Pentagon Limits Funeral Coverage: Arlington to Keep Reporters Away

Washington Post ^ | November 15, 2003 | Steve Vogel

[Vetvoice]

The Army tightened rules yesterday on press coverage of funerals at Arlington National Cemetery, directing that reporters be kept far enough away from the graveside that they would likely be unable to hear a chaplain's eulogy.

Reporters will be restricted to a roped-in "bullpen" that is generally far enough away that words spoken at graveside cannot be heard, officials said.

[Vetvoice]

"It concerns me, because you can't understand the true cost of war if you can't see the amputees and the people who have been killed," said Steve Robinson, executive director of the National Gulf War Resource Center, a veterans group. "The results of war have to be witnessed at graveside, whether you like it or not."

This is a comment from the story. Try and find a member, any member, of the phony veterans organization this clown claims that he represents. I've been to a lot of funerals and have never seen an amputee of the war at one of them. This is overhype.

The "National Gulf War Resource Center" is a "center of centers." It has no members it just has telemarketers to call begging donations "for the veterans." Take a moment and use a good search engine like Google and search on "Steve Robinson"+"Steve Vogel" and then search on "Steve Robinson"+"Mark Benjamin." These guys are all in cahoots not to report the news but of using Robinson as a talking monkey to read the cue cars and give these gunslingers a "quote from a veteran." Even veterans can act in a dispicable manner. And the real trouble is that we don't know if this denizen of Washington is a veteran.

[SAMS]

Just what gives these morons the right to think that anyone of us would even want them near us at a time like that! My husband is currently deployed to Iraq...and I am fully aware of what could happen to him. Just because my husband serves his country that does not mean he or my grief is public domain. I would absolutely hate it if they were allowed to show up and use me or my children in their own propaganda!

[Kerberos]

It does somewhat concern me that during Vietnam we were getting nightly body counts about the war. That does not seem to be happening in this war.

But then again, I don't pay as close of attention to the news as I use too, mainly because it only serves to get my blood pressure up.

[padded cell]

Does this complainer have any thoughts about the families of the dead? I doubt they want camera crews or even reporters with pad and pen in sight. No doubt these reporters would like to see a no rules setting where they could pepper the greiving families with questions at graveside.

[meenie]

There is a fine line here. The media wil take advantage of the situation to promote their agenda if possible. However, it is too bad that the interred servicemen and women do not get the recognition they deserve for the sacrifices they have made. Politics has infringed on every aspect of this war.

[GreyFriar]

Burried in the article was the statement that the army was reinstating the rules that were relaxed for the 9-11 funeral becasue the families of the deceased veterans had complained about the intrusion of the press.

But who cares about the families wishes when the anti-Bush press has an agenda to achieve.

[patton]

Tell your husband I said thanks.

[Vetvoice]

The reason that I read issues like this is that my son is also in Iraq carrying an M-16. Tell your husband thanks for me for his service and to please watch over my son.