Aren't you interested in seeing the story of the human cost of the war in Iraq?

Question

People are being manipulated endlessly by Bush. One of the most disgraceful things about this war is the political ban on seeing the coffins that come home? Have we become such a callous society that we do not allow citizens to see the toll on loved ones, on the loss of our soldiers? When is this madness going to end? Why aren't Americans speaking out? Enough already!!

To Stanleys 2001: Do you really believe that the war in Iraq is all about 911 as Bush would have you believe? You need to develop some critical thinking skills!

Correction: Rather than making a statement, I should have asked the question: Is it a disgrace that we do not allow people to view the coffins?
I am reading some most interesting views.

It would appear that I have raised the ire of some responders. The point of my question is not that the public should be intruding on the grief of families who have lost soldiers in Iraq, but that we, the public should be fully aware of the human toll that this war has had on lives. It is only when we as a society can share the grief of the families that we can even begin to comprehend the impact of war, and in this case, the war on Iraq. Many have raised the question of 911. I ask, at what point do have we avenged that event? Do we continue to take numbers of lives beyond the lives taken on that dreadful 911 attack? Do politicians want to shield us from the impact of war because it would interfere with their agendas? Perhaps as a Canadian, I am too far away to be fully knowledgeable or objective, but I daresay, some of the Americans who have responded in such a vitriolic manner are too close to the situation to be equally objective.

Answer 1

Colin Powell himself admitted, back in 2003 that the U.S. military "doesn't even count civilian casualities". This is a typical attitude...it's amazing how many people have already forgotten about Vietnam.
...Which is why there is a politican ban on seeing coffins, etc. It's the same here in Canada with our dead soldiers coming back from Afghanistan in pine boxes. See, the rise in protest against Vietnam is almost directly attributed to Walter Cronkite reporting the carnage night after night...it inflamed public opinion to the point where people started speaking out. This is what the Neo-Cons are afraid of with Iraq and Afghanistan.
Americans aren't speaking out because most of them are afraid if they do Homeland Security is going to come knocking. Which may be true, but is it better to sit back and do nothing or take a risk? Remember, we let the Nazis get away with terrible atrocities for a long time before we did anything about it. Myself, I don't give a damn- I've been speaking out all my life and I'm either too old or too stubborn to stop now!

Answer 2

I think what is sad is that we believe we have a right to watch other peoples family members being sent home in coffins. Would you want their loved ones exploited for media purposes by being a counted coffin on the news. Please don't say you approve of the awful people who were protesting funerals because they do not approve of the war?
What is really a disgrace is how we are manipulated by the news. They show us what they want to show and what will get ratings. They don't show the soldiers in Iraq doing the many good things they do. I have 1 friend and 2 family members over there and they always say, they are not being represented in the proper light.
What is a disgrace is that as a society we feel we have the right to judge the soldiers, Pres. Bush and the Iraq's when it is so obvious we are not getting all the facts, from either side.
What is a disgrace is the state this country is in politically.
What is really a disgrace is the people spouting off with out being properly informed.

Answer 3

I AGREE that the war was a total mistake. I suspect that there were strings attached to the war. It wasn't fully about terrorists. Oil was the partial reason he invaded Iraq. He should remove soldiers at a faster rate. If "he was a great man" was good enough a millitary comment, then why not let his greatness extend to family members.

But, i SAY that the extremists are terrible villians. They are no more than a hand which hits it's leg. They are destroying us, giving Bush the excuse to keep on invading.

Politics is dirty. Extremists are worthless. If both sides don't compromise, we are throughly screwed. Draining economy, loosing manpower, under mountains of debt. Politicans probably failed the economics class on "don't spend more you cannot afford"

Answer 4

Here's something else the media will never show the public, but I was there and I will tell anyone who will listen that saddam did support 9/11:
http://www.spiritoftruth.org/images/3rd-infantry-saddam-911c.jpg
http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/Pic.jpg
as far as showing the coffins, I think it is good that they are not shown on the nightly news each night. We don't need to gage the war's success or failure on number of bodybags but on the number of lives saved since the war on terror began as there have been no more civilian deaths in the country due to terrorist attacks. I am grateful to God everyday that when I got off the plane to come home I was vertical and not horizontal, but if I had been I sure wouldn't have wanted the image to be a tool for the media to discount what sacrifices have been made for our great country and the freedom of other countries.

Answer 5

You are one sick stupid child. Why don't we just go ahead and publish every deceased soldier's remains on rotten dot com as well?

As with any form of human interaction, your rights stop where someone else's begin.

If you really feel the need to appreciate the human toll of the war in Iraq, attend a soldier's funeral. I've been to too many, but George Bush is not the one who killed these men and women. Islamic Jihad killed them. And you better believe you wouldn't have the right to run your little mouth any way you want to under Sharia Law.

Answer 6

Not really.
People who are against Bush don't have the strength to standup against the wrong doings of terrorists. They all think that they can work it out diplomatically. Bunch of crock. Bush should just end this all by flattening the desert mountains with a few missiles and have it over and done with and we can then get on with our lives.

Answer 7

I don't need to see it, I know it. We fight so you can act stupid & be so innocent as to never understand the world or especially our part in it. You're free to insult us & everything we believe in, but the one & only thing we ask is that when our fellow troops fall in battle that you leave them & their families alone to grieve in private, that you allow us to honor them with the respect they deserve in the way our tradition dictates. Just stay out of it & away from us on this one point. There are a hundred other ways to accomplish the story you demand w/o breaking our faith to our commrades, pleae pick a different one.

Answer 8

Well censored casualities is generally used to avoid loss of morale and the loss of support of the Bush admin, and the unclear cassus belli to go to Iraq is fueling the anger.

Answer 9

Nobody wants Casulties... Innocent people, or AMERICANS. (or allies)... however you have to break a few eggs to make an OMLETTE.

The people who are against the war... just don't get the PICTURE.

To get a clearer picture... they need to take an AIRPLAIN RIDE, into a building. THEN maybe they will "GET IT".

Answer 10

u r right the bush game is going on and on but no one is their to stop him . we have to make him understand that all countries is not his wives's on which he is playing these can be done by the only USA people how gave him these much power