I think you're being a little overly critical. I'm no fan of 'media' but they can't win: positive is negative; negative is negative.

The photo shoot was certainly staged but I don't think a 6 or 7 year-old could 'pretend' his reaction. The kids reaction and face was what made it newsworthy

 

Of course the kid couldn't pretend. That's the whole point. The used him, manipulated him for whatever their purpose was -- and "they" is whoever set that up, with all the cameras there as pawns in the game.

And to suggest that "newsworthy" is defined as kids who are happy -- overjoyed, overwhelmed, whatever -- to see their fathers safe home from harm's way is to be sucked in by those manipulators. Sorry, but I'm still disgusted. HPH

 

^
I didn't think of it that way. The parents obviously went along with this, maybe even suggested it? It wouldn't be the way I'd want a reunion with a family member who had been gone for a while, but I guess different strokes for different folks..............

 

^ Every time I'm hit by something like that on the news -- and it's always unexpected and not really possible to avoid -- I feel like an unwitting voyeur, seeing something that really should be private.

Boca Raton is the home of the National Enquirer, and the rest of the news media seem to be following their lead these days. HPH

 

I'm curious why only 10,000 kids? Personally I'd like to see the 100,000+ (sorry I've lost track of the ridiculous number currently) fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, sons & daughters having those types of reunions this week!

 

Staged or not, I was moved by it. With so many horrible stories coming out of the "war", I was glad to see this.

 

Staged or not, the video touched me. I would be so happy to see my son return from Afghanistan after being over there for more than a year. He has a wife and a little 5-year old son who isn't doing too well since his daddy's deployment was extended another four months. My grandson had been marking off the days on his calendar when his daddy would be home, and four days before he was to leave Afghanistan, his deployment was extended. When I watched that video, I saw my son and my grandson hugging each other, and I shed some tears.

 

Spokes Man, we hope that your son returns safely and soon. I so wish there was a way to get them all home to their famlies immediately. Positivie thoughts going his way and yours.

 

Thanks, Martha. I appreciate your positive thoughts. There are a lot of families, like mine, who are living for the day their loved ones return from the battlefields. My heart goes out to the little children, like my grandson, who really don't understand why their daddys don't come home for such a long time. Who knows what they do in their own little minds and hearts to compensate for the void?

--Jerry