4 July 2009 - The Day the Citizens of the U.S. Had Their Priorities Wrong

Good evening-

I come before you as a confused man tonight. As I sit here at 11:27 pm on 4 July 2009, it would seem that today is the day we honor our country and those who serve our country. On this day in 1776, the Second Continental Congress approved (not signed, as most people think) the Declaration of Independence, thus essentially guaranteeing that the colonies would not return to British rule. They were proclaiming to the rest of the world that these United States would forever more be free. As a proud citizen of the United States of America, I am humbled by that bold and courageous gesture, and I am extremely grateful for the country that I now live in. So again, it would seem that today is the day we honor our country and those who serve/have served our country.

For some reason, this does not seem the case.

Fast forward 233 years from 1776. We live in a world obsessed with media, entertainment, and superficiality. In the past two weeks, Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, and Steve McNair have all died. In case you are unfamiliar with those names, here is a brief description of those people.

--- Mrs. Fawcett was a movie, television, and off-broadway actress who was very popular in the 1970s and 1980s; she also created a national frenzy when many girls wanted to emulate her hair-style.

--- Mr. Jackson was a pop music icon for most of career, scoring numerous hit records and producing ground-breaking music videos. Toward the late 90s and early 2000s, he became very reclusive and was taken to court for various accusations.

--- Mr. McNair was a professional football player who played for 13 seasons in the NFL. While certainly a good quarterback who once led his team to the Super Bowl, he will probably not be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

So there you have it: an actress, a singer, and an athlete. And yet with one glimpse of the news cycles for the past 15 days, one might think that the pope, the president, and the reincarnation of Mother Teresa had all died. The world has seemingly stopped for the passing of these three people, and while indeed tragic for the families involved, don't you agree that all of this has been a bit overkill?

Especially when you consider that 2 more soldiers were killed in Afghanistan today?


Today...the 4th of July...our nation's Independence Day...two more American boys were killed in action.

Do you know how I discovered this? I saw the 2cm headline in a back section of the CNN website.

Do you know what was on the front page?

Larger-than-life pictures of Steve McNair and Michael Jackson, accompanied by touching articles about how they "blessed" us all with their lives.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is disgraceful. On the day in which we celebrate our nation's declaration of freedom, our media cares about a singer. On the day in which we remember our grandfathers, fathers, brothers, and sisters who have died for our country, we choose to give more attention to an athlete of minor importance. On the day in which we have fellow citizens spilling their blood so that we can get fat on ice cream and BBQ, we choose to honor an actress.

I am truly empathetic towards the families of Mrs. Fawcett, Mr. Jackson, and Mr. McNair. It is a terrible thing to lose a loved one, especially when that loss occurs swiftly, suddenly, and without warning. I certainly do not wish that upon anyone.

But don't you think that soldiers dying for our freedom deserves better remembrance? And of all the times to HEADLINE the fact that men and woman are sacrificing their lives for our iPODs, DVRs, and DVD collections, don't you think that today - 4 July 2009 - would be appropriate?

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security."

Those were the words written by Thomas Jefferson some 233 years ago. It is because of those words, as well as all you reading this blog, that our countrymen are deployed half a world away, fighting an enemy whom we will likely never see. I urge you, ladies and gentlemen, to remember those men and women today. Remember why it is that we have a holiday on the 4th of July. Remember why we call this our Independence Day.

Until next time...

Good night, and good luck

--Jeffrey