Embedded Reporter, Michael Kelly Killed In Iraq

[Ornery]

Atlantic Monthly Editor Killed in Iraq

• ...killed in a Humvee accident...

Damn, that is some rotten luck! Just saw today that an Ohio boy was killed when he accidently shot himself in the chest over there. Sheesh...

 

[Mookow]

Originally posted by: Ornery
Atlantic Monthly Editor Killed in Iraq

• ...killed in a Humvee accident...

Damn, that is some rotten luck! Just saw today that an Ohio boy was killed when he accidently shot himself in the chest over there. Sheesh...

Not to be an ass or anything, but I've been handling guns since I was 7 or 8, and I cannot concieve how a rational human being with common sense can accidentally manuever a rifle so as to cause it to discharge while pointed at their own chest. A pistol I can see how it can be done without much effort, but to have your finger near the trigger at that time, and thats just stupid.

About the only way I see for this to be done is to drop the rifle or pistol and have it discharge.

 

[Ornery]

"About the only way I see for this to be done is to drop the rifle or pistol and have it discharge."

Are their safetys supposed to be on? I could see the trigger hooking something when lifting it up into a truck by the barrel or something, but if the safety should have been on... ?

Edit: Just read article again. It said "He was engaged in combat when the accident occured."

 

[Acanthus]

they say this is the 1st reporter to die on MSNBC, thats not even close to the truth, two were taken POW and we havent heard of them again, one died to that car bomb in northern Iraq...

 

[Ornery]

A couple were found OK in Pakistan, were there two others?

Molly Bingham, a freelance photographer who also had been missing in Baghdad, called her family Tuesday to report that she, too, was safely out of Iraq.

 

[conjur]

Originally posted by: Acanthus
they say this is the 1st reporter to die on MSNBC, thats not even close to the truth, two were taken POW and we havent heard of them again, one died to that car bomb in northern Iraq...

1st American reporter. The one in Northern Iraq was British...from...ITV?

 

[Conky]

I don't feel especially sorry for the reporter but I do feel for his family. It's truly tragic.

I've been very vocal in my criticism of this whole "embedded media" situation. I don't see any upside and only downsides like this tragedy. I still think this embedded media stuff is completely stupid.

 

[Trezza]

i am just glad that the reporters haven't lost more of their colleagues.

 

[Red Dawn]

Originally posted by: Crazyfool
I don't feel especially sorry for the reporter but I do feel for his family. It's truly tragic.

I've been very vocal in my criticism of this whole "embedded media" situation. I don't see any upside and only downsides like this tragedy. I still think this embedded media stuff is completely stupid.

Actually while I question the wisdom of it, especially earlier on in the conflict I suppose that it was intiated for the purpose of keeping the support of the American Public at an extremely high percentage by letting the Military manipulate what the embedded reporters broadcast as to show a positive picture of the conflict.

 

[Conky]

Originally posted by: Red Dawn

Originally posted by: Crazyfool
I don't feel especially sorry for the reporter but I do feel for his family. It's truly tragic.

I've been very vocal in my criticism of this whole "embedded media" situation. I don't see any upside and only downsides like this tragedy. I still think this embedded media stuff is completely stupid.

Actually while I question the wisdom of it, especially earlier on in the conflict I suppose that it was intiated for the purpose of keeping the support of the American Public at an extremely high percentage by letting the Military manipulate what the embedded reporters broadcast as to show a positive picture of the conflict.

Yes, part of the great conspiracy...

 

[TheNinja]

Originally posted by: Mookow

Originally posted by: Ornery
Atlantic Monthly Editor Killed in Iraq

• ...killed in a Humvee accident...

Damn, that is some rotten luck! Just saw today that an Ohio boy was killed when he accidently shot himself in the chest over there. Sheesh...

Not to be an ass or anything, but I've been handling guns since I was 7 or 8, and I cannot concieve how a rational human being with common sense can accidentally manuever a rifle so as to cause it to discharge while pointed at their own chest. A pistol I can see how it can be done without much effort, but to have your finger near the trigger at that time, and thats just stupid.

About the only way I see for this to be done is to drop the rifle or pistol and have it discharge.

Have a little more compassion, it was an ACCIDENT, this poor kid died serving the country and you basically call him an unrational human being with no common sense. Accidents happen with guns all the time, including rifles. In the heat of the battle he could have been changing magazines, fallen down, there are many many reasons why he could have gotten disoriented and accidently fired the weapon. I can't believe the lack of compassion and empathy people have here, and I'm not just saying that about you. Go watch a movie like full metal jacket, we were soldiers, or blackhawk down, to name a few and see if you can at least feel bad for them.

 

[Alistar7]

I heard he was sleeping with his weapon, loaded.

How can you think the reporters were put there to CONTROL the information flow? Of course there are things they cannot say or show, usually that's due to strategic factors, not propoganda.
Did you not watch the "live" shots from the airport last night? Did the govt tell them to keep the camera on a dead Iraqi soldier? How is a dead body positive? Why was the camera not panning? They were not allowed becasue doing so could reveal their location, not because they didn't want you to see something.

IMHO they were put there to HELP document what the american forces did and DID NOT do, as well as Saddam's troops, the point was show what really happened, before the stories get twisted by those with agendas..

 

[Conky]

Originally posted by: Staley8

Originally posted by: Mookow

Originally posted by: Ornery
Atlantic Monthly Editor Killed in Iraq

• ...killed in a Humvee accident...

Damn, that is some rotten luck! Just saw today that an Ohio boy was killed when he accidently shot himself in the chest over there. Sheesh...

Not to be an ass or anything, but I've been handling guns since I was 7 or 8, and I cannot concieve how a rational human being with common sense can accidentally manuever a rifle so as to cause it to discharge while pointed at their own chest. A pistol I can see how it can be done without much effort, but to have your finger near the trigger at that time, and thats just stupid.

About the only way I see for this to be done is to drop the rifle or pistol and have it discharge.

Have a little more compassion, it was an ACCIDENT, this poor kid died serving the country and you basically call him an unrational human being with no common sense. Accidents happen with guns all the time, including rifles. In the heat of the battle he could have been changing magazines, fallen down, there are many many reasons why he could have gotten disoriented and accidently fired the weapon. I can't believe the lack of compassion and empathy people have here, and I'm not just saying that about you. Go watch a movie like full metal jacket, we were soldiers, or blackhawk down, to name a few and see if you can at least feel bad for them.

I feel bad for that kid and his family. Accidents do happen with guns. I wouldn't rush to any judgement about the kid's gun handling knowledge because the military is pretty stringent in their gun safety education. Accidents happen.

 

[Ornery]

"I still think this embedded media stuff is completely stupid."

I'd think they'd be FAR safer embedded, than running around on their own. Would you rather there were NO reporters there?

 

[Conky]

Originally posted by: Alistar7

IMHO they were put there to HELP document what the american forces did and DID NOT do, as well as Saddam's troops, the point was show what really happened, before the stories get twisted by those with agendas..

You know, that actually makes me think that perhaps the "embedded media" is not such a bad idea after all. They can't say the coalition forces did something they did not do, especially when they have cameras on them the whole time. The claims against the coalition forces are absurd, but then again, so is the literacy rate in that region of the world.

I may have to rethink my position on this embedded media stuff.

 

[Alistar7]

Originally posted by: Crazyfool

Originally posted by: Alistar7

IMHO they were put there to HELP document what the american forces did and DID NOT do, as well as Saddam's troops, the point was show what really happened, before the stories get twisted by those with agendas..

You know, that actually makes me think that perhaps the "embedded media" is not such a bad idea after all. They can't say the coalition forces did something they did not do, especially when they have cameras on them the whole time. The claims against the coalition forces are absurd, but then again, so is the literacy rate in that region of the world.

I may have to rethink my position on this embedded media stuff.

"They can't say the coalition forces did something they did not do, especially when they have cameras on them the whole time."

A picture is worth a thousand words.....

 

[BeauJangles]

Michael Kelly's death is really tragic. he was a great guy, I actually spoke to him only a month and a half ago.

 

[Kadarin]

I am totally in favor of the embedded media concept, as it provides important on the scene historical record of these events. Seeing stuff live is pretty nifty and all, but I'm more concerned about the historical aspect. Each of these journalists volunteered to do this and are well aware of the risks. They understand that they're in a war, that people will be shooting at them, and that they're on the battlefield with some very highly lethal equipment, and things can and do go wrong.