Gates vs. AP Over War Photo of Dying Marine

[jimmy olsen]

This is an emotional issue and the answers to it will not be based on reason. My own answer is that I'm unsure. I would probably publish a picture of a dead marine, but I wouldn't publish a picture of a marine who was dying. This may seem like a minuscule difference to others, but to me it's a big difference. Those last moments seem too personal to intrude upon for me.

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/09/04/2053049.aspx

Gates vs. AP over war photo
Posted: Friday, September 04, 2009 11:08 AM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under: Security

From NBC's Courtney Kube
For the first time since he took office as Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates has reached out to a news organization to ask them not to publish a photograph.

While an Associated Press photographer was embedded with Marines in Helmand last month, a Marine convoy was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade, or RPG. It struck Lance Corporal Joshua M. Bernard severing his legs. He was treated on the scene, but later died at a combat field hospital.

The AP took still photos and video of the attack, and of Bernard, as he lay dying.

Several weeks later, while working on a feature story about the war in Afghanistan, the AP reporter met with Bernard's family and told his father that they had photos and video of their son before he died. Bernard's father was furious that the photos of his mortally wounded son would potentially be published, so he reached out to the U.S. Marine Corps, asking them to stop the publication.

The AP had not violated any rules of embedding, so the Marines' hands were tied. Gates found out about this and called AP President Thomas Curley yesterday to try to stop the photo release.

Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said Gates called Curley yesterday and was "begging him" to "defer to the wishes of the family," adding that the publication of the photo would "cause them great pain."

AP disagreed and the photo was released.

Gates followed up with a scathing letter to Curley yesterday afternoon. The letter says Gates cannot imagine the pain Bernard's family is feeling right now, and that Curley's "lack of compassion and common sense in choosing to put out this image of their maimed and stricken child on the front page of multiple newspapers is appalling. The issue here is not law, policy or constitutional right -- but judgment and common decency."

Morrell said Gates was disappointed that he could not convince Curley "to do the right thing," but that the secretary is pleased this morning that most news outlets chose not to publish the photo.

[The Brain]

Weasel. How many people read AP directly and not filtered through other news outlets that make the decision for themselves whether to publish such images?

[Eddie Teach]

I voted no. The public doesn't "need" to see the images.

[Jaron]

We pay their salary, we pay for their gear, their training, their deployment, they are fighting on our behalf.

If we want to see them naked with a US flag wedged into their ass cracks, it is our privilege and their honor to serve.

So yes, their dying moments belong to the American people also.

[Admiral Yi]

CNN declined to show it.  Anyone seen it?

[CountDeMoney]

Chaplain performing last rites, USS Franklin 1945



Marine chaplain performing last rites, Korea 1950



Marine chaplain performing last rites, Vietnam 1967



Father Reid performing last rites to a British soldier, Belfast 1988




There is a story to tell, and the photograph is an intrinsic part of that story.

[citizen k]

Chaplain performing last rites, USS Franklin 1945

Marine chaplain performing last rites, Korea 1950

Marine chaplain performing last rites, Vietnam 1967

Father Reid performing last rites to a British soldier, Belfast 1988

There is a story to tell, and the photograph is an intrinsic part of that story.

That's a powerful post CdM. 

[MadBurgerMaker]

Yeah, I'm not really needing to see photos and video of a 21 year old kid who's laying there slowly dying with his legs blown off.  "Powerful" post or not.

[CountDeMoney]

Yeah, I'm not really needing to see photos and video of a 21 year old kid who's laying there slowly dying with his legs blown off.  "Powerful" post or not.

Don't see why not...you'll be watching the equivalent every Sunday this fall with your Texans.

[MadBurgerMaker]

Don't see why not...you'll be watching the equivalent every Sunday this fall with your Texans.

  Don't you have some baby fish to murder?

Edit:  The photos can be found on Google.  Yeah...

http://www.tampabay.com/incoming/article1033549.ece

[Warspite]

That's war. I don't think we should try to hide it. And I say that as someone who has a brother shipping off to Afghanistan this month.

[CountDeMoney]

  Don't you have some baby fish to murder?

I named the big one Rosencopter.  Just for you.

[MadBurgerMaker]

That's war. I don't think we should try to hide it. And I say that as someone who has a brother shipping off to Afghanistan this month.

I don't think it's a matter of "hiding" it...it's not like we haven't seen the videos and other pictures, etc.  Hell, you can just look at YouTube.  In this case, however, the family pretty obviously doesn't want the photos release.  At least wait more than a couple weeks before pissing in their faces, shit.  It's just not really something that needs to be thrown out there, at least not like that.

And really...the photo I've seen sucks ass anyway.

I named the big one Rosencopter.  Just for you.

[citizen k]

That's war. I don't think we should try to hide it. And I say that as someone who has a brother shipping off to Afghanistan this month.

[The Brain]

That's war. I don't think we should try to hide it. And I say that as someone who has a brother shipping off to Afghanistan this month.

At least wait more than a couple weeks before pissing in their faces, shit.

Which is it?