Irma's Rants & Raves

Today we lost Michael Jackson and I would like for you to comment on how you remember him. Did you see him in concert? Did you ever meet him? Can you share with us what you were doing when you found out that he died? Please share your story.

Michael Jackson
born 1958
died 2009

I remember the night almost 24 years ago when I was 15 years old and I impatiently waited for MTV to premiere Michael Jackson's " THRILLER " music video/short film. I sat just inches from my parents 27" floor model t.v. screen and fidgeted through the annoying voice of D.J. Downtown Julie Brown and wished for her to just shut up and end my pain.

I remember getting chills as the music started and the credits started to roll and I got a glimpse of my hero my teenage object of my affection, my idol - Michael Jackson wearing one of his trademark leather jackets - this one in red.

I was dizzy, enamoured as I watched spellbound the music video unfold like a short movie. I remember feeling the hot tears run down my cheeks as I sang along with him on the screen every single word memorized, burned into my memory. I was afraid to blink, terrified that I would miss a smile, a turn, a moonwalk the beautiful way his body moved to the sound of his own music.

I acted as if I sat front row center seat at a sold out concert watching him dance with zombies hypnotized by his amazing choreographed performance and cried like a baby as my parents sat stunned by my teenage hysteric reaction to the pop star on the t.v. screen.

Fast forward 20 plus years. I am now 39 years old married and a mother to my own teenage children who have idols of their own for this time and era.

I sit here numb, with hot tears welling up in my eyes as I try to grasp the reality of the news that has unfolded today that my teenage idol, the man that I worshiped and swore that I would meet one day has died of a heart attack at the young age of
50.

My teenage hero, the object of my affection and teenage devotion died today and the world will grieve. The world will overlook the shadows that followed Michael Jackson and tainted his image and painted him as a disturbed lonely individual.

The world will remember the artist, the musical genius, and they will remember how he was the number one historical figure in the world selling the most records of all time.... ever.

The child like voice, the laugh, the giggle, the fierceness of how he danced like no other... the moonwalk... least we never forget the music that he created... able to touch our very souls with his words.... gone.

Michael your life will never be forgotten, you left an imprint on my heart that I will will forever be grateful to your existence and influence in my life and thank you for being my teenage idol you were and are my generations Elvis.

What a horrible tragedy as five families are torn apart by the senseless murder of a teenage boy who was beat, kicked and stabbed to death on June 17, 2009 by three teenage boys and two teenage girls as it was caught on surveillance camera just yards away from the towns city hall.

It seems that the boy Antonio Mark, a 17 year old from Marysville, WA went to Sultan, WA to visit his girlfriend who has two brothers, 19 year old Marco Castillo and 16 year old Adolfo Castillo who allegedly belong to the street gang “Brown Pride Soldiers” and happens to be the rival gang that Antonio Mark allegedly belonged to.

Apparently, The Marysville teen visited the Castillo home on Tuesday, June 16, 2009, to see his girlfriend and had “words” with Marco Castillo the 19 year old brother and he left the residence.
Later, the next evening Antonio Mark was walking alone in the city center of Sultan when he encountered Marco Castillo 19, his younger brother Adolfo Castillo 16, a male friend of theirs, Jaime Michel 16, and two of the boys girlfriends Ana Cary Ayala Bustos 16, and Ivette Rico 17.
What occurred next is as close to mob mentality and savage disregard for human life. The five teens ended their lives as well when they decided to attacked Antonio Mark and took turns kicking and punching him. The surveillance video shows that Antonio Marks was knocked to the ground by Marco Castillo, who pummeled the younger boy, Marco Castillo then backed away and the other four teenagers ( the two girls included) attacked Marks, repeatedly kicking his body, then Marco Castillo stabbed Antonio Marks several times in the torso while the other teens continued to kick the motionless Marks in the head.
The video also shows that Antonio Marks never fought back.
As the life drained out of Antonio Mark, the teens fled and left him in the middle of the street to die just a few feet from Sultan’s City Hall.

Antonio Marks life ended at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where he was taken by helicopter.
All five teens are in custody and are being charged as Adults with 2st degree murder AS THEY ALL SHOULD!!!

I just got done watching the movie 'Taking Chance" and from the second the movie started I had a lump in my throat and tears welled up in my eyes and flowed down my cheeks unchecked throughout the entire movie to the very end.

As a war veteran of the gulf war and the wife of a war veteran of Afghanistan I know first hand the fear that grips your very soul at just the thought of that "Knock on your door" and that is the first image that you see as the movie starts.

This movie really shows you how our fallen soldiers are taken care of as they are moved from the battlefield, to the United States, then processed and prepared to be taken and escorted on their final journey home by a fellow comrade.


The Honor and respect shown by the Military and the public as the body is escorted home shows the purest form of gratitude that can be expressed, and I was literally chocked up, lip quivering with every scene as it unfolded before my eyes, I cried, and cried... imagining that it could be my own loved one being sent home to me.


This was a very powerful story for me because as I watched it I was reminded that my own husband was a Military escort for a dear friend of ours who was not killed in action but an accident here in the states back in 1993.

My husband told me of how he was responsible that the body be treated with honor and respect the entire journey home and that he never left the coffin not even once. He too inspected the uniform to be sure that his "friend was squared away" .

It was really hard on my husband because he was only 21 years old and the widow asked him to identify the body because he was torn apart in the accident and she felt she could not handle viewing her husband like that, so mine did. Since he died in TX, there was a memorial and a viewing for family and friends who lived there. A week later the body was to be flown to Florida for another memorial, viewing and the funeral service in his home town. Everything that my husband told me he did for John 15 years ago was visually shown to me in the movie Taking Chance and I realized how painful it must have been for my husband to escort his dead friends body for a week across the country to his family and then return changed forever in mind and soul.

So you see, this movie is so powerful that you have to see it for yourself to understand because words do not give it any justice just watch it.

For the first time I truly understand what that deep ache I feel in my heart is when I hear taps, see the red white and blue wave in the wind or see a soldier in uniform.... its called gratitude for every single man and woman who has served in our Armed Forces past present and future and the knowledge I now have after watching this movie that their final journey home is done with as much honor and respect that is humanly possible and that their service to their country will not be in vain, regardless if they die on the battle field, home on leave, or 20 years after they served in the military.

As a war veteran I qualify to receive military honors at my funeral. The minimum of two uniformed members representing my branch of service, a flag presented to my family, and the bugle playing taps.

The honor, pride and gratitude my family,children and friends will feel when my last journey home is with the United States flag draped over my coffin will be my final voice and testament of who I was and am.