The Bush Administration is enforcing orders that media crews be restricted from photographing or filming the flag covered coffins of fallen soldiers whose bodies are being flow home from Iraq. The justification is that to publish these images and videos in various news outlets violates the soldier’s and family’s privacy. The military ban on such occurrences was setup in 1991, but has since then been relaxed under the claim that it unjustly censors the media. Media crews were permitted to film honor guard ceremonies held in honor of those who lost their lives in Afghanistan and on board the USS Cole, when it was bombed. Only now has this issue of respect and privacy resurfaced and the ban being actively enforced.
To me this is less about the honor and respect of fallen soldiers, and most certainly an attempt by the Bush administration to head off any negative press about the casualties piling up in Iraq. The fact of the matter is that American military and Iraqi civilian casualties are on the rise as the occupied country becomes more and more destabilized. Bush’s lack of identification with and respect for American soldiers aside, the plan here is to prevent the recognition of the allegedly “honored” dead as not to diminish support for the war, and in turn Bush’s chances for reelection. The statement about family privacy is simply absurd on the basis that there are no external markings on the caskets that would, in any way, violate any ambiguous definition of privacy.
If the obvious political agenda was apparent and insulting enough, please allow me to point out the hypocrisy for you. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve more than likely had to watch one of Bush’s colorful and somewhat nauseating (ok maybe that’s just me) reelection ads on television. It would appear that Bush isn’t bound to the same “honor” and “privacy” code as the rest of us. One Bush ad titled Safer, Stronger features a video montage in which firefighters can be seen carrying the flag covered body of a fallen comrade from the World Trade Center rubble. The use of this video footage does not only show what little respect Bush himself has for the rules he is forcing on others, but shows how tasteless and discourteous he is willing to be to win a second term. In this case, casting tragic events in certain lights for purely political gain, and using imagery that he says violates privacy to tug on the heart strings of potential voters.
Except that the Bush Administration is not the responsible for that restriction... That would be Pentagon officials, by Pentagon code.
To answer some questions and state some things that need stating...
Hypocritical? No.
Our President has not been at all passive or quiet about his motivation and goals for fighting terrorism. What made our country sit up and take notice? How our generation felt on that day was equivalent to what my father's generation felt on December 7 at Pearl Harbor? The terrorist attacks on September 11 have redefined foreign policy and homeland security. Is our President crossing the line with such a campaign? Absolutely not. He has a passion to fight terrorism and protect our great nation.
Is the Bush Administration full of lies? No.
Actually just recently the Central Intelligence Agency was found responsible for beefing up WMD reports and giving our President the confidence that the evidence was a "Slam-Dunk" even when he was yet quite skeptical of it. The Bush Administration's information and intelligence was 100% accurate based on what it was given. Let's remember that hindsight is always 20/20.
One word of advice to you and to the men and women in America’s Universities: Don't believe everything you read or hear, especially from the media and your professors. Learn to think for yourself and think openly and critically to ALL viewpoints. You can get brainwashed so easily these days, especially because you are young and of promise.
Oh, and a word to Michael Moore and his supporters: If you can't show honor to the leader of your country, find a new country to reside in. Through the good, bad, boom, and decline, we are Americans and ought to respect the man that is leading our great land. When it is time to cast the ballots every Election year, you have the freedom to vote for a different man, this is America. You ought to honor your President even when you totally disagree with him. That is the American way.
There, I vented. Sorry, I just had to respond after reading many of your entries. Neat blog though, Keep up the good work.
Posted by: Bill | Tuesday, July 06, 2004 at 08:30 AM