In order for a democracy to work, the people should know what political leaders are doing and the ramifications of their policy decisions. The news we receive ought to provide us with enough information to hold our elected leaders accountable. Unfortunately in the United States, most news sources fail to give us a comprehensive perspective of violent conflicts.

The media fail to cover violent conflicts accurately. For example, many news sources got ahead of themselves and declared the bombings during the Boston Marathon an act of terrorism before the suspects and their motives were known. The New York Post wrongly attributed the incident to an Arab-American student, dedicating the front page to his picture. Making the public think about this attack as terrorism changes what they expect from elected leaders. Having terrorism on our minds makes it easier to justify international interventions.

As for how the media cover war, we tend to receive a sanitized version of what war looks like. Former CNN reporter Walter Rodgers said one of his reports showed a dead body and CNN received several calls about how people did not want to see dead bodies. Although I agree it is a gruesome sight and should have some kind of warning before people see it, CNN should have every right to show a dead body. It is unrealistic to deny that death is a part of war. Militants, children and civilians will die during war. Refusing to acknowledge the collateral damage of wars won’t change the reality of it. The media’s exclusion of unpleasant outcomes of war hinders the public’s ability to evaluate war. A lack of authentic coverage of our international involvements challenges our ability to evaluate our leaders’ actions.

Part of the reason we are OK with not receiving genuine news coverage is that with advanced technology, it seems logical that civilian casualties would be low; however, that is not the case. Drone strikes should prevent civilian deaths, but they don’t. Up to 98 percent of people killed in drone strikes are civilians. But very few news sources report on how many innocent people need to die to capture a few people deemed terrorists.

Another major problem with the media and our leaders is that they value certain lives over others. President Barack Obama gave a sympathetic speech to the country after the tragedy in Newtown. He teared up during the speech. It’s hard to cope with so many innocent children dying in a senseless act of violence. His words were intended to serve as a sense of comfort for the survivors in Newtown and the friends and family of those who lost their lives in the attack. His statement did a good job comforting this nation during such a hard time.

But why hasn’t he issued a statement of condolence for the more than 150 children that died as a result of drone strikes he and his predecessor George W. Bush authorized? Why is it that the media talk about acts of terror American children experience while ignoring the terror children around the world feel as a result of American foreign policy?

Three Afghani children were killed in an airstrike, and Marine forces believed these children were suspicious because they were digging a hole. Lt. Col. Marion Carrington said troops have to be on the lookout for “children with potential hostile intent.” Apparently, seeing kids digging a hole is now considered a suspicious activity, despite the parents’ assurances that these children were collecting dung for fuel. That kind of behavior from American children would not be a reason to call the police, let alone a justification for killing them.

It is unpleasant to talk about civilian casualties in a war or any other conflict, especially when children are involved. But not talking about the results of our wars and conflicts perpetuates these kinds of problems. Keeping the American public from knowing about the ugliness of violence makes us more likely to support inhumane warfare tactics and conflicts that don’t need to be fought. Until we know everything a conflict encompasses, we can’t make the decision to support it.

Safia is a senior in LAS. She can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @safia_kazi.