B. Obama’s silence on Michael Jackson’s death is really disappointing!

As Neda’s breath goes away, the smoke of hope rises in the streets of Tehran!
I spent the last two weeks monitoring the situation, and the information able to come out of Iran. It has been troubling, shocking and heartbreaking at times. The paradox though for a country as fundamentalist and airtight as Iran, is that as hurting as can be the scenes of violence and the hard repression of the Islamic regime in the street of Tehran, the revolt of Iranian people against an authoritarian regime that was brought on to them by themselves gives a great deal of optimism around the globe to those who believe in human rights, justice and freedom for all mankind.
I was ready on late Thursday night to give my perspective on the Iranian unrest, when suddenly there was the Breaking news in all the news websites… First it was reported by the Los Angeles Times that Michael Jackson had been rushed to a Los Angeles-area hospital by fire department paramedics. The newspaper said paramedics performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation at the singer's home before taking him to the UCLA Medical Center hospital. A couple of hours later he was declared dead.
For years it seems inevitable, yet there it was, and it was unbelievable!
It’s been four days, and still no tribute from Barack Obama the President of the United State of America. It is hard to understand! People are mourning around the world; and images coming from the fives continents are there to testify. It is humbling! Michael Jackson has marked his time and many generations as nobody had done before him. He broke many barriers, and brought together people from different backgrounds and different races. As Michael Eric Dyson put it on This Week : “Michael Jackson was the first black man to seize the culture authority and to command the audience of the global.” He certainly helped to pave the way for the Age of Obama. It is therefore really disappointing to face the deafening silence of the President when of such a stature falls. Yes an imperfect man, but also a great American whose hard work helped the image of America around the globe. His legacy stands tall and is everlasting.

Instead of tribute, what came out “publicly” from the White House is disdain. Senior White House Adviser David Axelrod on Meet The Press emphasized the fact that Michael Jackson was Just a magnificent entertainer who lived a sad life in many ways… As a great admirer of Barack Obama, I found the comments appalling! It is something to criticize another man mistakes, but to judge unfit for public recognition a man whose legacy is assured to pass the test of time is really disappointing (to put it mildly).
The Holy Bible teaches us that: “It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, because that is the end of every man, and the living takes it to heart”. Let’s also remember to stop judging as we will by no means be judged!

Lucien Dissake