Media Reaction Over Compassion Regarding Grieving Children

As many of my "older" readers know, my mother passed away when I was twelve years old. She was forty-three years young, but suffered some health problems. In the end, the side effects of a massive stroke took her life.

I'd gone almost daily to either the hospital or to the Rehab Center/Nursing Home to sit with her, talk (really loud seeing as the hearing loss was great and due to the stroke). All the while, I KNEW deep within two things.

One, she was never going to come home the same way again.

Two, she wanted to die. And she WAS dying. Slowly and for the most part, painfully.

No child even remotely fathoms the thought of their parents' mortality. Not for a single second. Especially in early and middle childhood. To them, his or her parents are immortal. They are of Superhero status.

When a young child, at an age of understanding experiences the realities of life and death, usually it is not with the loss of a parent. It is difficult for them. But not totally agonizing.

But I ask you to sit where you are, as you are reading this right now, IMAGINE yourself being a child of twelve years of age.

Now, FEEL the emotions within from realizing that your mother or your father has passed away. You are shell shocked and in complete denial, because parents DON'T die.

Once shock wears off, look at your face when you come to realize that what you were told is in fact true. Suddenly, you crumble in to a heap of longing, despair, unimaginable heart ache and an insurmountable amount of grief as you cry out in longing for your mother or your father to come back. That you want them and you need them, as you BEG for what is true to not be.

That was me. In 1989 on October 29th. Sitting in the living room of the home that I had grown up in. As my father told me, "Missy, remember when I said to 'expect the unexpected' a few weeks ago?", I got hot and flushed in my face, knowing but not wanting to hear the next few words that FOREVER changed my life. "It happened early this morning. Your mom is gone."

All I could do, as people from my neighborhood stood there as a means of comfort was stare at my father, shaking my head and pleading for it to not be true. Finally it hit that what he said was not a lie, no matter how many times I verbally fought it with him.

In the days and weeks that had followed, amidst all the condolences and the "I'm sorry for your loss" people, I wanted nothing to really do with the outside world. I was grieving. Longing for someone that I will never see, speak to, or touch again.

It was a time of my wanting to isolate from the world and the people within. For me and also for my dad, our pain, sorrow and grief were of a private nature.

We needed the time together, as well as alone to deal with our thoughts, our feelings and the realities of what had happened to us.

This is why I am personally quite angry, and tired of how the Media hounds and preys upon children of big name politicos and celebrities in the midst of their loss.

Take for instance, Michael Jackson's children. For WEEKS, those children were followed around, having pictures taken of them, having news cameras in their faces. Even at their father's funeral! Those poor kids could not once get away and grieve and mourn their dad in private.

Now sadly, the media hounds have turned their attention towards the children of Elizabeth Edwards, who had lost her battle with Breast Cancer on Tuesday, surrounded in the PRIVACY of her home with her children (ages five and twelve), as well as former Presidential hopeful and former husband John Edwards, and other close family and friends.

It SHOULD HAVE stayed that way. Especially for those children. No one, no matter if it was a friend or not, should NOT have brought those children's grieving to the media's spotlight.

Depending on the type of service that is held for the late Mrs. Edwards, those poor kids will be forced to fall victim to the Media, having cameras and reporters, and magazine and news paper journalists shoved in their faces. Not once being able to privately hurt and long for their mother.

It will not be an easy road for these kids. It's going to be long, hard and painful. Especially since they are still so young.

I can safely say that even though twenty-one years have passed and life has gone on since my mother's death, at times, it is STILL hard to deal with. Her birthday. Holidays like Christmas, especially since having my own children. Mother's Day.

No child should suffer a loss as great as these kids have. But a child should still be allowed to be a child. Especially during the grieving process, which could take years. They shouldn't have to be the Media's 'Top Story' of the day.

One of the *most* controversial videos in music history...

While the above is not the original video (thanks to embedding being disabled), 'Like A Prayer' by Madonna is one of the most controversial music videos of all time. If you were to watch the real deal, you will see the following...

Yes, my friends, these pictures contain blasphemous things. Oh the horror!!

There is a black Jesus. And there are burning crosses. Along with a Church Choir.

Who ever said that Jesus IS a white man? He was raised a Jew in Nazareth. So, technically, the man was not black, nor was he a white man.

As for the crosses that are burning, they are to symbolize the time in which this video's story takes place. Back when the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) reined supreme, primarily in the South. And if you read about our nation's "lovely" history about racial segregation and the severe and violent racism, you would "get it" that the burning crosses are telling of that piece of the south's history and their HATRED of the black communities.

As for the Church Choir, I like it. Those people singing bring the song full circle to me. And they are helping to tell the story of their ancestors of the past, while they were mistreated, feared and hated in the time of the KKK. And it shows how African Americans were blamed for practically anything and everything back then, as well.

Look how the black man helps Madonna's character after two WHITE men beat her and are about to rape her. The cops locked up the black guy, they didn't run after the REAL culprits. Racial profiling was running rampant back then as well.

Even today, in the new millennium, this video gets A LOT of flack. Mainly by the Christian sect. And mainly due to the fact that Madonna has crosses burning as she is dancing. It wasn't to be blasphemous or for "shock value". It was to show the REAL history of our nation, in a time when being even friends, let alone being in a relationship with a black person was one of the MOST vile things a white person could do.

If people who jump and holler about 'Like A Prayer' were to sit down and REALLY watch the video, as well as listen to the words, then maybe, just maybe they would see it is not a "video of Satan".

I'm uber special. I can PROVE it!

Well, sort of. Seeing as only my friends can mainly see my profile.

But I have a certain celebrity now as a friend. And HE even wrote me back! I like the "stars" that actually take time to talk to their fans.

Let's see. He resides in New York. Has brown hair, brown eyes and has that look of pure "come hither" look, along with a smooth, deep voice.

Oh, and he does commercials! And sings, too.

What kinds of commercials, you ask? Take a look....





Now do you recognize him?? That is Michael McGlone in the first part of the Geico Commercial asking if the drill sergeant would make a good therapist.

He also sings! See for yourself...





Of course he is no Nicolas Cage, or a Brad Pitt. But I certainly won't complain.

Although, I must share this spotlight with one of my FaceBook BFF's, Lydia. If it came down to it, I bet we would mud wrestle over the guy. (=

Seriously though, Mr. McGlone seems to be a very nice, suave, down-to-earth gentleman. I'm happy to have him as a friend.

Oh and thanks Lydia! HE was the one to send ME the friends request. You must have really sucked up to the guy, huh? lol... Love ya, GF!