Steve Savicki
02-22-2007, 02:18 PM
Gawsh, it's so true...
Only a few hours after Anna Nicole Smith died, her name and face was everywhere- plastered all over the tv, internet, and radio. Because of her fame and money, it's as if the entire nation knew her personally, and can't stop talking about her death. People are "sick" over the "tragic" death of "someone so young".
But what makes me sick is this. There are soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines dying for this country every day - more than 3,000 so far, to be exact. Are their names and faces plastered everywhere? No. They get a passing mention - "Four Marines Killed in Iraq" ... "Plane Shot Down, Killing Three" ... and what are they doing over there? Defending our country.
It is sad that she died at 39. But what's worse are the men and women that are willingly serving and dying at 19. Many of these people volunteered for their tours of duty. I think that they are more important than a former Playboy Bunny hawking a diet pill.
It is sad that her son died. But how many of those in our service never got to say a proper goodbye to those in their lives that died? How many of them didn't even get to go to a loved one's funeral? There are men and women who don't get to say goodbye to a treasured grandparent or favourite uncle, because that's not close enough for the military.
It is sad that she is leaving behind a newborn baby. But there are those overseas who will never even see their newborn babies. Those that will never say goodbye to their parents, or their children, or their spouses, or their friends. There are parents that will have to bury their sons and daughters, some of them so young that they were barely out of high school. There are children that will never know their father as more than a Purple Heart on a shelf. There are women who are widows before 30, men who are suddenly single fathers and no good answer to "Why isn't mommy coming home?"
To me, it says something that Ms. Smith's death is more important to this nation than the deaths of those men and women who are serving overseas. It says something that everyone is willing to talk about how wrong this war is - but when it comes down to the people who are fighting this war, no one is willing to take more than a few seconds for them. To me, it says that maybe this nation needs to get its priorities in order.
You may not agree with the war. You may not even support the troops. But do you really think that it's okay to put a drug-addicted celebrity's death above that of someone who died just doing his job?
Only a few hours after Anna Nicole Smith died, her name and face was everywhere- plastered all over the tv, internet, and radio. Because of her fame and money, it's as if the entire nation knew her personally, and can't stop talking about her death. People are "sick" over the "tragic" death of "someone so young".
But what makes me sick is this. There are soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines dying for this country every day - more than 3,000 so far, to be exact. Are their names and faces plastered everywhere? No. They get a passing mention - "Four Marines Killed in Iraq" ... "Plane Shot Down, Killing Three" ... and what are they doing over there? Defending our country.
It is sad that she died at 39. But what's worse are the men and women that are willingly serving and dying at 19. Many of these people volunteered for their tours of duty. I think that they are more important than a former Playboy Bunny hawking a diet pill.
It is sad that her son died. But how many of those in our service never got to say a proper goodbye to those in their lives that died? How many of them didn't even get to go to a loved one's funeral? There are men and women who don't get to say goodbye to a treasured grandparent or favourite uncle, because that's not close enough for the military.
It is sad that she is leaving behind a newborn baby. But there are those overseas who will never even see their newborn babies. Those that will never say goodbye to their parents, or their children, or their spouses, or their friends. There are parents that will have to bury their sons and daughters, some of them so young that they were barely out of high school. There are children that will never know their father as more than a Purple Heart on a shelf. There are women who are widows before 30, men who are suddenly single fathers and no good answer to "Why isn't mommy coming home?"
To me, it says something that Ms. Smith's death is more important to this nation than the deaths of those men and women who are serving overseas. It says something that everyone is willing to talk about how wrong this war is - but when it comes down to the people who are fighting this war, no one is willing to take more than a few seconds for them. To me, it says that maybe this nation needs to get its priorities in order.
You may not agree with the war. You may not even support the troops. But do you really think that it's okay to put a drug-addicted celebrity's death above that of someone who died just doing his job?