Should the media be allowed to show an American soldier who is mortally wounded?  |
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 A mortally wounded American soldier had his picture released by the media and later died at a hospital. The family is outraged that the media still used the photos. They asked that they not be shown as did our government but the media went ahead and released the photos anyway saying that the photos are awful but get the point across that War and conflict are awful, costly and people die. do you feel the media has the right to publish the photos against the wishes of the soldier's next of kin. The soldier was a 21 year old marine and his family is outraged at the media's cold heartedness. I think the media should respect his family's wishes and not show the photos.
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1.  Taskr36 (4631) | 4 months ago |  It's disgusting and typical of our media. There's nothing they love more than using the death of our soldiers for propaganda and they're just giddy that they have photos of a marine's last minutes as he dies so they can plaster it everywhere possible. They don't give a $hit about that marine or his family. The scumbags at the Huffington post really got their jollies putting it on the front page.
Defense Secretary Gates is furious and said it was appalling. However, "our government" aside from Gates has been completely silent. Obama has not said a word about this and I am personally disgusted at his choice to ignore this disgrace.
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 dvmurphy (211) | 4 months ago | Totally agree that it is disgusting what the associated press is doing to the family of this young marine by posting his last moments and completly ignoring the pain that his family is suffering by his death. It is sensationlism pure and simple to keep their circulation up. Sickening! | |
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2.  Latrivia (1572) | 4 months ago |  Should the media respect the wishes of the family? Yes, they should. Do they have to? No, they don't - nor should they be forced to. The unfortunate part about the freedom of the press is, well...it's free (to a point).
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| dvmurphy (211) | 4 months ago | Yes, there is freedom of speech in the US but after being asked by the family to pull the pictures it is very hard hearted of the associated press to continue to use the photos. I know it has been done before in the media but the soldier's family should be accorded some respect over sensationalism of the photo. The media was not be forced to remove the photo but were asked by the soldier's family and then by Gates himself to remove the photo's. | |
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3.  irishidid (3060) | 4 months ago |  This is certainly not new. I remember vividly seeing an image of a young soldier after his leg had been blown off during the Viet Nam war and the medic that was cleaning his wound.
I remember, also the film as they walked slowly through the aftermath of a cluster bomb during Desert Storm.
Do we need to see the devastation of war? I don't know but what lesson do we learn being shielded? Let me also say, I would have respected the family's wishes but I also have to respect freedom of speech.
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| dvmurphy (211) | 4 months ago | Respect for freedom of speech and common sense do not always go hand in hand. I agree on they should respect the family's wishes after being asked to pull the photo. As for being shielded, seeing a dying marine is not the only way to get the point of war devastation across. I feel for the family as do many of you. My son was in Iraq for 16 months at the beginning of the war and he still has images in his mind that haunt him even now. I just hope that the photo of their dying son is not going to continue to haunt them. In this instance I think the associated press is wrong not to respect his family's wishes, freedom of speech or not. | |
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4.  jb78000 (1757) | 4 months ago |  well as has just been pointed out there is the freedom of speech issue. however the media is also free to show some sensitivity and lets face it there's no shortage of photos showing how brutal war is.
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| 5. The_Lamb_Lies_Down (3234) | 4 months ago |  I disagree. Sure, his family isn't going to like seeing the pictures...but how many people that lost loved ones have to look at photos on the front pages of newspapers and on newscasts when there is a plane wreck or some huge catastrophe?
It is WAR, and this photo shows the consequences of WAR.
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| dvmurphy (211) | 4 months ago | This young man gave his life in service and is now the poster boy for the associated press on the horrors of the Afganistan War. His family has asked that the images be removed and should be honored. As for catastrophes, 911 was taken off our TV's as it was to violent for the public and would just brew more hate among us seeing our country under attack. Yet it is okay for the media to use this young marine's death to shock us into the horror of warfare? Would you want your son, father, brother, sister's photo on the news as they lie there mortally wounded? There are other ways to get the point of WAR across without tormenting this young man's family members. This is nothing but sensationlism. | |
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| The_Lamb_Lies_Down (3234) | 4 months ago | As I said, photos of death are shown all the time...I view this as a photo of two Marines attempting to save their buddy, and I see nothing wrong with it.
By your reasoning, no photo that shows an accident that results in a fatality should ever be shown, because it might upset the family.
I also don't believe in censorship, which is basically what you and others are promoting here... | |
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| dvmurphy (211) | 4 months ago | The family should have some say in having their son's image on the news. The media has been asked by the family to remove the image and ignored their wishes. If the family said it was fine than no argument but to go against the family's request is not right. As for 911, play it everyday if no family members object-their is a real image of WAR that was deemed to strong for viewers. | |
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6.  hotsummer (2751) | 4 months ago |  i do think that the family has the right to deny the picture to get out. if the media wants to convey how bad war is, they don't need to show pictures as the world has too much of it and even small kids are very much aware of the horror of war. and so there is no need for the media to publish the photo against the wish of the family.
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| 7. jambi462 (2280) | 4 months ago |  They show pictures of worse from other countries. Just because we are Americans doesn't mean that our soldiers shouldn't be shown wounded or dying. I don't understand why our country tries to put ourselves ahead of others so much. This is why we get in so many wars and this is why a lot of other countries hate us.
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| dvmurphy (211) | 4 months ago | As Americans I do not feel we put ourselves ahead of others. Instead we think we have to police the entire world. Our freedoms make other countries hate us which could be plain jealousy. As for Wars we have gotten into, not all Americans have agreed that War was necessary, that is the government, not the American people who decide that action. The old saying is fight the War on their shores before it gets to our shores (remember 911). I did not agree we needed to be in Iraq but my son still did his duty and was there for 16 months with the US Army. They love us when we liberate them and hate us soon after, have a party when we leave and then say we left to early leaving the job unfinished. Americans-love us or hate us-their choice. | |
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