It's a family decision

Joshua Bernard's story should be told. I believe that the story itself, along with the stories of other veterans, provides a chilling insight into a war that we at home cannot fully understand because we are not the one's physically fighting it. The media presents it to us as they see fit, as in the case of Joshua Bernard. I think the old adage "a picture is worth a thousand words" does not apply in cases such as this because the words in these stories are powerful enough to conjure up a mental picture for the reader, should the reader choose to create one. One that remains private and personal without publicly exploiting a family's tragedy.

On a different note, should a fallen soldier's family choose to grant the release of graphic war time photos for publication, let those families' photos be the ones that grace the front pages of newspapers, magazines, ect. But it should be the family's decision and the family's decision alone to share their story of loss through photographs to the world. Joshua's family specifically said they did not want the photo to be published, but AP decided to do it anyways. In response to their decision Defense Secretary Robert Gates wrote a letter to Associate Press and stated "Why your organization would purposefully defy the family’s wishes knowing full well that it will lead to yet more anguish is beyond me. Your lack of compassion and common sense in choosing to put this image of their maimed and stricken child on the front page of multiple American newspapers is appalling. The issue here is not law, policy or constitutional right – but judgment and common decency.”
I couldn't have said it better than Gates did.