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Posted on 09/07/2005 12:31:49 PM PDT by Mike Darancette
FEMA Blocks Photos of New Orleans Dead
By E&P Staff
Published: September 07, 2005 12:06 PM ET
NEW YORK Forced to defend what some critics consider its slow response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said on Tuesday it does not want the news media to take photographs of the dead as they are recovered from New Orleans.
FEMA, which is leading the rescue efforts, rejected requests from journalists to accompany rescue boats as they went out to search for storm victims, Reuters reported.
A FEMA spokeswoman told the wire service that space was need on the rescue boats and assured Reuters that "the recovery of the victims is being treated with dignity and the utmost respect."
"We have requested that no photographs of the deceased be made by the media," the spokeswoman told Reuters via e-mail.
FEMA will not allow dead bodies to be used as political footballs by the MSM.
To be honest I am surprised the photos are not appearing on blogs already... as if anyone left in New Orleans had an idea what a blog is anyway.
I think that is what the article is implying but I don't think that is FEMA's motiviation. I think it is out of respect for the dead.
I don't know who "some critics" are, but they certainly get cited a lot by the MSM.
How come we never hear any similar media concern when "some critics" point out that Kyoto is a worthless pile of dog snot? Or when they point out that the UN needs to be removed from American soil, absent America's membership?
I guess "some critics" get treated better than others.
The picture's wouldn't blame the mayor and governor, they MSM would use them to put more blame on Bush, because after all this whole thing is his fault, didn't cha know! I don't think they should show the bodies. The families of victim's don't need to see that.
That being said, nothing is going to stop the MSM from using the deaths as a political football. However, they better know that it is going to turn into a fumble for them if they try.
That is to be treated as a child by my government.
I strongly hope that many are ignoring Big Brother's "request".
I agree. There are people who don't need to get word that their family member is dead via a picture on the MSM. On the other hand, if they show bodies from a distance that are not identifiable I would not have a problem. But I will be keeping my kids away from the TV also.
They have already appeared on http://ogrish.com/. It didn't take them long.
A FEMA spokeswoman told the wire service that space was need on the rescue boats and assured Reuters that "the recovery of the victims is being treated with dignity and the utmost respect."
...
Good for FEMA! Victims and survivors should not be used as fodder for the masses as was starting to occur with Hillary and Oprah "interferring" at Houstons shelter domes.
Yes, it's about respect for the dead and the living.
Something that SOME people still need to be taught.
Pray for the Dead and the Dead will Pray for You.
its about privacy and dignity. its common decency.
Exactly.......thats why it is a problem for the MSM!!!
Perky Katie and the rest of the news sluts can blame Bush without pictures of the dead.
I hate to point out the rather gross truth, but these bodies have been in extremely warm conditions (whether above or below water) for over a week. I seriously doubt that anybody is going to recognize any of them.
That said, I would prefer not to see them without some kind of warning (so I can change the channel).
I will agree with you that the dead deserve the privacy, diginity, and repspect.
But in this situation with the magnitude of damage and deaths that this has caused.. I think the public needs to be made very aware and very concious of that destruction that this has caused so it is not repeated in the future... I do think the public needs to see the bodies to understand the scope... the shear magnitude of this disaster.
Every body says, "Why am I here and not evacuated before the hurricane"?
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After seeing one of Oprah's boys posing in front of one of the dead, I've seen enough.
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