Today a Good Man Died
Today, June 26th, 2009, a good man died. He was dedicated to his family, to his God, and to his country. His loss leaves a gaping hole in the hearts of the lives he touched. For those who knew him, his passing was a crushing blow. It will take all of the survivors’ self-discipline and their every resource to remember him while carrying-on with what they need to do. In many ways, he was better than us all, because he was willing to tread where others dared not tread, to undertake hardships from which others shied, and to sacrifice himself for the protection of all. Unfortunately, you’ll never know about this man—a soldier in the United States Army—because his name wasn’t Michael Jackson.
Based on every available media resource, one might think that time stopped on June 26th. That the United States was no longer engaged in two wars. That the country no longer faced its worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. That Iranians no longer met their oppressors defiantly in the streets of Tehran. That hundreds of Africans no longer died from hunger, disease, and conflict, all because of the passing of one celebrity—a man prolific in song and troubled in spirit; a known child abuser (how else can one characterize a father who hangs his infant over the side of a balcony?) and poor manager of his finances. A man who was, above all else, concerned with himself.
These words are not meant to be a metaphorical dance on Mr. Jackson’s troubled grave, but, instead, to serve as an alarm to a dangerously misguided American public ill-served by its media and its leaders. Memorialize those who deserve your thanks and praise. Disdain the trivial. Focus on the meaningful. Demonstrate that you are worthy of that soldier’s ultimate sacrifice—that his death, and the deaths of thousands of other service-members sent to prosecute wars for your protection, are not in vain. Most of all, demonstrate that you are worthy of the title “citizen” by leaving succeeding generations a better country than this hollow shell I presently serve.
-A United States Army Officer
