I couldn't disagree more.

Cpl. Chad Wade and his wife during happier times..via Stars and Stripes.com

Battle Rattle has an article today that bothers me a great deal.  Read the whole thing but here are a few tidbits.

For another reminder of that, we need to look no farther than the story of Cpl. Chad Wade, a member of 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, out of Camp Pendleton, Calif. He was killed by an improvised explosive device while on patrol Dec. 1, and four months later, the grief shared by his friends and family continue to spill out in new and painful ways.

then this...

No matter how well intentioned military journalists are, some of their work will sting families who don’t deserve additional pain. There’s no joy in that.
However, failing to publish those painful stories and take on those scary assignments will only leave the rest of our country in the dark about a fight directly involving 100,000 U.S. service members each day. It must be done.
This is a harsh, cold reality of war. I don’t like it, and I’m sure you don’t, either.

Dan Lamothe is trying to have it both ways and it annoys me to no end.  This guy had the honor of being embedded with US Marines...writes about the agony of losing a member of the unit and then proclaims that this is the harsh, cold reality of war and isn't talking about the combat itself but his interpretation of what needs to be reported?  Ernie Pyle must be turning in his grave.

Modern journalist have taken their 'art' too far.  The details of how a young man died and relating that to their families is just a step too far in my opinion.  To describe not only in words but also in pictures the suffering of a dying man...to record the frantic efforts of his buddies...to record for time immortal the pain and suffering of his comrades while they mourn his death isn't necessary.

Its ghoulish.

Its morbid.

It just shouldn't be.

But more importantly than my feelings about it is how the wives and mothers must feel.  Watching the son you raised in pain...moments before his death or soon after must be chilling and hearbreaking.  Watching the man you loved and wanted to spend your life with broken, bruised and dying must be like repeating the sorrow of being told that he died again and again and again.

Political correctness almost always protects the indefensible.  Its seems like the 1st amendment is being used to do the same.  Its time for the Department of Defense to grow a pair and start censoring news reports and photos.  Our military families deserve better.

Remember this.  Police departments that suffer officers killed in the line of duty often hide the fallen from the prying eyes of photographers cameras.    The news media often self-censors images of civilians that are dead or dying.  Only the military is not given the same respect.

And this from a man that we allowed to embed with our units.  Shameful.