Bringing war and conflict back to those watching in far away homes and offices is vital task. It is also a very dangerous one, and the deaths of Restrepo (my review) co-director Tim Hetherington and his fellow journalist Chris Hondros in Libya yesterday show why. The work of these brave men brought a distant conflict closer to home for us all and they will be missed greatly.
FPA’s Kimberly Curtis has a moving tribute to these fallen journalists that I highly recommend. Here is how she ends her piece:
That is the legacy they have, but in doing so, they also pass responsibility onto us. Merely bearing witness is important but will never be enough; it is what we do with that information and how we empower others with it that matters. The last tweet Hetherington sent the day before his death reported, “In besieged Libyan city of Misrata. Indiscriminate shelling by Qaddafi forces. No sign of NATO.”
As the families of these courageous men prepare to put their loved ones to rest, it is now on us to honor them as well. After all, as journalists they did their part, and now it is time to do ours.
