Explain something to me, please

[MarieM]

A wonderful man is being laid to rest today here in Manchester, NH. A police officer who lost his life in, according to news reports, "the line of duty." My condoloences go to his family, and I truly have respect for what he did in his life.

But these same new reporters...the NH ones, AND Boston news stations are reporting this, while the body count of soldiers in Iraq is a footnote in the daily news.

So many people came to pay their respects, that the new Manchester baseball field was used for his memorial service.

What year did this young man graduate from high school? How many men and women who graduated that same year have given their lives in the service of their country without this measure of appreciation?

I don't mean to take away from Officer Briggs' accomplishments. I only want to point out that so many are giving their lives with no recognition and little to no appreciation of what they're doing in Afghanistan, Iraq and other places in the world.

Help me to understand why they're just a footnote in the evening news.

[mogulmouse]

evidently i'm not the only one feeling this way today.

[BigKahuna13]

A wonderful man is being laid to rest today here in Manchester, NH. A police officer who lost his life in, according to news reports, "the line of duty." My condoloences go to his family, and I truly have respect for what he did in his life.

But these same new reporters...the NH ones, AND Boston news stations are reporting this, while the body count of soldiers in Iraq is a footnote in the daily news.

So many people came to pay their respects, that the new Manchester baseball field was used for his memorial service.

What year did this young man graduate from high school? How many men and women who graduated that same year have given their lives in the service of their country without this measure of appreciation?

I don't mean to take away from Officer Briggs' accomplishments. I only want to point out that so many are giving their lives with no recognition and little to no appreciation of what they're doing in Afghanistan, Iraq and other places in the world.

Help me to understand why they're just a footnote in the evening news.

In a word familiarity. With 2500+ deaths and three plus years it's become same-old same-old. Cops don't get killed everyday.

Not saying it's right, but that's the way it is.

[Cityskier]

Flag-draped caskets on the evening news would be bad PR for the makers of the war.

[Dr. NO]

The Government has desided that they would not allow the news to follow the caskets home or greet the planes. I think the majority of services are kept quiet by family; although, here in CT the State makes each public and has flags at half mast until the soldier is burried.