Are Americans angry that pictures of the coffins from Iraq?

Question

Are not allowed to be shown?
Is like this people never existed.They die for you is what the government tells you but don't you dare show it.Do you agree with this policie or not?

Answer 1

No, I don't agree. In addition to censoring the press and violating several Constitutional freedomes, this ban by the Bush administration keeps Americans in the never-never land of "the war is really not important".

There is nothing like the sight of American Flag draped coffins arriving in the U.S. daily to bring the war home to the citizens of this country. It was the sight of thousands of young dead Americans arriving at Dover AFB during the Vietnam War that helped fuel the anti-war movement that finally put an end to the madness.

Bush and his cronies know that - so they decide to disallow photos.

Americans can't put a human toll on the words "3200 dead soldiers" but seeing 3200 flag draped coffins would wake them up, get them off their butts and make our government put an end to this war.

FYI - they have also blocked full disclosure on those who are so seriously injured they will remain in hospitals for months. They don't want you to see too many young men with no limbs, no face, head and brain damage... You might get mad!!!!

Answer 2

I agree, the death and burial of someone is private. I don't think showing their coffins to be exploited by the media is a good thing. If the family chooses to let camera be present at the burial or beforehand that is the families choice, and it should stay that way. I know if a family died in Iraq I don't want their coffin shown on TV while I am greiving.

Answer 3

To be honest with you if something were to happen to my husband (army soldier) I absolutely would NOT want his coffin shown. I also wouldn't want his picture up on websites, in the news, etc etc because for me (and he agreed with me on this) that would be an invasion of our privacy. Why do you need to see their coffins anyway? The new death toll is on the news everyday. Does a number not tell you the sacrifice that has been made? Do you really need to be that involved in someone else's pain? I'm sorry but they deserve privacy and their families deserve it as well. I agree with the policy. Now if they were hiding the numbers that would be a problem but you are not entitled to see the coffins.


I had to reply to BarB whose post is below mine....why do you think that you SHOULD be allowed to see our injured soldiers? What gives you the right to? These soldiers knew and understood the risks when they signed up and if they have something happen they deserve our respect and all the care we can give them. What they DON'T deserve is to be paraded around for someone else's agenda. This brings to mind the soldier who lost his arms and while giving an interview about his pain management Michael Moore decided to tape him without consent and then put him in a "movie" (I would actually call that "movie" what it really was....garbage!) Soldiers are NOT public figures and so their lives and deaths are PRIVATE and should only be in the public eye if they or their family consents. Period. I would NEVER want my husband or any of our friends to be used to further a cause that they did not believe in (the antiwar agenda) They believe in their cause enough to die for it and if that happened they deserve the same respect in death as they do in life.

Answer 4

Do you need to see the coffins to understand that people die in war? I do agree with this policy, and if the families of these young men and women want a public viewing that's completely up to them. Some of us do know that they exist, we pray for them each day and support them in every way we can.

Answer 5

I'm an American, and a veteran of 15 yrs of US Naval service... I'm FULLY in support of DoD policy that news cameras aren't allowed to take pictures at the Air Force Base where my brothers and sisters return home on the way to their final rest.

YES, they died serving the People of the United States... and if I wish to SEE it, I can walk through Fort Rosencrans, Punchbowl National Cemetery, the USS Arizona Memorial, Colleville-sur-Mer, Arlington National Cemetery, San Francisco National Cemetery, or Golden Gate National Cemetery... take some time, go THERE and look at ALL the headstones...

I've served on Burial at Sea details, accompanied a shipmates body home to his parents, visited EACH of those locations above, and go EACH Memorial Day and Veterans Day to Golden Gate National Cemetery to plant flags with my VFW brothers (for the137,435 internments there).

It's a PRIVATE thing... not fuel and fodder for the media and certain political parties. And the media CERTAINLY keeps us up to date on the +3,019 service members who've died in Iraq.

Answer 6

Please stop listening to the anti-american communist propaganda in Europe or wherefer you come from.
Do you know how many times I have seen biography of dead soldiers with interviews from their families? Those stories are a lot more powerful and moving than any coffin shown on television. It humanizes the soldiers.

Answer 7

I agree with it. If I had a loved one die in war or anywhere, I wouldn't want their coffin paraded in front of media for pictures. They've died, let their family mourn and not turn it into a three ring circus of picture taking.

Answer 8

This policy has been in effect for something like 20 years.

And I would have crammed that camera down the throat of any journalist who wanted to exploit the death of one of my troops

Do you 'support the troops' or do you only support exploiting dead soldiers for your politics?

Answer 9

I've seen coffins with dead soldiers from Iraq, what are you talking about???

Answer 10

It's called privacy and respect for the families of the slain soldiers. If you had any respect for others, or if you even knew what respect was, you wouldn't be asking this question.