Media ban on soldier's caskets

Not sure about Clinton's watch, but there were definitely pictures of returning dead during the Gulf War.

 

Oops, forgot to plug. Support the folks who support the troops.

www.iava.org

 

Finish which job?

 

That would presume politicians could never make mistakes and start wars for the wrong reasons, nor that a country could ever need to withdraw or surrender if it has no reasonable chance of winning.

I think we owe it to the troops not to conflate our support of them with our opinions about politican's decisions. It is misguided and dangerous.

 

Was he displaying an 18 in scar?

Of course I support the troops. Let's not forget which one of us is the veteran.

If he is a disabled veteran what is he doing with his disability check. If he can stand in the street all day to collect money then he's capable of working. He should try the veteran recruiting people.

 

That's why I asked what the ban was. I've seen the Gulf War, Iraqi War and Afghan War photos.

Is the ban just on direct coverage of funerals or what?

 

He could be suffering from PTSD or other mental illnesses. Homeless people often have great difficulty functioning at even a basic level, such as showing up for appointments, cashing cheques etc. It's very sad.

I hadn't noticed whether the stimulus package has anything about mental illness in veterans but after reading the WaPo Walter Reed stories last year it's obvious more can be done. Hopefully Michelle Obama's efforts will also address this.

 

You could be right but I work with guys that have PTSD and they aren't having any problems in our line of work. So some can some can't. Those that are having the problems to the level you describe should have continued medical help and shouldn't be on the street. I wonder what is available to them.

I'm with you on the Walter Reed thing and Michelle's efforts. There is no excuse for that situation. It's a rare situation but it shouldn't even be rare... it should be non-existent.

 

Have you seen the movie Patton? In particular the scene where he smacks the soldier with PTSD and orders him thrown out of the hospital? In WWI, my grandfather's job was being in charge of a firing squad. Basically, he shot Brit soldiers who had PTSD. There has been some progress made.

Just a wildassed guess but I am thinking that non-medical military peeps are not the most progressive and perhaps perpetually a bit behind the curve in terms of fully accepting mental illness is not a character fault. ie. the stigma is higher than in the general population which probably results in less seeking help. As a female with tremendous clout, Michelle may be able to make some huge strides here. :up:

 

Definitely been strides/progress made in regards to both paragraphs.

The military doctors don't hesitate to diagnose PTSD now. Probably over-diagnosed if anything these days based on what I've been told by a few veterans I've talked to.

 

He pulled up his shirt and showed me the scar after I gave him some cash.
I think he was explaining why he wasn't still in the service or currently working.

It was a fresh and ugly scar.

 

Somewhat-related chart I saw this morning. I've no idea if too many people were put in mental institutions during the 40s and 50s, but it's certainly suspicious that baby boomers started breaking so many laws as their mental health improved.

 

From AP News

 

That's half the problem... people think that families have the right to keep the visual availability of a flag-draped casket to themselves.

That is pure horseshit. These are Patriots, Men and Women who made the ultimate sacrifice for something far greater than themselves, or their families. And as such, We as Americans have the right, no, THE DUTY to pay our respects to these Patriots. To Honor them, and perpetuate the legacy of Freedom they gave their lives to provide.

By hiding these Patriots from us, you are dishonoring them in the worst possible way. You are keeping their memory from living forever in the very hearts of the Americans they died to protect.

The saddest part is, you see him enough that you could describe that Oxy-Clean asshole in exquisite detail, but we're not "allowed" to see real American Heroes and the sacrifice they have made. Not being "allowed" to pay our respects to these men and women is the antithesis of what they fought so bravely for.

I am a disabled military veteran of 10 years. Fuck you if you don't like what I have to say on this topic. I'm right and that's final.

 

That's not going to work out for you here. Trust me on this.

 

On this particular topic, I don't really care. What I care about is the government censoring the American public's ability to honor fallen Patriots.

Thanks for the heads up though!

 

I served in the Marines for 8 years. We should never have censored military caskets on tv. The cost of war is just that, the COST OF WAR. It is NOT propaganda. It is reality. We deserve to be reminded of what goes on outside of our backyard. We should be reminded that there are people still over there. We volunteer so you don't have to be drafted...remember that...

Censorship is the real propaganda...

 

See, the problem is that when you get banned from here, you won't be able to get indignant on any topic. This one, or any other.

 

I don't think he minds your opinion on the subject. I think he minds you stating that you are intolerant of other peoples opinions...

 

Papa's point is if you care enough to express your opinion you care enough to not be banned so you are able to express it.

In Canada, they show the entire repatriation process on tv, starting with the troops piping their fallen comrades onto the plane in Kandahar, then after it lands at CFB Borden (where our commander-in-chief, Michealle Jean, is usually present), and finally on the 100 mile procession to Toronto, where a LOT of people gather to pay their respects. The only thing you never see are the families grieving, which is how it should be.