Something to think about

As you can see, I haven't posted all the fun I had in Idaho yet. I will get to that pretty soon. First, though, I would like to post an e-mail I received. I don't know if the origins are true or not, but I believe in the sentiment. It is about Michael Jackson's death.

I will get on my soapbox briefly before I paste in the e-mail. I just want to say how unfair (yes, I know life isn't fair) it is that several "famous" people died around the same time as Michael Jackson and yet were hardly noticed in the media. Farrah Fawcett, Ed McMahon, Billy Mays and I am sure others whom I have forgotten - all died in the same week and were well-known household names. Yet, their passing were barely mentioned amid all the hoopla surrounding one man. It makes me sick, especially after reading the following e-mail.

Who should our hero be? Someone who entertained us or someone who never met any of us, yet laid their life down to protect us?

read on... - copied exactly from an e-mail...

" THIS WAS WRITTEN BY A SOLDIER IN IRAQ.

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 there 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 ridence," 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

thier 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 luxory 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. Feel free to pass

this along if you want.

Remember these five words the next time you think of someone who is

serving in the military;

"So that others may live..."

--

Isaac "