Reamond
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posted on April 22, 2004 09:08:35 AM new
SEATTLE April 22 — A cargo worker whose photograph of flag-draped coffins bearing the remains of U.S. soldiers was published on a newspaper's front page was fired by the military contractor that employed her.
Tami Silicio, 50, was fired Wednesday by Maytag Aircraft Corp. after military officials raised "very specific concerns" related to the photograph, said William L. Silva, Maytag president. The photo was taken in Kuwait.
Silva declined to identify the Pentagon's concerns but said Silicio violated company and federal government rules. He declined to comment further.
Silicio said she hoped the photo of the 20 flag-draped coffins awaiting transport from Kuwait to the United States would show the relatives of soldiers killed in Iraq that civilian and military crews return the remains of their loved ones with care and devotion.
"It wasn't my intent to lose my job or become famous or anything," Silicio said.
Silicio's husband and co-worker, David Landry, was also fired, but the company gave no reason for his dismissal.
Under a policy adopted in 1991, the Pentagon bars news organizations from photographing caskets being returned to the United States, saying publication of such photos would be insensitive to bereaved families. Critics say the public is being denied information by not being able to see photos of coffins coming back from Iraq.
Silicio took the photograph in a cargo plane about to depart from Kuwait International Airport earlier this month. She sent the photo to a stateside friend who provided it to The Seattle Times, which then obtained permission from Silicio to publish it without compensation.
The photo appeared in the center of the newspaper's front page in its Sunday's editions, along with an article on the war in Iraq and a feature on Silicio's job in Kuwait. It was then posted on Web sites and has been widely discussed on the Internet.
The Times reported Thursday that its decision to print the photograph was supported in most of the e-mails and telephone calls it has received.
Executive Editor Michael R. Fancher wrote about the decision to print the photograph in his weekly column in Sunday's editions and he appeared Wednesday on ABC's "Good Morning America" with U.S. Rep. Mike Castle, R-Del., who supports the Pentagon ban. Delaware is home to the military mortuary at Dover Air Force Base, where all remains first arrive in the United States from overseas.
"Some will see the picture as an anti-war statement because the image is reminiscent of photos from the Vietnam era" of caskets with casualties arriving in the United States, Fancher wrote, "but that isn't Silicio's or The Times' motivation."
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NearTheSea
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posted on April 22, 2004 09:34:30 AM new
Its on the front page of the Seattle Times
I think I've seen this one has been posted already, not sure
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"Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known."- Carl Sagan
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Linda_K
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posted on April 22, 2004 11:06:57 AM new
She broke policy....she takes the consequences - no matter her stated intentions of showing that the dead soldiers bodies are treated with respect or not.
Re-elect President Bush!!
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Twelvepole
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posted on April 22, 2004 11:15:29 AM new
Why does the public need to see a coffin? I am sure any Funeral Home would be glad to show them one.
If she was told that they could not take pictures, then she violated her contract.
AIN'T LIFE GRAND... 
It's too bad that their blindness can't see they are killing more soldiers than President Bush ever has... Protest Loud and Proud! Your fellow taliban and insurgents are rejoicing at the support...
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trai
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posted on April 22, 2004 01:14:24 PM new
I agree, she should of known better. She should of done it on the sly if she wanted the photos that bad.
There is no good reason to sack her husband if he had nothing to do with it. A bit heavy handed.
The future has taken root in the present.
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logansdad
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posted on April 22, 2004 01:32:39 PM new
Why is ok for the media to show the bodies of dead Iraqi's or the deaths of the contractors by the angry mob, but it is not OK for the public to see caskets?
Does this have more to do with "freedom of information" or is this one way of the government hiding how many of our soldiers are being killed?
If the media is to report the war, then it needs to show all sides of the war.
Impeach Bush
Marriage is a Human Right not a Heterosexual Privledge.
Bigotry and hate will not be tolerated.
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Reamond
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posted on April 22, 2004 02:46:17 PM new
Why does the public need to see a coffin?
The question is "why" the government doesn't want the public to see them. It has nothing to do with the "families" feelings, you can't identify anyone from those pictures.
It is just another part of the Bushs trampling on our civil liberties. Bush 1 started the policy.
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Bear1949
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posted on April 22, 2004 02:51:13 PM new
When I was at Compaq, it was against company to bring camera's or tape recorders into the work place.
She got caught, was fired. End of story
"The Secret Service has announced it is doubling its protection for John Kerry. You can understand why — with two positions on every issue, he has twice as many people mad at him." —Jay Leno
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logansdad
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posted on April 22, 2004 06:24:44 PM new
If the woman did something that was against company policy, she should be fired. But again she has the right to report the war - all aspects of it.
Didn't the media show the body of the killed soldier being dragged through the streets of Somalia back in the late 90's. I am sure that video footage was more disturbing to viewers than a picture of coffins.
Impeach Bush
Marriage is a Human Right not a Heterosexual Privledge.
Bigotry and hate will not be tolerated.
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Twelvepole
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posted on April 22, 2004 06:35:36 PM new
But again she has the right to report the war - all aspects of it.
No she doesn't.
Especially if she signed a contract, she only has the right to report what the company she signed on with says she can.
AIN'T LIFE GRAND...
It's too bad that their blindness can't see they are killing more soldiers than President Bush ever has... Protest Loud and Proud! Your fellow taliban and insurgents are rejoicing at the support...
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profe51
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posted on April 22, 2004 09:20:58 PM new
She got fired. If she thought she wouldn't, she's a fool. It doesn't matter though, the deed is done, and her pictures along with lots of others' are everywhere now. If her actions were defiant rather than foolish, I commend her.
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When a dog howls at the moon, we call it religion. When he barks at strangers, we call it patriotism. - Edward Abbey
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Linda_K
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posted on April 22, 2004 09:42:25 PM new
by the way bear - I'm just lovin' your new sig line. 
Re-elect President Bush!!
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NearTheSea
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posted on April 22, 2004 09:51:47 PM new
You cannot take pictures in a Casino in Nevada........ and dats the law!
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"Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known."- Carl Sagan
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logansdad
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posted on April 23, 2004 06:28:37 AM new
Especially if she signed a contract, she only has the right to report what the company she signed on with says she can.
Then what type of dictatorship is telling companies what kind of images can be shown. Who is the Pentagon trying to kid? Every day we are hearing reports of soldiers getting killed, so what difference does it make whether or not the public sees pictures of caskets. The local news station in my area had reported the Pentagon is trying to protect the victim's privacy but not allowing pictures of the caskets to be taken. Huh??? This makes no sense. Unless there is some new technology that allows people to see inside the caskets via the TV, how does the average Joe know who is in the casket. We are seeing a closed casket, the media is not printing pictures of the dead soldiers inside an open casket.
Impeach Bush
Marriage is a Human Right not a Heterosexual Privledge.
Bigotry and hate will not be tolerated.
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skylite
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posted on April 23, 2004 07:16:27 AM new
a reality most governments refuse to show, yet those who have been there keep saying this is the final product of a scam, created by corporate profits, these bodies died for corperate profit,they were lied to by their own government, and the rich kids are no where to be seen, protected by thier warmonger parents.....and it's going get worse, wait till the draft comes.....just like Vietnam.........
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Reamond
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posted on April 23, 2004 08:10:27 AM new
A private company has every right to not allow pictures.
However, the contractor is performing a government function with taxpayer money.
You can not side step the the right to know what your government is doing by privatizing the government function.
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Twelvepole
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posted on April 23, 2004 11:57:35 AM new
You can not side step the the right to know what your government is doing by privatizing the government function.
Exactly what "right" are you referring to reamond?
The families of those "caskets" know very well what is going on and it is no one else's business.
Oh why do you think it is a privatized government contract? Because they can keep it secret.
AIN'T LIFE GRAND...
It's too bad that their blindness can't see they are killing more soldiers than President Bush ever has... Protest Loud and Proud! Your fellow taliban and insurgents are rejoicing at the support...
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Reamond
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posted on April 23, 2004 12:13:33 PM new
Exactly what "right" are you referring to reamond?
It's called Freedom of Information act. In fact, nearly all the pictures of caskets on the net were actually taken by DOD workers and had to be turned over to the press on request.
We also have a "right" to know what our government is doing and how they are doing it, with exceptions for necessary security.
It seems the more Bush fights the Taliban and Islamic fundementalists, the more he becomes like them.
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