Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson, a world renowned musical performer and member of the Motown Music family The Jackson 5, was finally laid to rest today with much pomp and ceremony. My issue with this celebrity's death does not reside so much in who he was while he lived but why someone deserves more time on the news and in the headlines than any person including the President of the United States.

MJ was a man who's talent in the world of music is not easily matched amongst his peers. Does the fact that he was a musical icon permit him to have more "face" time on the national news networks? Does his celebrity status permit him to be the lead story for more than a week after his untimely passing? I personally do not think it does. I, and many others, believe that MJ's death became more spectacle than respectful. In my opinion, and many others, MJ's death was not deserving of so much headline space. There are those who give there lives everyday to defend our rights and freedoms and yet they are barely a blip on their hometown nightly news and yet MJ is still making the lead story more than a week after his untimely death. A soldier died last week in Afghanistan from injuries sustained in combat. The problem with that is that he died on the same day as MJ and yet nary a peep or headline story from the MSM about this soldier who died doing his duty. How many other Soldiers have been killed in combat since MJ's death and how many have made the lead story of the MSM? I know several have and yet they garner not even a byline in the nation's news papers and a blip on the newscast.

Spare me the MJ hater BS as I am not hating on MJ. I am merely stating the facts as we all see them. If one man, who's talent garnered him a special place in the world of music and the hearts of his fans, is so deserving of so much publicity in life or death then what does that say of us as a nation? What have we become as a Country when a celebrity can override the honor and dignity of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice to allow this one person to be able to do what he did so well?

From the HQ

The Grunt