Muscatine

A Soldier's Take on Michael Jackson's Death

> This is written by a young soldier serving his third tour of duty in
> Iraq. Thought you might find his take on the Michael Jackson news
> interesting and he's right.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Folks,
> Okay, I need to rant.
> I was just watching the news, and I caught part of a report on Michael
> Jackson.  As we all know, Jackson died the other day..  He was an
> entertainer who performed for decades.  He made millions, he spent
> millions, and he did a lot of things that make him a villian to many
> people.  I understand that his death would affect a lot of people, and I
> respect those people who mourn his death, but that isn't the point of my
> rant.
>
> Why is it that when ONE man dies, the whole of America loses their minds
> with grief.  When a man dies whose only contribution to the country was to
> ENTERTAIN people, the Amercian people find the need to flock to a memorial
> in Hollywood, and even Congress sees the need to hold a "moment of
> silence" for his passing?
>
> Am I missing something here?  ONE man dies, and all of a sudden he's a
> freaking martyr because he entertained us for a few decades?  What about
> all those SOLDIERS who have died to give us freedom?  All those Soldiers
> who, knowing that they would be asked to fight in a war, still raised
> their hands and swore to defend the Constitution and the United States of
> America. Where is their  moment of silence?  Where are the people flocking
> to their graves or memorials and mourning over them because they made the
> ultimate sacrifice?  Why is it when a Soldier dies, there are more people
> saying "good riddence," and "thank God for IEDs?"  When did this country
> become so calloused to the sacrifice of GOOD MEN and WOMEN, that they can
> arbitrarily blow off their deaths, and instead, throw themselves into
> mourning for a "Pop Icon?"
>
> I think that if they are going to hold a moment of silence IN CONGRESS for
> Michael Jackson, they need to hold a moment of silence for every service
> member killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.  They need to PUBLICLY recognize
> every life that has been lost so that the American people can live their
> callous little lives in the luxury and freedom that WE, those that are
> living and those that have gone on, have provided for them.  But, wait,
> that would take too much time, because there have been so many willing to
> make that sacrifice.  After all, we will never make millions of dollars.
> We will never star in movies, or write hit songs that the world will
> listen too.  We only shed our blood, sweat and tears so that people can
> enjoy what they have.
>
> Sorry if I have offended, but I needed to say it.  Remember these five
> words the next time you think of someone who is serving in the military;
>
> "So that others may live.."
>
> Isaac

Very well said...

I totally agree