Whitney Houston died on Feb 11, 2012. Michael Jackson died on June 25, 2009. Michael Jackson's death dominated the news for months as will Whitney's. Both are music icons, both made historic contributions to music, and both were celebrities.
Cesar Cortez died on Feb 11, 2012, the same day as Whitney Houston. Brian N. Bradshaw and Joshua L. Hazlewood both died on June 25, 2009, the same day as Michael Jackson. Their deaths did not dominate the news at all. In fact, unless you put some effort into researching it, you would never know these men had died. All three served their country, made the ultimate sacrifice for us and for their country, and all three were members of the U.S. Army.
So why is it the country goes into national mourning for celebrities, with the non stop tributes, news coverage, etc, yet our country does very little as a whole for our servicemembers? Their families and friends mourn them, and in some cases, their cities and states mourn them, but the country as a whole doesn't mourn its servicemembers anymore.
A long time ago, it was different. When a servicemember died, it made the national news, and stayed there. The country did mourn as a whole, and did celebrate their life as a whole. Some have said to me that our troops don't do their jobs for the glory.... and that is a very true statement. That doesn't mean that our troops do not deserve the glory. They deserve, in life and in death, to be celebrated, thanked, and remembered, by this country as a whole. Especially in this day and age when so much of the country is so unaware about where our troops are, and what they're facing today, both while at war, and when they come back home.
So what does it say to our troops, who struggle and sacrifice much more than most are aware of, that many people can tell you exactly when, where and how a celebrity died, what their estate was worth, how they took their coffee, but most people couldn't tell you even the first name of a servicemember from their area who made the ultimate sacrifice? What does it say to them that Old Glory,one of the very things they fight for and would give their life for, is lowered to half mast to honor the passing of a celebrity, but in many cases, is flying full despite the passing of a serivcemember?
My husband, who currently serves in the U.S. Navy Reserves said to me the other day that when someone comes up to him to thank him for his service, it makes him feel uncomfortable. Other friends of mine who also serve have said they too feel uncomfortable when someone thanks them for their service. And the main reason why? Because they aren't used too it. Because showing even half as much thanks and attention to a servicemember as is shown to many celebrities has become such a rareity that when it does happen, our troops don't know how to respond. They are so used to being unnoticed and underappreciated, that receiving a simple thank you from someone shocks and surprises them. And that's just sad.
So the next time you're watching the news, and there's yet another celebrity whose death is dominating the news, please remember that somewhere out there, a family is quietly mourning their mother or father, daughter or son, sister or brother, aunt or uncle who served their country and paid the ultimate price, yet whose death is not dominating the news.
They quietly serve... and they quietly pass. That doesn't mean they don't deserve to be loudly thanked, and remembered. They do deserve it. And once upon a time, this country as a whole did loudly thank and remember its servicemembers... maybe someday, we will again.
Mariah Smith