RIP Michael Jackson…

Yes, I am going to add to the discussion of Michael Jackson’s death, but not in the way you might think. You may or may not know that I am not a fan of the celebrity worship culture that exists in our society. Some individuals argue that celebrities have to put up with the constant surveillance and reporting on their lives as part of the job description of celebrity. I disagree. I think that celebrities should be accorded the same respect and privacy that anyone deserves. They are people trying to make a life and a career for themselves. They do not deserve having cameras shoved in their faces and Perez Hilton gossiping about every minutiae of their lives. So how does this relate to Michael Jackson?
It is tragic that Michael Jackson died. It is tragic when anyone dies. Yet not everyone gets the world-stopping media attention when they die. Yesterday and today radio stations are playing tribute to MJ by playing his songs. People are lamenting his demise on Facebook and Twitter (so much so on Twitter that the servers crashed!). I ask why? What makes a sad, emotionally torn pop star worthy of such attention. His fame drove him into an unhealthy mental state. It is likely that he was abused as a child, and his early fame certainly did not help him become a well adjusted adult. Does this make his death earth-shattering news?
Now for the perspective: In South Africa, there were almost 1000 deaths a day due to HIV/AIDS by the end of 2007. 56 homeless people died in 2006 and 2007 in Vancouver. How many children die from starvation, unclean water and poverty in Canada and the world everyday? Where are the Twitter-crashing tweets about these countless deaths that happen everyday? Where are the news reports about these nameless, faceless people who die. It is just as tragic when one of the poor, the unknown die as when a famous celebrity dies. But few seem to notice. Each was a life unique, with hopes and dreams and desires and fears, now forever gone.
Celebrities are no more knowledgeable, important, wise or anything more than you, me or the homeless women looking for a safe place to stay the night on East Hasting’s.

It is tragic when someone, anyone dies. Do not get so hung up on a celebrity death…

S.

It is still the End of a Human Life…

While waiting for my class this afternoon, I eavesdropped on a conversation of several business students who were waiting to do a presentation. They were discussing new sniper rifles and the merits of medium ranged weapons. Apparently one of these students was or is in the military and had attended sniper school. They began discussing Xm-110 308 that the US military is deploying now and ballistics and windage and bullet mass and powder loads and so on…

They were casually discussing devices that only serve one function: ending human life. I felt like saying this to them, that they were discussing devices that have to redeeming function, but I decided that I did not want to be a jackass.

We are so callous about human life (and I am referring to already born human life… no abortion comments please…). We watched programs on television on which humans are routinely and often brutal murdered. We play video games with the same themes. We discuss instruments of death as casually as we might discuss a good book….

So much effort we put into killing each other over so little cause or provocation.

It needs to stop…

Scott