Honoring Deceased Soldiers With Media Attention?
Recently, my father sent me a "perpetual" e-mail that had been sent to him. It decried the way the media was spending so much time and effort on the tragic stories of celebrities who had ruined their lives while ignoring the men and women of our military who had recently given their lives in combat. His question to me was, "How do you feel about this one."
I thought long and hard about it, and then I gave the following response (slightly modified):
"Dad,
You might be a little surprised by my answer. I agree with the sentiment that the celebrities mentioned are not deserving of the electrons that are filling the internet about them. And I believe that those who have given their lives are deserving of recognition and honor. However, as a military member myself, I do NOT think their names need to be forwarded globally to everyone in an e-mail.
Those soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines gave their lives in the service of their country. We honor them on Memorial Day, and in the individual, local ceremonies that include their families who knew them best. Local media should certainly do individual reports on the service men and women from their areas who have been lost. Occasional national-level recognition is okay, but can be overwhelming for the surviving families. Parading the deaths of these young men and women can be traumatic for those who remain, so I wouldn't spend too much time on the national scale on their deaths individually.
The media reports on sensational items because it sells papers/advertisements. Celebrities make "sensational" news, and that's why they get so much attention. People buy the stories because they are fascinated by them and like to connect with (or gossip about) lives that are "bigger" than theirs (I suppose to make them feel something that they, themselves, will never experience otherwise). It's a voyeuristic society we live in.
Most service men and women don't need to be sensational. They certainly don't feel like having the national voyeurs focused on their lives. That's why I don't feel that need to trumpet their deaths and make big stories out of them. We should respect them quietly and use their lives as examples to emulate. Choosing ourselves to do something to uplift others...that's how we honor them best.
Others may disagree with me, but then...others also are motivated by what they see in the sensational media as well. I'm motivated less by "salesmen" (which is what the media is) than by the "service men" that I see around me every day (and not just in the military community). Love, Johnny"
I thought long and hard about it, and then I gave the following response (slightly modified):
"Dad,
You might be a little surprised by my answer. I agree with the sentiment that the celebrities mentioned are not deserving of the electrons that are filling the internet about them. And I believe that those who have given their lives are deserving of recognition and honor. However, as a military member myself, I do NOT think their names need to be forwarded globally to everyone in an e-mail.
Those soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines gave their lives in the service of their country. We honor them on Memorial Day, and in the individual, local ceremonies that include their families who knew them best. Local media should certainly do individual reports on the service men and women from their areas who have been lost. Occasional national-level recognition is okay, but can be overwhelming for the surviving families. Parading the deaths of these young men and women can be traumatic for those who remain, so I wouldn't spend too much time on the national scale on their deaths individually.
The media reports on sensational items because it sells papers/advertisements. Celebrities make "sensational" news, and that's why they get so much attention. People buy the stories because they are fascinated by them and like to connect with (or gossip about) lives that are "bigger" than theirs (I suppose to make them feel something that they, themselves, will never experience otherwise). It's a voyeuristic society we live in.
Most service men and women don't need to be sensational. They certainly don't feel like having the national voyeurs focused on their lives. That's why I don't feel that need to trumpet their deaths and make big stories out of them. We should respect them quietly and use their lives as examples to emulate. Choosing ourselves to do something to uplift others...that's how we honor them best.
Others may disagree with me, but then...others also are motivated by what they see in the sensational media as well. I'm motivated less by "salesmen" (which is what the media is) than by the "service men" that I see around me every day (and not just in the military community). Love, Johnny"