It's Called Respect

After seeing clips like these:





I had little doubt about the amount of respect that Obama had for the military.

And then last week I heard about the charges being dropped against the man that planned the bombing of the USS Cole.

I was outraged when I heard about this. I guess it's because it hits so close to home. I remember see the news on AFN. At the time, the Army Dude was on his first deployment since we had gotten married. So I was a little sensitive to these things and I not only was I heartbroken for those families but I was nervous because I thought, surely, we would retaliate in some way, and what would that mean for my little family. Yeah not so much. So here we are on the verge of finally trying this terrorist and he stops it. Never mind that 17 sailors died that day and many more were injured, we need to worry about what others think about us because of the interrogations and trials. It really makes me wonder about his priorities, and how exactly he views the brave men and women that serve our country.

Here's a video of the mother of one of the sailors killed that day. She voted for Obama and now is having second thoughts:



And then last night I came across a story about Obama considering lifting the ban on media coverage of flag draped coffins arriving back in the US.

At least two Democratic senators have called on President Barack Obama to let news photographers attend ceremonies at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware and other military facilities when military remains are returned to the United States. Obama told reporters Monday he was reviewing the ban.

Shortly after Obama took office, Democratic Sens. John Kerry of Massachusetts and Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey also asked the White House to roll back the ban that was put in place in 1991 by President George H.W. Bush.

In a Feb. 9 letter to Obama, Lautenberg said the Pentagon should develop a new policy to allow "respectful" media coverage while protecting the privacy of the victims and their families. Generally, the remains in the caskets are not publicly identified.

"I respectfully urge you to work to bring an end to the misguided policies of the past that seek to hide the sacrifice of our soldiers and the public recognition and pride that should accompany it," Lautenberg wrote.

He said the George W. Bush administration "effectively censored images of flag-draped caskets from appearing in media coverage."

So what exactly is the point in lifting the ban? What purpose would that serve, other than invading the privacy of the families that don't want their loved ones' coffins paraded around? Well a tid bit in an old AP article is very telling:

But Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., who served in the Navy during the Vietnam War, said photos of caskets coming home from Vietnam had a tremendous impact on the way Americans came to view that war.

“As people began to see the reality of it and see the 55,000 people who were killed coming back in body bags, they became more and more upset by the war,” he said. “This is not about privacy. This is about trying to keep the country from facing the reality of war.”

I'm sorry but the death of anyone in our military should not be politicized or used as a way to turn people on the war. That is a total disgrace and shows a major lack or respect. And that is just one of the reasons that the ban should not be lifted. Now if families want to honor their fallen loved ones then they can have media coverage and all the pictures and video they want after they are in possession of the remains, there is no ban on that. But please leave the media out of the ports of entry when they come back, for the privacy and dignity of the family members that do not want anything to do with that.
I thought about it a lot last night and thought maybe I feel a little strong about it because (God forbid) it could be my family one day. The last thing I would want is my husband's coffin being flashed on TV and in print. And I definitely would not want anything to do with the media at a time like that.
I asked the Army Dude if he felt the same way or if I was just being overly sensitive and he said he agreed with me 100%. He wouldn't want his coffin photographed or filmed and he wouldn't want me or Little Dude to have to deal with that at a time like that. He also said it shows a total lack of respect.

Here's another part of the first article that really pissed me off:

The fallen troops "died for all of us — they died for the nation, they died for the cause," Begleiter said in a January interview. "It's a right for all Americans to pay their respects for those who made the sacrifice. It is not a right held exclusively for the families themselves."

Is this guy serious? No it is not his or anyone else's right to invade the privacy of a grieving family! If they want to pay their respects then send flowers, donate to fund or show up at a local funeral, but it is not in any way his or anyone else's right to invade their privacy.