"Portraits of War: Unseen Pictures, Untold Stories"

I was asked as to whether or not the Durango Herald should run this photo?



Here is my stance on the issue--

What is it that keeps us from wanting to know and experience the truth about war?

“A review of six prominent U.S. newspapers and the nation’s two most popular newsmagazines during a recent six-month period found almost no pictures from the war zone of Americans killed in action." (James Rainey, LA Times) And get this, 559 soldiers were killed during that time frame!

You would think that we as Americans would want to know what is going on with our fellow countrymen who are shedding blood and tears for something they call freedom. We are no more free than those locked in a cage--we are trapped in our own ignorance.

Chris Hondros, a veteran war photographer mentioned, “There can be horrible images, but war is horrible and we need to understand that. I think if we are going to start a war, we ought to be willing to show the consequences of that war.”

We need to understand what war is all about and the only way we can truly relate is through visualization. We can be told everyday what is going on in Iraq, but until we actually see what is going on, we will never understand.

“When the Star-Ledger and several other papers ran the Babbitt photo in November, their editors were lashed by some readers--who called them cruel, insensitive, even unpatriotic." (James Rainey, LA Times)

This is one of the reasons why the media has kept us so sheltered from the truth--human ignorance! As the old saying goes, "ignorance is bliss!"

Now, I understand that others have their opinions regarding this issue. "Dierdre Sargent, whose husband was deployed to Iraq, believes the photo is tacky, unprofessional, and completely unnecessary to publish." But again, ignorance is bliss! Her husband was just deployed--of course she would say this! She does not want to be reminded of the horrors of war.

"One camp has argued against publishing graphic images of U.S. casualities, saying the pictures hurt morale, aid the enemy, and intrude on the most intimate moments of human suffering." (James Rainey, LA Times)

This is a clear and valid point, but from whos perspective exactly? Why keep these intimate moments private? Why not allow America to be apart of these intimate moments?

We are the United States of America.

Every American and townsperson of Durango, Co. should be welcoming of any photo that shows up in our newspapers or magazines.

War photos define the reality of war, and it is time to move beyond ignorance--We are the unified people and we will fight this war together, whether it be physically or visually.