The War Dead

Since 1991, the Pentagon has banned photos of military caskets returning from war. They claim that such photos would intrude on the privacy of grieving families and friends. The Bush administration issued a stern reminder of this policy shortly before the war in Iraq began. This “out of sight, out of mind” policy reduces the effect of American war losses. David Perlmutter, a professor at Louisiana State University, author of two books on war photography and a professor of mass communication states that: "The image of dead Americans, especially the dead American soldier, is probably the most powerful image of war for Americans." He said, "It's the one that immediately strikes us in the gut, because we hate to see it but we recognize we may need to see it." It is time to challenge this censorship and Pentagon imposed blackout of the real effects of our never-ending wars which we as a nation need to face and come to terms with. Otherwise, their deaths are just statistics.