Associated Press picture of wounded Marine sparks debate

[sputnik]

The US Govt is doing such a thorough job of censoring almost any 'negative' image coming out of this conflict I don't think the reality of the daily carnage is sinking in. I makes it easier for people to pretend it's all happening in a distant galaxy far, far away. I don't think it's voyeurism to see pictures of dead and dying soldiers, in fact I think it pays them more respect to see the messy reality of the sacrifice they make instead of the sanitized verson of flag-draped coffins (which we are also prevented from seeing).

exactly.
that's what war looks like. and people need to be reminded of that.

[witchcurlgirl]

^ ITA as well. I wish I could keep blaming Bush, but under the new administration we are still seeing nothing.

I was discussing this with my mother this weekend, vis a vis Vietnam.

Her viewpoint, which I found very interesting, as she was an extremely active anti-war protester then, was that it wasn't the images of the wounded and dead that motivated protesters into trying to stop the war, because the average American kept right on eating his dinner through the newscast for 10 years while it went on, it was the draft.

Her point was mostly that even when you see these things on TV or in the newspapers, it's still unreal to most, not like having it outside your front door and living with the actual horrors. She absolutely wants these images shown, but doesn't think it will help stop the war as people are so insulated and removed. The draft hammered the point home because so many people knew boys who were there.