“A detailed autopsy has not yet been released but 28-year-old Ledger is believed to have died from a toxic combination of Ambien sleeping tablets and other prescription drugs. He was living alone in a $23,000 per month sparsely-furnished apartment in Manhattan’s SoHo district and was discovered lying face down in his bed in the mid-afternoon.

Whatever the exact cause of Ledger’s death, his passing is a sad event and tragically ends the career of an intelligent and naturally talented actor who had much to contribute to his craft and the film industry. (World Socialist Web Site, January 31, 2008).”

It is amazingly sickening to me that the US media and websites spend so much time on the tragic death of one young man.  While we do not know the exact cause of his death, it appears to be self-induced, either by an accidental or intentional overdose of medication.

People let’s talk about the sad and tragic deaths of 11 service people in Iraq and the 170 veterans that will have statistically (according to CBS News) commited suicide over the time period since Mr. Ledger’s death.  Let’s talk about the thousands of disabled veterans stashed away at Walter Reed Hospital in rooms filled with black mold, awaiting help from hospital personnel that may never come, AFTER they have bravely served their country.

Mr. Ledger pretended to be other people, was paid millions for doing so, and lived a lavish, albeit apparently lonely, lifestyle.  I suppose living in a $23,000 a month apartment, having a beautiful wife and child, plenty of money and work were just too much for him to handle.  Perhaps it was the absolute hollowness of his life and the bad karma that comes along with a $23,000 a month apartment while veterans live on the streets below him and his unawareness that with all his money he could do something to help them.  

He said in People Magazine that stardom should come with a book …yes, stardom should come with a book!  A book that explains how fortunate you are to be paid upteem millions to pretend for a living while others are living in the real world in circumstances beyond their control that could make Mr. Ledger’s rent money work for them for an entire year.   A book that instructs stars to uplift the humanity that made them stars when they’re not pretending and have all that free time to dabble and fret over their fortunes.

People Magazine devoted an 8-page eulogy to this pampered, self-indulgent person.  Meanwhile 11 service people gave their lives for our country in combat from the date of his death until January 28.  How much would these brave, talented people have contributed to the world if they were not killed while living genuine lives, not pretending to do their jobs.  Where is their 8-page spread in People Magazine, where is their hours of coverage on the news as to their accomplishments, hopes and dreams?

There is something deeply disturbing about our nation’s priorities when media mourns the death of one person as if he were a hero and routinely ignores the heroic deaths of our best and bravest, namely -