Summary
A decorated photojournalist of National Public Radio, David Gilkey along with his translator Zabihulia Tamanna was killed by unfriendly shellfire while they were traveling with the Afghan army near the town of Marjah. He is the first US journalist to be killed in Afghan conflict, excluding those in the army. David has received numerous awards for his photography and journalism. He died pursuing his goal of allowing the public to see the reality of wars and disasters.
Opinion
It breaks my heart to see news like these which can only be described as “unlucky”. In cases like the war in Afghan, there hardly ever is a clear “evil” and “good”, which means that those who attacked the Afghan forces and consequently caused Mr. Gilkey’s death may be feeling just as guilty as the army who failed to protect him. Journalists like him are essential for bringing out the horrors of war into the public light, and his loss is huge. Counties around the world will have to come up with ways to protect non-combatants in the war area.