After yesterday’s article, “Of Soldiers and Celebrities” and watching continued complaining in social media outlets regarding the over coverage of Whitney Houston vs the lack of coverage regarding our fallen military heroes, I went to Facebook and posed a question.

“With all the anger being exhibited over the coverage of Whitney Houston’s death vs the losses suffered by our military…How do YOU think the media SHOULD cover those who wear the uniform and lose their lives?”

The responses were interesting, eye opening and varied.

“My personal feelings are there should be a list compiled daily of the previous day’s casualties and deaths and published with headlines in a font so big you’d have to be blind to miss it.”

“Daily continued emergency updates every time a soldier falls. Just like amber alerts breaking into regular schedules and let America know when a soldier is gone. Followed by the pledge of allegiance. Explaining the cause and injuries of each incident. Not a quick comment on the news .”

“Tell us once, and don’t cram it down our throats. If Whitney had NOT been a famous singer, NO ONE would have given a care except for her family. I for one am SICK of the Whitney coverage. The ONLY person that has said something that matters in her death, was Piers Morgan when he asked about why her “so-called friends” that night didn’t stop her from drinking. Pierce is ABSOLUTELY CORRECT…… If you are someone with a drug and alcohol problem, you have to remove yourself from those things. Starting to party in L.A. one week before the Grammy’s was trouble waiting to happen. And I for one, don’t care about it anymore. It’s done, it’s over….. MOVE ON! She was just another druggie, and if it wasn’t for her fame NO ONE WOULD CARE !!”

I can understand and appreciate the call for more coverage of our fallen heroes. ANY coverage would be more than exists now – but to those who are calling for it, and angry over the lack of it, a warning should be issued:

Be careful what you wish for lest you get it.

The media is not known for their kindness or their respect…Are they? Is there any reason, any reason at all to believe they would behave differently in regards to our fallen in uniform?

Maybe – but, don’t hold your breath.

IF the media were to provide the sort of coverage for our departed military personal that they provide for our latest fallen celebrity…well…I shudder at the very thought.

So far, it’s been only 5 days since Whitney Houston died and already we know that she had 6 bottles of prescription pills in her room. We know that for her last meal, she had a burger, fries, a Heineken and a glass of Champagne. We know she was found in her tub. We know that in the tub, after she was removed from it, there was a towel, 2 hair ties and a silver gravy boat which had, most likely, been filled with olive oil she reportedly used to pour into her bath to keep her skin soft.

We know Whitney Houston was broke or nearly broke. We have reports that she was borrowing money, maybe a hundred bucks at a time from friends. We know that in the last year or two, Clive Davis may have given her a million bucks for rehab.

We know the night before she died, Whitney was on a stage trying to sing “Jesus Loves Me” and the night before that, she apparently fell down and had blood on her leg and hands.

Now, the hotel room at the Beverly Hilton, number 434, has been booked solid for MONTHS by people who want to sleep in the room where Whitney died. I suspect it will be THE most used bath tub on the entire property.

We also now know that the venue of her death is officially on the tour of famous Hollywood celebrity death sites.

For those wishing “celebrity” status via the media for our fallen heroes, those who have given their lives to protect our freedoms…Is THIS what you want?

I ask because THIS is what the media does.

I know, the proper thing to do would be for the media to treat celebrity deaths like we wish they would treat military deaths…with respect and a sense of decorum.

A show of hands please for anybody who believes we can shift the media in THAT direction…It would be, I suspect, easier to get rivers to flow uphill.

Break into programming like Amber Alerts? If you hear of an Amber Alert from another state, how much attention do you give it?

On November 17^th, 1968, NBC broke off a football game and put Heidi on the air…They haven’t heard the last of it yet!

This celebrity vs military death coverage is NOT a media problem no matter HOW much people want to think it is.

It’s a societal problem.

People like watching train wrecks…always have…always will.

Maybe I’m alone but – I have an idea.

Details of a soldier’s death, as deemed appropriate by the Department of Defense, should be released to the next of kin. If the family wishes to release those details to their local media, they should be free to do so. This would protect those still in harm’s way from sensitive information potentially falling into enemy hands.

Local Media could then offer coverage where it stands the best chance of being seen by family and friends of a lost hero. It is, after all, they who would be most moved by it.

For those of us outside the family and friends bubble of a given hero, we can, through various social media post names and ask that these heroes be remembered.

Personally, if I, in my own way, ask God to bless those who have given the ultimate sacrifice and to protect their families, I have faith that whether or not I know the exact number, their names or where they once lived, God does.

After the National Anthem plays or the Pledge is spoken, I silently ask that those who serve and those who were lost in the service of our nation, be blessed. God knows who they are even if I don’t.

I think of them every time I hear a story regarding military action, every time there is a military parade, every 4^th of July, every Memorial Day, Veterans Day and yes, every day in between all the others.

As for the media, the news outlets, I offer this suggestion:

Place in the upper right hand corner of the screen, a gold star. In that star, in alphabetical order, flash the names of those who, in the service of our nation, have been lost on that day. Keep it there all day. Have the anchor or host mention it at the top and bottom of every show or newscast.

That would be respectful and remove any and all inclination to sensationalize any part of it.

For those sick of the latest celebrity death coverage, as soon as they start talking about the train wreck, hit the mute button and watch the gold star instead. If there is no name visible in the star, it’s been a good day but, at that point, the star itself represents all of had gone before.

The media has been covering train wrecks well, since media was invented. Celebrities make the news because we know them, or at least think we do, whether or not we have ever even met them. Millions of fans know their names and faces, their voices, and everything about them. We read about them, watch them and listen to them.

If they exhibit self destructive behavior, they become the train barreling toward the washed out bridge and we watch. When such a celebrity dies, the media goes wild trying to give us every detail and show us the gravy boat in the bath tub.

Call it morbid fascination.

For those who think our military dead deserve “celebrity status” from the media…think again.

There’s a reason the pack swarming around the Beverly Hilton is called a “Media Circus,” and our men and women, who have lost their lives protect our nation, our rights and our freedom deserve better.

We don’t remember dead celebrities with parades, granite walls bearing their names, monuments or moments of silence. We don’t have national holidays dedicated to dead celebrities or flag ceremonies in their honor either.

Let the circus cover the death of clowns.

The American people will remember the deaths of our military men and women in our hearts and with our prayers.