please critique my ltte re: flag draped coffins

[w8liftinglady]

As the quagmire known as The War in Iraq drags on,4243 American troops have died,including 4 yesterday.If that is an incomprehensible number,it may be because the Department of Defense has banned photographing the return of the flag-draped coffins of our war dead when they return to Dover Air Force Base.
In an action of pure propaganda,The Department of Defense has forbidden media coverage of the returning caskets of our war dead to Dover Mortuary since 2003.As an effort to placate Americans by refusing to reveal the true cost of war,our government has denied multiple Freedom of Information Act requests for these photos.These coffins,draped in appropriate military honors fashion and accompanied by a color guard,are only allowed to land at night.Their families are not given the choice as to whether they would like a photograph published or not.The war dead simply do not exist to the mainstream media.
During President Obama's press conference on Feb. 9th,he was asked if he would overturn this policy.He replied "You know, people have asked me, 'When did it hit you that you are now president?'" he said. "And what I told them was the most sobering moment is signing letters to the families of our fallen heroes. It reminds you of the responsibilities that you carry in this office and the consequences of the decisions that you make."He is reviewing the policy as we speak,and hopefully will amend it.It is a great disservice to those who have paid the ultimate price for our Nation,their families,and the American people to hide the true cost of war.These Orwellian tactics hurt our nation through misinformation and deceit.

[zbdent]

1. just wait ... the MSM will start showing

"flag-draped coffins" soon ...

[w8liftinglady]

2. good point-and it will be Obama's fault

[babylonsister]

3. You might want to read this...

http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB152/index.htm

The Pentagon ban on media coverage of returning war casualties was initiated in January 1991 by then Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney during the administration of President George H. W. Bush, just weeks before the start of the Gulf War against Iraq.

[w8liftinglady]

5. that figures...I will add a postscript if it's published

[rakeeb]

7. you know....the press has had ample opportunity to impose

themselves on 4,243 families to get all the pictures of flag draped coffins they want, once the remains are in the custody of the next of kin...there is no law or DoD policy barring this.

The only thing stopping them is common decency and decorum, pretty much what the policy was based on when it was established to prevent the press from photographing the coffins of 148 Americans killed in Desert Storm.

[ginnyinWI]

4. I copied it and proofread it.

Hope this helps--just some minor punctuation errors and a few little words changed. (I do think Obama will eventually allow the media, btw.)


As the quagmire known as The War in Iraq drags on,4243 American troops have died, including four yesterday. If that is an incomprehensible number,it may be because the Department of Defense has banned photographing the return of the flag-draped coffins of our war dead when they are returned to Dover Air Force Base.
In an action of pure propaganda, the Department of Defense has forbidden media coverage of the caskets of our war dead returning to Dover Mortuary since 2003. In an effort to distract Americans and avoid revealing the true cost of war, our government has denied multiple Freedom of Information Act requests for these photos. These coffins,draped in appropriate military honors, and accompanied by a color guard,are only allowed to land at night. Their families are not given a choice as to whether they would like a photograph published or not. To the media, the war dead simply do not exist.
During President Obama's press conference on Feb. 9th,he was asked if he would overturn this policy. He replied "You know, people have asked me, 'When did it hit you that you are now president?' And what I told them was that the most sobering moment is signing letters to the families of our fallen heroes. It reminds you of the responsibilities that you carry in this office and the consequences of the decisions that you make." He is reviewing the policy as we speak,and hopefully will amend it. It is a great disservice to those who have paid the ultimate price for our nation,their families,and the American people to hide the true cost of war. These Orwellian tactics hurt our nation through misinformation and deceit.

[Captain Hilts]

6. Don't use 'quagmire'. nt