amen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
On June 25, entertainer Michael Jackson died. On June 26, the U.S. Congress held a moment of silence to commemorate his life and death.
I feel sympathy for anyone who loses a loved one. I've lost my father and a sister myself, and I'm quite sure that the Jackson family is grieving. However, here is what I have serious problems with:
Since when have celebrities ranked so high in our level of congressional importance that a special moment of silence is not only asked for by Reps. Dianne Watson, D-Calif., and Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Ill., but observed and received? As if Congress has nothing more pressing to discuss!
I didn't see anyone ask for a moment for Farrah Fawcett or Ed McMahon. For that matter, how about asking for a moment of silence every day for those who have lost their lives in Iraq or Afghanistan?
It's a direct slap in the face of Americans in general, not to mention the indication of our own moral decline in this country. Has Michael Jackson become so important that his death is more newsworthy than Sgt. Jones who lost his life trying to protect a small town from insurgents in the Middle East? How about a daily devotional for every American who has ever served in a war zone throughout America's history?
Has our culture become so desensitized and accustomed to the garbage we see that an accused pedophile is commemorated? Isn't this the man who during an interview a few years back replied yes when asked, "Do you think it's right for a 45-year-old man to sleep in the same bed with a young child?"
In August 1997 Princess Diana died. Unfortunately for Mother Teresa, she died on Sept. 5 of the same year. Too bad for her! For more than a year, we had to listen to and endure the media hype over Princess Diana's life and death. Why? Because she was a princess?
Mother Teresa was 87 years old when she died. She willingly spent her life in abject poverty with the express intention of helping the sick and poor -- people poorer than we will ever know, never one time complaining. What did she receive in the news? Virtually nothing comparatively, overshadowed by the notoriety of a celebrity.
Michael Jackson made sizable donations to a number of different charities. I guess that overshadows his situation with children. So other than money and entertaining people, what positive thing did Michael Jackson do? It's a sorry world, folks, when we can let our entertainment be more valuable to us than our own morality.
It's a sorry world when the death of a media star is more important to our Congress than the death of every hero in Afghanistan and Iraq.
It's not all Congress' fault; we have created this problem ourselves, and we need to fix it. It makes me sick to my stomach.
Terry Newton
Hephzibah
Comments
amen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I agree fully with you Terry. Since Congresas continues to support Obama's War in Afghanistan and Iraq, they should daily hold a moment of prayer for these soldiers. Also, where was the heartfelt sorrow shown to the soldier murdered by the terroistic act at the recruiting station?
it makes me sick with all they should be doing instead of making a political gesture. if they had rejected the move to observe a moment of silence they would have been labeled by the likes of sharpton and jackson as racist anway.
HELLO... Are you telling us that the Republicans in Congress didn't get outraged over this? They shouldn't be worried about being called racists because very few minorities going to vote for them, anyways. Go to the polls in 2010/2012 and vote them all outta there!!!
You people are po'd about the wrong thing. Of course Americans mourn, our soldiers, the war has been going on for how many years??? If we were still celebrating/remembering Michael Jackson in 7years from now the way we are right now, then I would understand the hype about his passing. Even when one of 'our' family members die, the funeral arrangements, family coming out of town, etc....is a huge deal.
Famous people's death has been 'famous' for years and years. Marilyn Monroe, John Lennon, James Dean...perhaps they did not get as much attention as Michael Jackson, but they were not 'famous' World Wide in many cases either. If you believe the child 'molestation' allegations, then so be it, more do not. Apparently most of the world do not believe it. Sorry, but we/they are what counts right now, not you haters, who would I'm certain still feel this way, even had he never had the child molestation charges come in to play. A true child molester would not be getting this attention, from both whites and blacks. Seems to me the fact that his death is gaining so much attention (even from congress) that, that would speak volumes.
Michael Jackson was indeed a lonely soul. He has been this way since childhood, if you would take the time to watch film footage and documentaries you would understand much of his grief and energy was played out in his lyric and over all talent. This carried on into his adulthood. He had lots of demons, like many of us do. All of your whining and complaining will never change the way America chose to say good bye to this brilliant, artistic, eccentric, talented icon of a soul. No other will ever open the doors Micheal opened and the barriers he broke in the World of Music and dance.
And the millions that he did make happy.
Terry Newton, by all means you have a right to your opinion, but your LTE makes me sick to my stomach.
How appropriate that this congress would choose a drug addicted pedophile as their celebrity to honor. It's very much in keeping with this administration's appointments to the cabinet. It's easy to see the theme adhered to. NONE of this group will ever be called down for amoral behavior.
Terry, you are on the money one hundred percent. And since poor little HOT has gotten him/herselves all HOT under the collar about your opinion, maybe they shouldn't read the letters to the editor anymore. HOT, go take a COLD shower and calm down.
By the way, HOT, your driveling, drooling comments about "Please watch MJ documentaries so you'll understand his angst" makes ME sick to MY stomach.
I thought some of his music was great..I thought some of Elvis' music was great. I don't see where congress should take taxpayer time and idolize either. Course I didn't think they should be sticking their noses in baseball either so what do I know?
How could anyone NOT agree with you Terry.
michael jackson was a child molestor and drug addict.why should anyone idolize him?
I wonder,will the mj worshippers start national child molestor day in honor of mj where they all molest a child in his memory?
amen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HOT, I really can't see 24/7 coverage of a girly voice freak, which Jackson was.
Good article, Terry. I think most of us agree with you!!!!!! Aztecfaith, you are too funny, and right--way to go!!!
Hey aztec warrior. Some Pepto Bismol will help with that. Don't know what to tell you about the attitude though. I'll pray for you. There. Does that help?:)
Well Jack freaks come in all fashions, shapes and sizes. Some in complete disguise. You know the ones I'm speaking of...closet freaks. Do you know what I'm talking about Jack?
Why is everyone surprised? Michael Jackson was a drug addict with some unnatural attration to children, a freakish carved face and bleached skin. Yet he is idolized by several generations of people who have lost their sense of what values we should "idolize". Just because he could sing and dance and put on a good show on TV. Not surprising that these same gererations of people gave us Obama, a marxist communist power grabbing tyrant as our president. Just because he can sing and dance and put on a good show on TV.
You are right on Mad Max!!
Hey HOT. I guess you are one of the few who thinks OJ is not a murderer. Blinded by color are we?
This letter is sickening. We as a country mourn the death of our soldiers daily. Yes, Michael Jackson may have been a strange individual but he was an icon and his death was very unexpected. I don't believe his death over shadowed Farrah & Ed for any other reason that it was unexpected. I, myself, mourned the day Michael Jackson died. I grew up listening to his music and it was a part of my childhood that I will always remember. God bless Michael, Ed and Farrah may they ALL rest in peace.
I think most of you who post here DAILY ARE STRANGE and freaks with no life, BUT WITHOUT the headlines.
So what's your excuse jewel?
Someone said it best on here last week: most of these opinions are like a fart in the wind. Only God knows the heart of man and He knows whether or not Michael was a child molester. With all the odds stacked against him, only Divine justice could have acquitted him and O.J. for that matter (and that sheriff deputy who died in the car accident recently). None of these opinions, including mine, matter in the grand scheme of things anyway.
I agree with the letter writer. Especially for Ed McMahon. He was a WWII along with my Father and others, MJ would have NEVER even surfaced AND you can bet there would have been no NObama!!!!! When do you iolize true heroes? People like that as well as our HEROES in the military today should be remembered, but, like Elvis he will be kept alive mostly by those who stand to make a lot of money over because of it. I like Hank Williams and others, I listen to their records some. To me, they were great, but, I learned a long time ago that they were people who got up, got dressed and put their clothes on JUST LIKE ME! Jackson is no different. As we continually see that he was a drug addict will people ostracize him as they do some politicians especially republican politicians or make excuses for him? What about all the money California is about to spend for security for his viewing. Remember, if the state gets a bailou, as it seems, we have effectively ALL paid for it! It's sad, but, he's dead, it happens to all of us......"Get over it".
Well written letter and spot on. Time to throw evey incumbent out in 2010 and 2012---every last one of them. Also need an ammendment to all states constitutions for term limits!!
You see as I said
To all of you singing hymns of praise to Michael Jackson, you have missed the point of the LTE. The writer was questioning you as to why Jackson has become an icon to you. He was wondering why you think that someone of Jackson's dubious character should be honored for his less than wonderful accomplishments while there are others whose lives and works are at least as good as Jackson, and many whose lives were better, are not even given cursory mention by the fools on the hill. During the same time frame Farrah Fawcett, Ed MacMahon, and Karl Malden all passed away. Why was there no moment of silence for any of them, although they worked hard all their lives to entertain us, many of whom found no entertainment value in Michael Jackson at all? Try to understand what you read before you flame the writer.
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