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I was watching the procedings yesterday...North Korea won the attention battle yesterday because our CinC decided that a "strong" statement (which means absolutely nothing!) was more important that a 5 minute ride to Arlington to lay a wreath for our honored dead...If he had waited to make that statement till after the trip to Arlington, I would have been impressed...Wishful thinking...

When he arrived, the crowd was more interested in getting a picture of "just" Obama doing this...The roar of the shutters was deafening, and completely took away from the decorum of the ceremony...I was deeply hurt by what I saw and heard...I got a little angry...I could have turned it off...But I decided that no one man, or group was going to keep me from remembering those that have served, and who are currently serving our country...

I know a lot of us have visited Arlington sometime in our lives, and I have seen the guards in action at the tomb of the unknowns...I went (years ago) to pay respects to two friends who I served with, and stop by to watch the changing of the honor guard...

At no point did I interrupt the process with a picture flash or other act that would have dishonored the purpose or meaning of that place...

I have a hope that someday this country will fall away from the pop-culture, and truely remember what this day really means...

I'm not holding my breath...

stevie_d_64 wrote:At no point did I interrupt the process with a picture flash or other act that would have dishonored the purpose or meaning of that place...

I've been there twice, and would love to go back with a good camera. OTOH, for situations like this, a long telephoto is pretty much mandatory so that you can be far enough away to avoid disturbing the ceremony at all with shutter noise or movement to get the right angle. IMO, journalists often just don't care what they interrupt as long as they can get their shot. If it screws up everybody else', that just makes theirs "exclusive."