Day 241: Soapbox

I hate to jump on a bandwagon, but this one is one that I completely agree with in the whole "Death of Whitney Houston" thing. I don't understand why we, as a country, are making such a big deal out of this. Sure, she had an amazing voice. I personally loved her music and still have many songs on my iPod. Yes, she made a few good movies. Let's get real though people, she was a singer who got hooked on drugs. Why is she such a hero? Why is she an idol? I don't get it. My biggest issue is the state of New Jersey ordering all flags to be flown at half staff..... ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?!? That is an honor meant for  military, policemen, dignitaries, etc who worked and fought for our nation... Not for a celebrity who had a nice voice. It blows my mind how we have become a nation so intent on honoring celebrities and not the real heroes of our time... our military, police force, firefighters.

Yesterday afternoon, ten months after being wounded by sniper fire in Afghanistan, Sgt. Jamie Jarboe returned home to his wife and kids in Topeka to continue his recovery. This is news. I have been following this soldier and his wife on Facebook for the past 6 months and have watched how strong they both have been with all they have been through. To get to this point, where he could be moved to a hospital closer to his family, is nothing short of a miracle and an amazing show of courage from one of our nation's heroes. This is newsworthy. If you check out the story you will see that he was welcomed home like a hero should be, that of which I am VERY proud of. People like those in the Patriot Guard, American Legion and ABATE motorcycle riders are awesome Americans who know what a hero looks like. Those people, most of which are veterans themselves, are newsworthy. They make sure that military members and their families know that their sacrifices, in all forms, are recognized, appreciated, and not forgotten. 

Thank you SGT Jamie Jarboe for your service. Thank you Melissa Jarboe for standing behind your soldier and seeing him through the rough time he has had over the past 10 months and the hard times he will face the rest of his life. Thank you patriots, you all know who you are, for showing love to real heroes. 

The link to the story is
http://www.wibw.com/home/headlines/Heros_Welcome_For_Wounded_Warrior_139552863.html

The link to SGT Jamie Jarboe's Facebook page is
https://www.facebook.com/jarboefamily