To the Editor:
The news is full of stories on Michael Jackson. As everyone knows, 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 scoundrel to a lot of people. I understand that his death has affected a lot of people, and I respect those people who mourn his death, but that isn't the point of my rage.
Why is it that when Michael Jackson dies, the whole of America loses their minds with grief? A man dies whose only contribution to the country was to entertain people, why do the American 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?
Has America gone crazy? ONE man dies, and all of a sudden he's a martyr because he entertained us for a few decades? What about our sons and daughters who have died to give us freedom? Our sons and daughters who, knowing 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? When did this country become so calloused to the sacrifice of good men and women, which they can impulsively blow off their deaths, and instead, throw themselves into mourning for a "pop icon?" We have gone crazy, have we not?
I think that if they are going to hold a moment of silent 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 be free to hero worship anyone they see fit in freedom. Maybe the logic is that would take too much time, because there have been so many willing to make that sacrifice and there is only one Michael Jackson. After all, he did make millions of dollars. Our soldiers will never star in movies, or write hit songs that the world will listen to. They only died so that people can enjoy what they have. I guess that is not the same as being a Michael Jackson!
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[Parts of this letter came from a letter by a soldier named Isaac.]
Addie Clyde, Carlton
