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July 14, 2008

Military funerals & the Media

Just got done listening to NPR's Talk of the Nation where the last segment was on Arlington National Cemetary's media ban at funerals.

The guest was WaPo's Dana Milbank whose Putting Her Foot Down and Getting the Boot chronicals how former Arlington Public Affairs Director Gina Gray was first demoted and then fired for challenging Defense Secretary Robert Gates' attempt to deny media access to military funerals by unwritten fiat.

The first caller was some A.F. Brigadier General whose son was killed in Iraq and who stated that he personally couldn't concieve of a legit reason for the media to have any place in a military funeral.

Here's one, General: every soldier, airman and sailor who dies in the line of duty, died on behalf of every single citizen of this nation. With all due respect, your son was sent to Iraq regardless of whether he wanted to go there or not. And he was sent there on MY behalf whether I wanted him to be sent there or not. Military deaths are, in fact and by design, much larger than you or I or our respective wishes. I see no reason why the resulting funerals should be any different.

Would some families greatly prefer that nobody else be allowed to witness their son/daughter's funeral? Of course. But that son or daughter, father or mother, brother or sister, uncle or aunt didn't die in a vacuum.

From the moment that that son or daughter is sworn in until the moment they are discharged from service, they are Government Issue, which the Founders in their infinite wisdom deliberately placed totally under civilian control.

In my view it is an affront to everything that our nation stands for to bar the media from covering the aftermath, however painful, of them fulfilling their sworn duty.

Posted by Kevin at July 14, 2008 01:07 PM