Should the media be allowed to show an American soldier who is mortally wounded?
By dvmurphy
@dvmurphy (326)
United States
September 5, 2009 11:01pm CST
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.
1 person likes this
5 responses
@irishidid (8687)
• United States
6 Sep 09
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.
1 person likes this
@dvmurphy (326)
• United States
6 Sep 09
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.
@jambi462 (4576)
• United States
7 Sep 09
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.
@dvmurphy (326)
• United States
7 Sep 09
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.
@dvmurphy (326)
• United States
6 Sep 09
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.
@hotsummer (13835)
• Philippines
7 Sep 09
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.
