When a president sixteen years out of office dies we put his casket out for all to honor, first at the Presidential Library and now in the Capiton Rotunda where his body will stay for three days as tens of thousands of people will visit and pay their respects. Thousands of photos will flood the media for days.

On the other side of the world, when a soldier dies in Iraq nobody is permitted to take pictures of the casket under the rationale that it violates the privacy of the grieving family, even if the family explicitly gives their consent.

This photo honors a patriot

This photo commits a crime

Maybe there should be a checkbox on the enlistment form:

[ ] If I am killed in the line of duty, I would prefer the media not take pictures of my casket on its journey home.