The fast paced order of media continuously shoves the bright lights of celebrity stars in our faces. These guilty culprits are the cable networks like the "E! Channel," the dozens of celebrity magazine publications and even TV commercials.
We, the common folk, have adjusted to worship the faces and styles of the celebrity heroes of our free country.
I won't lie, there are plenty of actors and musicians that I look to for entertainment and fashion sense. But what about the heroes that are not shining brightly in the public eye? These heroes are the men and women of our country's fighting forces.
Celebrities, mostly actors, have provided nothing for the general public besides television entertainment, by merely impersonating real-life crusaders.
Who are these celebrities and who really cares about them? They are not any more special then any one of us. If the public didn't care about these celebrities so much they wouldn't be who they are. If we turned our backs on them they would be forced to live among the norm and comply with the standards of common folk.
We should focus instead on the real heroes of our free country - the unsung soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines that place their life on the line so that we can enjoy the freedom that we have.
I can relate to our countries' service members as I have experienced my own time in the service as a Marine. I also have worked at the Niagara Falls Air Force Base for several years, deploying airmen and women overseas to provide direct support in the Iraqi war. I have worked amongst these unknown heroes and experienced things firsthand. I have been involved to the best of my ability with these fine men and women, and I can say that they are some of the finest people I have ever met and spent time with.
On the other hand, since my time has ended with the Marine Corps., I started a band and began another chapter in my life. I drove into the music scene with a sharp spear, surrounding myself with celebrity star driven people, while dealing with record labels, rubbing elbows with the artsy crowd and talking to people trying to be someone important because they have more money or more celebrity clout.
I use my experience in music as a lower level of comparison to the famous celebrities on television, since of course I have never spent time in Hollywood or in films.
These semi-celebrities are good people indeed, but what have they done for the people of the United States of America? Not much. Celebrities often use their clout to voice political opinions and personal views, while the real heroes sit back in silence knowing that their only pay off is from mission accomplishment.
Perhaps if the men and women of our service branches were paid more they could afford whole milk in their lattes.
I haven't forgotten my time as a Marine, nor have I forgotten the men and women that I served with from the Niagara Falls Airbase. These are my own reminders that the real American heroes are the unknown men and women that protect us while we live out our lives, not the celebrities sucking up the bright lights in the camera's glass eye.
Photo: Courtesy of Matthew Messina, from the RMBERS' Instagram page
