Am I the only one? A RANT*******

Okay - you all had fair warning - this IS going to be a rant....

This past weekend, as I was writing letters as part of my contribution to the Living Legend team, I saw something on the Soldier's Angel board that made me soooooooooo mad - I am still not sure who I am going to write and blast about it. You KNOW I will be writing.

On the board was the posting that a young soldier had just died in iraq. This young man, Thomas Velez I believe is the name (God forgive me if I don't have that right). The post included a link to 3 news outlets that had the 'story' in details. So, I clicked the links. And then.....well....if ya never seen a brat mad - let me tell you...NOT a pretty sight.

On one link right next to the details of this brave man and his family's grief (and yep - the media asked dad for a comment......probably the usual 'how are you feeling?" - more on that from me another day!) Anyhooooo..trying to be coherent here. There, right next to this story was an paid advertisement for a company whose business is "Assisted Living".... the ad details all this company offers to improve the quality of life for people needing care.

Now I don't know about you but to me, that was the height of insensitivity to this family, and the contribution of the hero who just lost his life. Can you imagine being that young man's family and reading that ad going on about the quality of life as they are grieving the loss of a son? THEIR son will never need assisted living. he is never going to be "living" again..

I have to ask - as I often do: what the **** is wrong with us as a society that we can show such little respect for our citizens who have given their lives for this current war effort? What is wrong with us that the almighty dollar - and the chasing of same - takes precedence over respecting this young hero?

I wrote a poem yesterday morning called "Ordinary Man". It was my response to all the reports of the NUMBERS of the casualties, the wounded and the dying, of our young people in Iraq and Afghanistan etc... I can gaurantee that as any reporter types the latest figures in their 'news' stories, they do NOT see the people these numbers represent. Every single number is someone's son, daughter, husband, wife, brother, sister, you get the idea. Every single one of those heroes is loved by someone. To someone (and maybe many someones) every single one of these deaths leaves a huge hole in a particular circle of love, never to be filled by another.

So my question is this: have we really become such a disrespectful society, and allowed our media to reflect that disrespect back to us, that we cannot put aside for one nano second the pursuit of a profit, as a sign of respect for our fallen, and their families? Is the dollar more important than the honouring of such young men or women?

Second part of that question: If, like me, you believe it is each person's responsibility to say "NO - I will not tolerate that disrespect for ANY money", what are YOU going to do about it? I know what I will be doing. You WILL hear me, but what will YOU do?

K. I am done - for now! God bless each and every one of our heroes...."some are living, and some are dead. In my life I love them all."

^j^