"Reporters in eastern Afghanistan banned from showing troops killed in action" (blog, Jeff Schogol, Oct. 16, stripes.com) illustrates the callous disregard too many have for our troops and their families.

As a mother, I have the copyright, as it were, on the children I raised. It is brutally insensitive and blatantly commercial to require me to get written permission to reproduce a photograph or article of any publication, yet the same publication can bandy about my deceased child’s image for its own gain with no regard for my wishes.

Also, with power of attorney in hand, it is well within reason that anyone with the desire to publish my spouse’s photo must get my permission first — and then get on with their lives when I say, "No!" Surely we can all agree rejection is easier to deal with than the death of one’s child.

It is neither difficult nor in violation of anyone’s rights to make it a policy across the board that if you don’t get the family’s permission, then you don’t run/publish the photo/record.

Diana HartmanStuttgart, Germany