Image by Aaron Matthews (license).
The lost of a music icon Michael Jackson and an outstanding sports figure Steve McNair has brought to light the impact addictions have on us and those we love. On the better side of life both these men have brought great joy to people’s lives and have given so much of themselves for causes for the betterment of society.
Sadly both have struggled with darker sides of their lives which have ultimately led to their demise and the pain that their loved ones and those that love them are enduring. After listening over the past few weeks as commentators expressed their sympathy and regrets there were also those that wished to play down the impact that these two public figures have had on society. One commentator expressed that it makes no sense to him that people are in the streets crying for a man that sang and danced when soldiers in Iraq are dying. That’s like saying that Walter Cronkite was just some guy that read us the news. Mr. Cronkite has defined a time. No one can forget his commentary on the moon landing or the JFK assassination. No one individual can define what our hereos mean to us. OrealE? Yes “Oh Real-ly!” We as a collective define our times through people and events.
Martin Luther King, Jr., the Civil War, The Beatles come to America, Woodstock, Billie the Kid, Gandhi, Venus and Serena Williams, John F. Kennedy, 2Live Crew, John Dillinger, John Lennon, Al Capone, Robert Deniro, Scarface, Jeffrey Dahmer, NWA, World Trade Center, Tiger Woods, Harvey Milk, Michael Jordan, Madonna, Susan B. Anthony, President Barack Obama…Imagine if we defined these people and events as just preachers, just boy bands, just a woman, just a politician, just a thug, just a rap group, just an actor, just a ball player, and on and on. No instead these people and events have impacted our lives, defined a time, and are burned into our memories.
We do not know how these two public figures will be remembered in history. After listening to the lyrics in Billie Jean parallels can be drawn about what happened to Steve McNair and the message that at least one song has given us that we have ignored.
YouTube – Billie Jean with lyrics.
Billie Jean
