[by David M - The Thunder Run]
Despite personal visits from fellow Gold Star families it appears the Pentagon is going to cave to the adolescent hormones of the media elite and begin allowing the media to attend ramp ceremonies at Dover Air Base to photograph the return of our fallen warriors. The only silver lining to this is that they must first gain approval from the family, and I'm sure we can see how that is going to go.
Despite personal visits from fellow Gold Star families it appears the Pentagon is going to cave to the adolescent hormones of the media elite and begin allowing the media to attend ramp ceremonies at Dover Air Base to photograph the return of our fallen warriors. The only silver lining to this is that they must first gain approval from the family, and I'm sure we can see how that is going to go.
No need to gain approval if you are using a telephoto lens and are several hundred meters away....the family may never even know you are there.
The policy is based upon the policy adopted at Arlington National Cemetery, but the is one thing that isn't being reported here and that being that by the time the family arrives at Arlington, they have already had their private time with their loved one. This is a bad policy and one that needs to be rethought. We can not allow the only time the families of our fallen warriors have to be alone and mourn the loss of their loved one, be turned into a media circus just so a floundering industry can sell some more dead trees.
General Casey, I am terribly disappointed, how could you turn your back on fellow Gold Star families?
Disgraceful.
The policy is based upon the policy adopted at Arlington National Cemetery, but the is one thing that isn't being reported here and that being that by the time the family arrives at Arlington, they have already had their private time with their loved one. This is a bad policy and one that needs to be rethought. We can not allow the only time the families of our fallen warriors have to be alone and mourn the loss of their loved one, be turned into a media circus just so a floundering industry can sell some more dead trees.
General Casey, I am terribly disappointed, how could you turn your back on fellow Gold Star families?
Disgraceful.
I am so disappointed in our administration....family approval or not, this just doesn't need to happen. I cannot even begin to imagine having media there should this be one of my children.
I will say that it could have been worse and the ban could have been just arbitrarily lifted with no consideration for the wishes of the family. This was what the print journalists and the photojournalists guild were lobbying for. Hell, they were drooling at the prospects.
That said, I suspect that it will not take very long for DoD to figure out that this is a very bad idea and unworkable. (per comments I have made and a conversation I had with the Armorer earlier today)...
What happens if there is more than one fallen servicemember's casket on that flight? What if there are two and only one wants to have media present? What happens if there are three and only one wants the media present?
Are they going to follow the Canadian modal and need to have the entire family's approval?
This is nuts and it is disgraceful but it could have been nuttier and more disgraceful. Take some very small comfort in that.
I think that's about all we're going to get out of this decision today.
It might look a lot like 9/11 though.