Pentagon denies mother's plea for photo (of returning casket at Dover)

[UpInArms]

http://www.timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050324/NEWS/503240308/1002/NEWS01

WASHINGTON — A single red rose in hand, Karen Meredith leans over her son's simple white stone marker at Arlington National Cemetery.

Tears fall before words.

It's her first visit since she buried 1st Lt. Kenneth Michael Ballard, a fourth generation soldier, last fall.

Still fresh, like the soil churned behind her son's grave for another row of dead, is her anger. Anger at the way the Pentagon refused her sole wish when her son was killed by a sniper last May to photograph his casket returning from Iraq.

Meredith wanted to capture the way fellow soldiers respectfully draped the American flag across the casket, tucking the sides just so, and the way an honor guard watched over him as he was unloaded from a cargo plane.

But the Pentagon firmly said "no." It was against regulations and would violate the privacy of family members of other slain soldiers.

...more...

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

1. Yeah..there's a death congress won't be parading through the MSM

[DIKB]

2. So . . .

They're denying her wishes out of . . . RESPECT for HER ?????

All I can even think is WTF ?!?!

Notice to the Fascists, your lameass excuses are failing left and right, yet you adhere to them still ? You're pissing on the troops, and denying that the family be allowed to see their sons and daughters treated respectfully. All so you don't lose the support of the few people who might be affected to see that this is more than just a number, that these are Americans dying for your lies ?

HOW LOW CAN THEY SINK ?

[ausiedownunderground]

3. The DOD didn't want her "counting" the other coffins sitting next to her s

Over here in OZ, most people just find the "The Bush Gang's" policy of trying to hide US war dead late at night at Dover Air force base as "offensive"! Not only to American parents but to The Rest of the World's parents. Our people are dying as well in the Neo-Crazies wars! Why isn't Oprah doing a show from Walter Reed??
Out of sight out of mind -might work in America?? But it doesn't work here. Its just a further example of how your DEMOCRATICALLY elected government? treats its citizens - with no respect!! So how can other citizens of the world treat American's with any respect as well. Your own Government doesn't!!!!!

[madrchsod]

4. hello down under!

is your country as fucking crazy as the good old usa?

[TankLV]

5. I would have just taken the photo.

What are they going to do, beat her and wrestle it out of her comatose hands?

Why did she ask? It's none of their fucking business! These gastopo are lucky I wasn't the parent involved!

God forbid that should happen to our son-in-law. I'll be damned if they'd be allowed to stop me!

Let them try that - that would be GREAT publicity!

Fuck 'em.

I'd say I'M THE FUCKING RELATIVE OF THIS WAR DEAD AND I WANT HIS PICTURE! NEITHER YOU NOR ANY GASTAPO FASCIST IS GOING TO STOP ME FROM TAKING THIS PICTURE BECAUSE IT HONORS ME YOU IDIOTS! NOW STAND OUT OF THE WAY, I'M LEAVING!

[tabasco]

16. They wouldn't let her on base.

You have to go through a guard post to get on base.

[Voltaire99]

6. "Don't ask. Don't smell."

Ignorance, like war profiteering, is bliss.

[ausiedownunderground]

7. OZ is "crazy" in love with Fellow Anglo-Saxons!

But Oz does not treat its war dead the way America does. "Slipping them in at night with media restricted to the "wire fence" 2 km away!WTF - What type of Anglo-Saxon Democracy are you? If this war against the "Muslim" world is "legit", then why is America reduced to this????? Hitler,Stalin and Mao made a huge point of making their "War" dead hero's to their nation. America treats its war dead like "an embarresment". Why American kids want to sign up? You might think your weapons are "High-tech" and will protect you. But a good IED or RPG in the hands of a true democrat wins the day every time!

[Selteri]

14. Because they are afraid of another Vietnam.

Look at how well polished this war is for how amazingly dirty it really is.

I doubt we know one tenth of the crap that has been pulled and kept hidden.

[pilgrimsoul]

8. If this was still America

that poor grieving mother wouldn't have had to ask. How cruel to have made the ultimate sacrifice, and then at her son's funeral, for those bastards to snatch away from her the very freedom her son supposedly died for! There are no words to describe how despicable this is.

[lebkuchen]

9. The flag-draped caskets come into Ramstein Air Base

and sit unceremoniously on the tarmac, w/o honor guard, to be taken to Landstuhl Hospital for autopsy. It would be fairly simply to take a photo from the AB window, provided no one was looking.

[Zerex71]

10. It's funny how they said no to her

but yes to killing over 100,000 innocent civilians. Strange priorities they have, the DoD.

[Greylyn58]

11. Her son gave his life for his country

and they damn well owe her. If she wants a picture they should give it too her.

Damn I don't know this country anymore.

[Daphne08]

12. I've lived a long time,

and I feel the same.

Where is my country?

[Hissyspit]

13. "Violate the privacy of other family members"???

That reminds me of when, as a newspaper reporter, I would be invited to events to give publicity and document them and then have people confront me with interfering with the event. The word is hypocrisy.

The use of the concept of 'privacy rights' is yet another example of the right's appropriation of liberal language in a twisted illogical application intended to suppress truth and rights.

[struggle4progress]

15. kick

[tabasco]

17. This is the return of our honored dead to the homeland.

This is a sacred moment and should be public.

President Bush doesn't want you to see our war dead returning home.

President Bush is evil.