, you’re a piece of shit. I guess because we’ve never taken part in one of these ceremonies, we can’t have an opinion.
If someone posted on DL that the pope is Catholic, you’d disagree. You disagree just to disagree.
In case you haven’t noticed, the families would need to authorize press coverage. No one is disputing this, not even the Bush-hating, military-despising, communist, lefty, pinko, big-government media.
Is there some kind of test one has to take in order to have respect for fallen soldiers?
Asshole.
Protack is rebuilding the Delaware GOP, one inane comment at a time.
lg,
It’s going to take a while.
Pandora,
I always got the sense that when they said “support the troops” they meant “support the president’s policies.”
True, UI.
So. Protack, you advocate hiding the sight of our fallen soldiers as political cover. It’s amazing how Republicans project their motives onto everyone else.
Rhetorical Question: Why hasn’t this ALWAYS been the policy?
Rebuild the GOP said, “..Perhaps, when Obama loses badly in Afghanistan he will regret this new policy…”
Or perhaps, political leaders of all stripes ought to regret sending troops into harm’s way needlessly.
Perhaps, when Obama loses badly in Afghanistan he will regret this new policy.
I picture Protack saying this in grainy video, wearing a turban and an ammo belt slung around his torso, with an AK-47 propped up prominently against a rock.
And the moustache, of course.
The Rove genius was to make simple minded twits think that there were never going to be costs associated with any Bush policies.
Protack thinks that is a good way to govern I guess.
Boucher @ 14–count me rhetorical too!
How about withholding the images out of respect for the family of the deceased? Doesn’t the deceased deserve to be honored for their service, rather than be a photo-op for the world to see?
If you want a detailed analysis, watch the HBO film “Taking Chance”. Replay it over again, each time a service member is KIA.
The inane comments and name calling prove I have won the argument. Your lack of ability to have anything sensible to say is pretty sad.
The ceremony is for the deceased service member within the formal process of bringing someone home to this country. Special care and attention to even the smallest detail is SOP. No one is hiding any facts or deaths, it protects a respect for the deceased.
For those who have not participated in this sort of tradition let me offer this thought. You can have your own opinion but not your own facts. The DOD policy has nothing to do with party registration or political philosophy, it has to do with a solemn ceremony by Defense personnel for a service member.
Mr Obama has pledged to increase Troop strength in the Afghan War and he mistakenly thinks NATO will support him. Nothing could be further from the troop. If the President has any chance of success in Afghanistan he will have to accept a lot more casualties, a lot more.
God, you’re thick! Lifting the ban gives the family the choice. That means families can allow or not allow press coverage.
Ever consider that some families may have wanted coverage in the past? No, of course not, that doesn’t fit your argument.
Interesting, Protack, so you’re suggesting that when Eisenhower, Nixon, and Reagan allowed such photographs to be taken, they were disrespecting the families of our troops? Fascinating.
Your justifications for suspending the first amendment fascinate me, along with the way you completely ignored the following statement:
Believe it or not, there are plenty of families that proudly want the world to know about the sacrifices their sons and daughters (or spouses or siblings) made.
I hope they have dedicated morgue personnel now. When I was at Dover in 2002, they used the dentists as a dual purpose position. kinda creepy knowing that someone who has their hands in your mouth had their hands in dead bodies sometimes days ago.
I had a dental appt rescheduled once due to an incoming soldier that passed in Afghanistan, creeped me out.
Captain Airhead give it a rest. …
Your diatribes only give progressives/liberals serious pains in various parts of our body. 🙁
Please take it outside….way outside this blog.