Where is our moment?

Also known as: Michael Jackson vs The Military

Michael Jackson was known as The King of Pop. He lived an extraordinary and luxurious life once he rocketed to stardom as a musical performer. Throughout his career, he was a troubled person, struggling with abuse, addictions and various other issues. He contributed much to the music industry, to include dance moves like The Moonwalk and various other hit songs, albums, and advances in musical styling. Jackson also donated to many charities, created NeverLand Ranch and dealt with accusations of child molestation which were subsequently paid off and swept under the rug. He died suddenly at the age of 50 of a heart attack. Thousands will show up to his funeral and celebrities have and will continue to express their condolences to the Jackson family for their unfortunate loss.

Your average military service member is anywhere between the ages of 18 to 25 upon first enlisting. They are usually fresh out of high school or college. Most likely their extensive job history includes stints at fast food joints, convenience stores, or wherever they could get a job to pay for the limo for their senior prom or buy books for next semester.

They enlisted for various reasons, most of which are personal, many of which involve a desperate need for money to help with the ever-increasing costs of a college education and the insanity of repaying student loans.

All of them, whether they enlisted for it or not, grow to take pride in serving and giving back to the country that has given them the freedoms they enjoy.

Many have families. Spouses and children who must wait on the home front when they are deployed overseas, fighting for our country. People who love them dearly and pray daily for their safe return.

If the service member is killed in action, their body is returned home to be buried by their family. Their life is celebrated and their death is mourned, families and friends express their condolences. Fellow service members grieve the loss of someone they had never thought this would happen to. Those still overseas grieve and in the middle of the night, they can't help but wonder... am I next? Should it have been me?

The service member is not mourned in an arena, with thousands of wailing, weeping fans who paid a cover charge to be allowed access to see the body just one last time.

The service member is not given extensive media coverage. There are no biopics made of their lives.

Celebrities do not send condolences to the families.

Congress does not stop for a moment of silence.

The service member grappled with life or death situations on a daily basis. Saw things that they will never tell you, not only because they can't, but because they went over there so you didn't have to. They fight to find support when they come home, they struggle with post traumatic stress disorder and grieve for their fallen brothers and sisters.

They are deployed overseas multiple times. Their deployments are extended. Families don't know exactly where they are at and communication is spotty at best.

If anyone wanted an update on Michael Jackson, all they needed to do was Google his name. Military families don't get that kind of information. They can't have that. They live in quiet pride and express their grief quietly when they receive that knock on the door. Cameras do not follow them around.

E News doesn't ask for their thoughts or opinions on the death of their loved one.

Today, thousands of fans will show up to Michael Jackson's funeral and they will openly weep. Media crews will fight for space and servers will crash over the high traffic to the live web stream of the services.

And military families will pay their last respects, their only prayer that no one shows up to protest their loved one's funeral.

Sure, MJ donated to charities.
Service members are donating their lives for you.

Where is our moment of silence?