Fallen Soldier

I finally had a chance to see the slide show of photos and I don't believe they were orverly graphic or in poor taste. However, the question remains as to whether the pictures should have been run based on consideration of the major stakeholders. While his fellow officers may have been able to adjust to photos of combat that they are involved in everyday, Bernard's family would be be much more affected. I can only imagine how his family must feel to see, what later became, some of the last moments of their loved one's life. Yet, it was a great point made, that Bernard's father had only recently written to his congressman in an effort to change some of the military's policies. These images give a personal face and may in fact give more credence to need for change. No one would want their loved one's injuries or death to be the image for change but the story, along with the pictures, give a personal face to a war that is destroying thousands of lives and becoming relegated to the back pages. I also think that going through the ethical considerations, as outlined in the Poynter's Tool, makes the paper's reasons for running the pictures clearer and more easily accepted. I actually think that after viewing the images of combat, the picture that is most poignant is the photo of Bernard in full dress with the American flag in the background. This really brings home the reality of kids losing their lives. One thing I do hope, is that the debate over whether or not the picture should have been run, does not overshadow the reason for running the photos: to bring focus to a continuing war that is destroying more and more lives every single day.

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