And Furthermore...   

There is an additional factor worth mentioning in the controversy over the Pentagon's policy on military deaths (Drop Cap, June/July). It is the administration's policy to withhold photos — even recruitment photos — from the news media at the most important time for the relatives and friends of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

As a result, news organizations are forced to seek photos from families and friends, sometimes resulting in informal (undignifed) images or none at all. For the Pentagon to withhold photos at such a time shows how deliberate the policy is to play down the negative aspects of administration policies.

Arthur E. Rowse
Author of "Drive-by Journalism: The Assault on Your Need to Know"
Chevy Chase, Maryland