Pentagon blocks press from funeral

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/23/AR2008042303244.html

"The family of 38-year-old Hall, who leaves behind two young daughters and two stepsons, gave their permission for the media to cover his Arlington burial -- a decision many grieving families make so that the nation will learn about their loved ones' sacrifice. But the military had other ideas, and they arranged the Marine's burial yesterday so that no sound, and few images, would make it into the public domain."

What the heck? Isn't this a breach of the first amendment? What acceptable reason did the military have for blocking the media? This is censorship to keep America's attention off the Iraq war. If the public loses interests, that spares the government a lot of anti-war protests and the kind of pressure it was under during the Vietnam war.

A lot of people say the media lost us Vietnam because the intense coverage spurred so much anti-war sentiment that the military was forced to show restraint and the government eventually cracked under the pressure and pulled out. I highly doubt that because Nixon escalated the war in its final years, using every military option at his disposal to crack North Vietnam. It failed. There is little evidence that the U.S. pulled out prematurely costing it victory.

But I can understand the media rules being a little different in war time, especially when the news could directly undermine military efforts. However the line is going to have to be drawn somewhere. This was a funeral on U.S. soil, and the family gave the media permission to cover it. It's hardly a threat to national security.