The Twisted Priorities of the American People
by Claire DeRoin–America’s pop culture society sure has its priorities mixed up.
Caleb Moore, a 25 year old X Games participant, died Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013, of injuries sustained in a snowmobile crash. According to USA Today, Moore suffered a brain complication in addition to bleeding on his heart.
“Caleb Moore” trended on Twitter almost immediately after the news of his death was released by the Moore family attorney.
The news of his death broke on the same day as news of the recovery of Air Force Captain Lucas Gruenther’s body. Captain Gruenther’s death was not widely lamented, however.
Captain Gruenther, 32, was an Air Force pilot who had been flying his F-16 in a formation Monday night during a training mission over the Adriatic Sea off of Italy. His crew lost contact with his aircraft. Wreckage from the aircraft was discovered on Tuesday. Thursday morning, Captain Gruenther’s body was recovered in the Adriatic Sea.
What’s more heart-wrenching is that Captain Gruenther’s wife, Cassy, is expecting the couple’s first child in a few weeks, according to the Air Force Times.
Our society put more value on an adrenaline junkie’s death than on a service member’s sacrifice. It can’t be argued that the news of Captain Gruenther’s crash and death was confidential or unpublished. The Air Force Times released several stories throughout the week. NBC News picked the story up and tweeted it, as did other news outlets. The news seemed to fall on uncaring ears. What stuck with the public was the not-so-freak accident at the X Games.
The military and service members are severely taken for granted. America needs to straighten out its priorities. In the grand scheme of things, one pilot may not mean winning or losing a war. However, in that same grand scheme, an X Games participant dulls in comparison to the importance of a single service member. After all, America wasn’t crying out for help to the X Games participants on September 12, 2001.
Fact of the matter is this – what is newsworthy? What is more uncommon? Someone dying in battle or someone dying at the X-Games? Yes it is troublesome, but a military member dying is common. An X-Gamer hasn’t died in action in 17 years. What is uncommon is what is newsworthy.