A new photo capturing children playing on the Vietnam Women’s Memorial statue is getting the internet talking.
Photographer Matthew Munson snapped the shot after he noticed parents urging their children to climb on the memorial for a family photo.
“There wasn’t a lot of people at this point,” Munson explained. “Then a big group of people showed up just as the kids were treating the memorial more like a jungle gym and the parents were laughing. Then the veterans showed up, and they looked hurt more than angry. They were quiet. That’s when I noticed a big group around the parents glaring at them, the pressure was intense and the kids blissfully ignorant. That’s when I snapped the picture. I tried getting a good shot of the crowd and the parents too but no luck. Kids jumped down and skittered off with their parents.”
After sharing the photo on social media, Munson received mixed reactions about the appropriateness of the children’s behavior.
Facebook user Jill Kin commented, “Shame on the parents. They have no respect for our veterans so they are teaching their kids the same lack of respect. It is a monument not a jungle gym. Take those damn kids to Disney Land and not to a place of rememberance. I am a veteran and I am very outraged by this performance. Again SHAME ON THE PARENTS!!!!!”
Reddit user z3k3 posted, “My grandfather (WWII vet) loved watching the kids play on the local memorial that had the names of lost friends and family (including brother’s). He saw it as a way for the next generation to take some joy out of something so terrible and at the same time gave them a link to the past as many would stop to read the names or even get interested enough to read up on the subject a little.”
So what do you think, PopWrappers? Were the parents and children being disrespectful, or was this just an example of innocent childhood play? Sound off in the comments!
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