In World War II, journalists were actually a part of the military service (rifle in one hand, camera in the other) and film would make it's way back stateside eventually, typically shown before movies in the theaters. In Vietnam, network journalists got their stories and film out quickly - we actually saw the previous day's activities on the next morning's news. During the Gulf War, we sat spellbound watching live theater from Kuwait hotel tops - Scuds being shot down by Patriot missiles with commentary by cable journalist Wolf Blitzer.
So now we go off to war with civilian cable and network journalists assigned (embedded) within specific military units capturing the action from the trenches. This is an odd strategy at best - I would prefer our soldiers focus on the enemy rather than protecting the journalists - I believe that is what our tax dollars are intended to do. I, for one, did not check a box on my tax return last year to designate a portion of my taxes to protect a journalist with military resources so that he/she might sensationalize a story to enable their cable/network employer to charge more money for advertising and influence my buying patterns. Whew - that was a mouthful, but I hope I made a point.
But wait - we aren't fighting a traditional army this time. The enemy is a culture - a culture of terrorism - not an army dressed in uniform carrying a flag. Instead we are faced with suicide bombers - folks with explosive devices strapped to their bodies or cars who have pre-recorded a farewell message to their heirs as they go off to commit suicide, all to have their sponsors pay a life insurance benefit to those very heirs under the veil of performing some heroic act.
I have visited, lived and/or worked in 10 countries on 3 continents in my life - not a bad cross-section of humanity - and I am here to say that this is insanity. Our media is providing, on a real-time basis, 15 minutes of fame for folks committing suicide for hire. Listen, folks. Really - stop for a second and listen. If we were to dis-embed the media and take away the opportunity for 15 minutes of fame, don't you think there would be the possibility of seriously reducing those suicides - those senseless acts that take the lives of undeserving, peace-loving Iraqis and their defending soldiers as well? Stand up - be heard -
DIS-EMBED THE MEDIA & SAVE SOME LIVES!
Isn't it at least worth a try?
