The heartbreaking image of a dying U.S. marine that has reignited divisions over the Afghan war

[Christa]

It is a deeply disturbing image which depicts the grim reality of war - a fatally wounded U.S. soldier lies slumped in the mud as fellow marines desperately try to save him as his young life ebbs away.

But the release of the picture by a news agency in the U.S., which went against the wishes of the victim's family, has sparked a furious debate which has divided a nation.

The grim photograph shows Lance Corporal Joshua 'Bernie' Bernard, 21, shortly after he was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade during a Taliban ambush of his squad last month in Dahaneh, Afghanistan.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1211504/The-image-dying-U-S-soldier-sparked-furious-debate-Afghan-war-divided-America.html#ixzz0QQYKX6Ot




http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1211504/The-image-dying-U-S-soldier-sparked-furious-debate-Afghan-war-divided-America.html

The heartbreaking image of a dying U.S. marine that has reignited divisions over the Afghan war

[Kookaburra]

1. Oh Dear God!!!

Why do we kill each other??? What purpose does it serve???

[Kali]

2. no, we should not see that

we need to keep being told what to think, eat, buy, and feel
now back to fair and balanced walmart commercials - hey did you know you can cash your measly part time minimum wage pay check here now?

[SammyWinstonJack]

3. +1000 nt

[sarge43]

4. No BFD

War is a video game; hit the Esc button and we're fine.

[Mari333]

5. reality. the US public needs to see more. nt

[daedalus_dude]

6. it's a start...

get the American public to actually care about "their own". That they might one day care about "the others" would be ideal, but it's a start.

[Loki]

7. Sorry America

This is the war that you were sold, bought and now pay for with the lives of these young men and women and you don't have the guts nor the integrity to watch what your stupidity has brought about. This is the ugly, disgusting face of war, now look at it. Reality sucks doesn't it. This young man had a family, he had hopes, dreams, a future.......now he will come home to his family in a box. Barbara Bush doesn't want us to bother our "beautiful minds" about these ugly images....... sometimes I really despise what this country has become..let these beautiful young people die, just as long as you don't have to look at it. I went through all this shit with Vietnam...... Bring them home, NOW.
Lee

[piratefish08]

8. Oh GAWD No!! Not a real image of WAR!

A picture like this might convince people that war kills real people.

The administration can't afford to have news like that leak out................



:sarcasm: :sarcasm:

[Christa]

9. Interesting that I found it on a UK website. Nt

[madeline_con]

23. It was o.k to air Dan Rather in Viet Nam during the evening news.

spell edit

We used to watch him duck incoming fire over dinner.

Same with the first Gulf War.

I can only assume the WH has something to hide these days. :shrug:

[zonkers]

10. I am not so unimaginative that I needed a photo to spell things out.

[Incitatus]

24. Unfortunately, millions are.

[Better Today]

11. Never bothers me to see soldiers die, they signed up for this shit; it's the civilians killed, . . .

maimed, displaced, and refugee'd that break my heart.

[daedalus_dude]

12. "thou hast been told, love they neighbour, hate thy enemy"

"but I tell thee to love thine enemy"

[lillypaddle]

17. wow

you're a real sweetheart, huh?

[Better Today]

20. Being "sweethearts" is why the Dems seem so spineless. Don't mind me if I don't partake

in some ridiculous requirement that I be exceptionally courteous by way of ignoring facts.

[lillypaddle]

25. Let me get this straight

If Dems didn't mind watching a young soldier die, this would demonstrate "spine." :wtf:

[Kali]

27. yeah I used to think like that,

but then I grew up and learned a few things about the real-life meaning of "voluntary." Sure some really did volunteer to go fight and possibly die, but in a lot of situations there isn't any other choice but to "volunteer." I've seen it with poor kids, seen it with family farms, seen it with young women. When your choice is die or go hungry, you tend to "voluntarily" do things like "join" the military, sell to a high pressure buyer, turn a few tricks. That is the grey area you are apparently unaware of.

[Better Today]

32. Perhaps you have a point, however I will never feel as sympathetic toward

anyone who willing put themselves in a fight, no matter their personal reasons, compared to those civilians who clearly never intended on fighting or having their homes bombed, raided, their sons detained and tortured. . . sorry, the sympathy for our troops just doesn't exist in me anymore.

I seem to be the exact opposite of you. I used to have consideration for the troops, all through Vietnam for example, but now I've grown up and come to the realization that choice is just that, choice, and they chose to be part of an organization wherein they were likely to have to fight and when it isn't a "legal" fight, they still follow orders, to the point of torture and murder in some cases.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

30. Kind of like when human rights workers are killed during battles. They signed up for it right.

[Better Today]

31. No, not like that at all. But keep trying to twist my words.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

36. So what about doctors that get killed in combat?

[Better Today]

37. It would depend on whether they were innocent bystanders or active members of the military.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

39. What about an Army Reserve Doctor working on an innocent bystander?

[Better Today]

40. OMG! You don't have to like the line I've drawn for myself, I'm not asking anyone to join me, just

expressing my opinion. I am pleased that we don't all draw the line in the same place as I'm sure your sympathies will be more helpful to some while mine will be more helpful to others; hence it all balances out in the end.

So while you are outraged by our soldiers fighting in a police action wherein deaths are expected, but in your estimation outrageous, and you will be fighting to end the police action from that perspective.

I will simultaneously be outraged by the innocents that are being killed or having their lives and properties destroyed, in my estimation outrageous, and I will be fighting to end the police action from this perspective.

Either way we both want the same end result. So let's get on with it, K?

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

41. You said, "Never bothers me to see soldiers die"

[Better Today]

43. And it doesn't, nor policemen. To my POV they signed up for the risk,

the list goes on, I don't feel sorry for skydivers that die skydiving, or race car drivers that die racing, and so on. Sorry this upsets you, it's my POV and I'm not asking anyone to adopt it as their own.

Edited to add: But it burns me no end when soldiers die because of KBR fuck ups on the electrical and such. They surely didn't sign up for death at the hands of our own people.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

63. It doesn't bother me when people die of AIDS, they knew the risk.

That's your basic line of thinking right?

[Better Today]

70. You're desperately grasping at straws to demonize me. Havin' fun?

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

87. Just pointing out the absurdity of your opinion.

[daedalus_dude]

84. LOL. comparing american soldiers in afghanistan to human rights workers.

:crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy:

Who could have known... The German troops who invaded Poland were probably human rights workers too.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

88. LOL. While you compare American Soldiers and Nazis.

The point was that both signed up to be in harms way. Do you see the comparison now? :crazy:

[daedalus_dude]

90. You are the one who is calling "honest soldiers who are just doing their duty" nazis.

I compared German troops who follow the order to invade Poland to American troops who follow the order to invade Afghanistan. Who is talking about nazis?

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

92. Are you justifying the German invasion of Poland?

[armyowalgreens]

33. It doesn't bother you to see a follow human being die? What the fuck is the matter with you?

[Better Today]

35. It does just not under those circumstances. Innocent civilians, people in healthcare circlejerks,

just not soldiers, or policemen.

[dionysus]

38. wow, you're a douchebag.

[nadinbrzezinski]

42. No you twit soldiers did not sign up for this EMPIRE building

keep using that RW meme

[Better Today]

48. Then why are they doing it?

[nadinbrzezinski]

50. Most troops signed up because that is the only job they can find

something about three squares.

Some are a little more idealistic and they signed up to serve and protect...

But to you they are just animals like cops

By the way as a wife of a retired Chief who SIGNED UP since that is what there was... I call bulsshit on you.

And I also served as a medic (in somebody else's army) and got shot at regularly, taking care of civies mind you.

The world is not black and white...

But from your comments, it is in your world, hence this is it for me

Oh and the line they volunteered is very common with the Right Wing... that justify all kinds of horrors, perpetrated on troops and dependents.

Oh and you do not know this, but many troops do QUESTION and REFUSE TO OBEY illegal orders, but this war... well there is this UN Security Council mandate making it very legal, that includes the deployment orders. And yes, MY SHTICK, among others, was international law... and the law of land conflict.

[Better Today]

52. Sorry, but that doesn't cut it for me as a reason to change my stance. Thanks for elaborating ntl.

[nadinbrzezinski]

57. Of course it doesn't

just do me a favor, don't ever call 9.11

or if there is a natural disaster don't take any help from the Guard

[Better Today]

59. I've only ever called 911 for the benefit of others. However,

I pay my taxes without issue, vote for increases in taxes whenever asked to, and am therefore due whatever emergency services I require.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

65. But then say they signed up for it when they are murdered. You are despicable.

[Better Today]

71. Murdered? WTF are you going? Who are you murdering? Who's getting murdered?

FMD, I think you are trying to hard to make someone care about a specific aspect of the police actions in the ME that just isn't going to happen. Relax, and enjoy your empathy. I'm sure it makes you an excellent medic.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

89. Police officers are routinely murdered by criminals. I thought that was common knowledge, sorry.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

66. Your parents failed horribly.

[Better Today]

72. Careful there, young 'un, stepping into territory unknown to you.

However you will find no one that will agree faster than myself that my parents were failures all the way around. If I had one vindictive bone in my body I would've murdered them, but alas, violence is not my thing.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

86. That explains a lot.

[proteus_lives]

44. Hey, that kid had a mother, father, family and friends.

It sure as hell breaks their hearts.

Get some class, soldiers are people too.

[Better Today]

53. Of course it would break their hearts, but I don't see how it should break mine.

[proteus_lives]

54. So you lack empathy.

Like I said, you belong on FR. Because you're no liberal.

[Better Today]

56. For some I do lack empathy, for others I have plenty of empathy. Seems a shame

to judge an entire person based on one POV with which you disagree. I will not do the same to you. I will respect that we do not have to be clones of each other to be on the same side (ending the police actions) for different reasons.

[Veruca Salt]

99. +1

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

67. Your parents must be quite ashamed.

[proteus_lives]

69. It's not worth it.

He has wires missing. Might as well be explaining photosynthesis to a dog.

[Better Today]

73. I sure hope so, I wouldn't want to be anything resembling what they might approve of.

Talk about extreme right wing nut jobs. . . yuck. My parents would be twice as ashamed of you as of me, though, so good on you.

I get that you are imagining that we are somehow fighting, but we aren't, you're just po'd because I don't care about things you think I should. Truth is we all have our lines about what we will and won't care about and who we will and won't care about. I have no doubt that there are some groups I care about that you don't give a rat's ass about, I won't be judging for it. I wouldn't lower myself to that level of BS.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

85. That expains so much. It really is pity we should feel for you.

That is if you were still a child.

[Skittles]

77. you are one nasty person

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

93. Wow a poster that made skittles and myself agree. He's a real peach.

[cliffordu]

74. CHAIRBORNE RANGERS LEAD THE WAY!!!!!!!

Fucking putz

[Jacobair]

82. That's an awful thing to say. Many of these guys signed

up because they needed a job.
And the military is about the only place where you can go right now and get hired on the spot.
I have friends in the service and it hurts me to read what you said.

[Cid_B]

91. My initial reaction...

... is to call you a pretentious ass but that's what you are going for as for some reason you feel superior to those who "get theirs." Soldiers deserve it but NGO doctors don't?

At this point I feel pity for you and hope you realize, at some point in your life, that if not for the support of your betters your life would be very different and changed very much for the worse.

[Swede]

94. You fucking sickening bastard.

Go the fuck away you fucking troll.

[Veruca Salt]

98. That could have very easily have been my little brother you asshole.

You don't know the circumstance nor reason a soldier had to join the service and neither do you know what's in their hearts. To see ANYONE die bothers me greatly.

In fact, the only people I hear your position from is the right wing fanatics who say they 'mourn' the loss of the soldier and loss of civilian life, but say the soldier volunteered for service and knew there was a chance they could die. I know these people don't give a shit about either the soldiers or the civilians; and your rhetoric is intentionally trollish flamebait, so you're not fooling me.

[malaise]

13. Funny how we never saw these pictures while thousands of

military people were being killed and injured by Bushco's ilegal war

[Veruca Salt]

100. I know isn't it?

And as hard as they are to see, we NEED to see them so the rest of the populace who doesn't understand sees why we need to bring them home. :(

[shadowknows69]

14. If the general population had more than a two minute attention span

The outrage would have been bigger from the last 5000+ soldiers that have been killed between Iraq and Afghanistan. How is that even logical math in any sense of the word as far as military strategy? We lose more of our soldiers and kill (read terrorize) more innocent people than were killed in 9-11 by about a factor of 20 by now and create more enemies than we probably had on 9-10. Is it just me or does that add up to WE FUCKING LOST! Get out now.

[Jennicut]

15. I think seeing war images are necessary to see that war is more like hell

than anything else. However, the soldier's father did not want it seen. I would have respected the father's wishes.

[sandyj999]

16. This Is Reality

I remember seeing lots of pictures like this and worse, in Life magazine when I was a kid. Maybe if more people were exposed to the real truth of war they would do something. The media has cleaned it up way too much.

[Gman2]

18. Fuck all of us. if that were a pic of an Afghan/Iraqi, yah, so?

It isnt even very clear. WE should HAVE to witness a closeup, video death. Same with our food. We need to end the isolation from our environment, and reality.

[Better Today]

21. Not all of us, but as you can see above... those of us that care more about the

innocents and recognize that the military signed up for this, are harangued.

[armyowalgreens]

34. You are an idiot.

[proteus_lives]

46. What a piece of shit you are.

Go freerepublic.com. you'd fit in better over there, Mr. Heartless.

[Better Today]

78. Seems your reaction is the one that resembles freeper's. Name calling and righteously angry because

we don't agree on who to care about in our mutual agreement that the police actions/occupation (I'll not call them wars as they are not wars legitimately if I understand the requirements for declaring "war")need to end.

[uppityperson]

80. Strawman combined with cluelessness. huh

[uppityperson]

79. oh bull shit. eom

[L0oniX]

19. We should see all the pictures of the dead on both sides and especially the innocent by standers.

[Wilms]

22. k&r n/t

[GreenPartyVoter]

26. He was from my state. :^(

[cwydro]

28. No words.

But K and R.

[gratuitous]

29. Your tax dollars at work

Is this what we elected our representatives to do? I sure didn't. I'd rather spend a trillion dollars on health care, food stamps, and direct welfare to needy families than one more dollar spent on the American wehrmacht.

[omega minimo]

45. VietNam battles were on TV every night in the 60's/70's. Bushco War I was when the censorship began.

'Member? :think:

[nadinbrzezinski]

51. Wrong, the first gulf war is when it began

you want to know why?

Panama came on line as Bush Sr was speaking, on CNN... the juxtaposition was something that we could NOT ever, again have

[omega minimo]

55. That's what I said. Bushco War I.

[nadinbrzezinski]

58. You say bushco, I think Junior, sorry

Oh and the orders, as well as BRAC and privatization were given by SecDef Chenney

[omega minimo]

60. "Oh what a tangled web we weave...." These bastards web goes way back, don't it?

:hi:

[nadinbrzezinski]

64. At least Iran Contra, don't get me started

:hi:

[omega minimo]

61. "Oh what a tangled web we weave...." These bastards web goes way back, don't it?

:hi:

[proteus_lives]

47. These images are painful but they need to be seen.

Hopefully they help bring the war to a swifter end.

[Contrary1]

49. This picture should have never been published...

His parents begged AP not to do so. Their wishes should have been respected.

[ampad]

68. Because the parents did not want the image out there

I agree with you. I personally did not need to see this image to know what goes on over there. I understand there are some who need to take a good hard look. However, I feel that in this case the parents wishes should be more important. I wonder, did the AP have a problem posting pics of the coffins coming back from war when shrub was in office? If so, their double standard is showing for all the world to see.

[TorchTheWitch]

81. This particular photo should not have been published

and I'm pissed off that I saw it here because I had intended on respecting the family's wishes by not looking at it. Thanks to the OP that intent was shit on.

I absolutely agree that graphic depictions of war need to be seen by the public, but there are plenty that can be shown without going against the family's wishes on this particular one... it's not like it's the only photo in existence of the ugliness of this war.

[Veruca Salt]

101. +1000

Perfectly said.

[WildEyedLiberal]

75. And now not only is that photo here in defiance of their wishes,

some heartless fucking psychopath "progressives" are cheering on this young Marine's death because they get some kind of perverse revenge fantasy titillation out of seeing the "evil imperial enforcer" get his.

God, this site is so fucked up I don't even know why I bother anymore.

[proteus_lives]

76. Yeah, I am a newbie but I'm de-moralized.

State hate, nastiness, all around hate.

People cheering it on. It makes me real depressed sometimes.

[omega minimo]

95. then don't

don't contribute to it. Be the change you want to see in the world.

[proteus_lives]

96. Meaningful advice.

For both of us.


Glass houses and all that.

[omega minimo]

97. then

start now

[proteus_lives]

103. Will do.

"Tips Hat"

[Soylent Brice]

62. kick

saw it too late to rec it.

[Name removed]

83. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[roamer65]

102. You think we'd learn from the Soviet Union's Afghan war...

I guess not. :shrug: