I have no way of knowing if it's true or not, but I did a search on snopes and didn't find anything. Poignant none the less.
Quoted Text
SOLDIER RESPONDS TO Michael Jackson's DEATH.....
This is written by a young man serving his third tour of duty in Iraq. Thought you might find his take on the Michael Jackson news interesting. ____________________________
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;
With due respect to all those who go out every day and put their lives on the line, be it police officers, firefighters and our armed forces, but they know that danger is inherent, a permanent and inseparable part of their job.
They choose to serve in that position with full knowledge of the dangers that exist every single day, and one of those dangers is death.
Every time one of these servicemen and women do a heroic thing (save someone) and they survive, they say they were just doing their job and don't think themselves as heroes. We, the general public who are 100% appreciative of what they do day in and day out, call them heroes because that's what they are.
And when one of them is unfortunate enough to loose their lives, there is the proper and respectful ceremony for them. There is the proper funeral with flags and hundreds paying their respects. There is the procession, the nice speeches, the flag, the doves, the loved ones saying their goodbyes. They are not forgotten, they are not thought of as less than anyone else, they are appreciated for having put their life on the line. There is ever Memorial day, their very own special day when the entire nation celebrates those who have given us our freedoms.
So then, why can't those who need to grieve and celebrate Michael Jackson's life be left to do as they wish without being criticized? Why do people who don't agree with all the fan fare just accept MJ celebration as something that many people need to do for someone they dearly loved? There is a time and place for everything and everyone, and this is MJ's time. He touched many throughout the world. And I imagine all those servicemen who die for us also get their due respect from everyone they touched and many times from those who also did not know them
And are we really fighting for our OWN freedom? God bless MJ, god bless ALL soldiers (regardless of country. god bless teachers, janitors, cooks, soldiers, doctors, etc. we live in a system where everyone does their part - no one "deserves" greater praise than the other.
as for the media circus surrounding MJ's death, he was the most famous person on the face of the earth. what did you expect?!
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