Whitney Houston is Not Your Enemy

Houston lived a very public life. We witnessed her rise as a star, the odd pairing and eventual marriage to Bobby Brown. Which may have been a warning sign that maybe she did not embody the innocence and purity we as fans put on her. We watched in horror the shocking spiral into drug and alcohol addiction of a once gifted star. Fans pulled for her while at times mocking her for her fall from grace and demons.

Since her death the news has been full of drama and speculation. This only furthers the desecration of the woman she once was. A social networking trend that has emerged is of a public outcry that has become Whitney versus the whole entire American Military, starving children and disaster victims.

This is unfair. Whitney Houston was a troubled, talented woman. Yet, she was a woman that contributed heavily to many lives. Stars are here to entertain us, and troops are here to protect us. Two very different callings with social impact on society. We have been mourning military loss as a nation since the birth of it. Many lives have been lost protecting our freedoms and we honor these countless lives hourly, daily and annually.

We name streets, bridges, highways after them. We honor them at the start of sporting events by standing for the National Anthem, tie yellow ribbons to trees, cheer when they land in American airports. The honors are endless and will be here until the end of time.

Houston was not one of them, but most of us loved her. Even if it was who she used to be, or the woman she should have been. There will never be the same tributes for her as we give our troops. As it should be.

Why the anger though? Yes New Jersey is lowering the flag to half-staff for an hour on the day of her funeral. So what? She was a child of NJ. She donated to charities, she lived there, there is a school she regularly funded and visited. Let them honor her. It cannot be compared to the death of a service member.

As a nation we cannot leave our flags at half-staff for eternity. It would hurt national pride and lower morale. Death of anyone is unfortunate and the people who are so angry over the way the nation mourns her needs to stop. Our actions of memorial as a people are not at her doing yet the anger is only disrespecting her and her legacy.


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