Lifted photo ban leaves families uneasy

It is said that a photo is worth a thousand words. So, my question becomes whether that is a good or bad thing for the families of deceased soldiers?

Legend has it that Walter Cronkite changed the views of Americans during the Vietnam War just by showing the speechless, yet powerful, photos of the flag-draped coffins being brought home by the dozens every day. He did this until the practice was stopped for political reasons.

It was stopped in 1993, when journalists were barred from the Dover Air Force Base in Delaware where the caskets holding bodies of U.S. military personnel are taken. From 1972 until 1993 the base was open, but the first Bush administration did not want Americans to see still photos of dead American service personnel returning to the states. So under the Bush administration, a law was put in place that banned taking photographs of the loading and unloading of caskets of deceased soldiers at the base.

The court claimed that this was not a violation of the First Amendment because military bases have traditionally been closed to the public and the press. However, the law was an issue of prior restriction and censorship and has also caused debate with families, veterans, media and government officials.

In February 2009, the ban was lifted and it has instead become the decision of the families of service members to agree to media coverage. Photographers are now allowed on the base and are able to photograph and publish as long as they receive permission from the family members.

I can understand why some families do not want a picture of their deceased relative plastered all over the front page. However, for some this somber visual may be their way of coming to terms, mourning and recognizing what their relative has sacrificed for this country and memorializing them. If the photographs are only focused on the casket and symbolic American flag draped over it then I see it as a respectful memorial and eye-opener for Americans. I agree that rather than a ban, the photographers should have to receive acceptance in order to publish.

It is a tricky situation though, because truly, when you look at the photos that have been taken, all you see is a symbolic sea of caskets. Sure, as a viewer you do not know whose body inhabits the casket, but as a family member or friend, you know that one of those is your loved one.

To me, when I see those photos, it puts into perspective exactly what these heroes are risking to ensure our country has freedom. At the same time it makes you question, like so many anti-war protesters, what exactly have these people given their lives for? The biggest reason the government enforced a ban was that they did not want people to see exactly how many soldiers are brought back in this manner. There is an argument that claims the only reason they created the ban was to cover up what they believed was showing Americans the realities of war. In this case, I think it was even more important to lift the ban because Americans should know what is occurring overseas and also have the ability to see the outcome and take it however they may.

The debate really gets heated in this area because many do not want this topic to focus on whether or not the war is necessary, but rather have it be a time to realize the cost of the war in terms of sacrifice. So sure, a picture may be worth a million words, but to those families does it instead become a million tears? It is important to get the families' authorization because after all, they are the ones that have personally suffered a loss, so they should be able to either grieve or remember in their own preferred method.