Joshua Bernard Death Photo

Friday, August 14, Lance Cpl. Joshua Bernard was hit by by a rocket propelled grenade during a firefight in the village of Dahaneh, Helmand province, Afghanistan. Flown by helicopter to "Camp Leatherneck," Bernard died of his injuries. Now, as the White House considers new escalation in Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Robert Gates directly leaned on the head of the Associated Press to reconsider publishing the photo below — showing the fatal battlefield wounding of Joshua Bernard.

On the issue of the families of the dead: The death of Joshua Bernard does not “belong” to his family. This is death caused by a government policy, it is part of a vicious counterinsurgency war in an impoverished country. Would we get further by addressing the broader political circumstances that produced the photo of Joshua Bernard or would we get further by addressing the the broader economic circumstances that produced the photo of Bernard Madoff?? In order to decide where and how we should allocate the country’s time and energy, every voter needs to see the photo of Joshua Bernard no less than they need to see the photo of Bernard Madoff.