Your answer is contained in both Kevin's and my postings....never said anything about stopping the world......

I don't care that it's 9/11. I care that the guy was pretty insignificant. Certainly less significant than say, a middle class guy who was a father, husband, etc. Certainly less "sad" as y'all like to say.

It was on the front page of cnn.com, abcnews.com and other significant media outlets when I posted it this morning.

I think Anna Nicole is a whack job, no question. But her son is only 20 and is fairly well known and the circumstances of his death are unknown. It's noteable for cnn and abc news, and Anna Nicole has been talked about here. I read it, thought others would be interested, and posted it here.

As Alphafrog said, the world can't stop for this all. Life does go on. That doesn't mean that we don't remember things. And every person deals with it in their own way.

Yes, larger events are happening in the world today. Like my boyfriend, who is a volunteer firefighter, has been fighting a rather large fire in our area since 7AM this morning. I'm both proud and worried sick about him.

Doesn't this kind of criticizing and bickering kinda go against what we "should" be doing/remembering/what have you on this day?

Eh, I disagree. I think it's very tragic when youths die unexpectedly, regardless of who they were or who their parents were. This boy will never experience many things a middle class guy who was a father, husband, etc. has experienced. But, that's just my personal feeling on the issue. :)

That was my point. I happen to agree, that I don't really care much about Anna Nicole's family, but it's not offensive to post because "Dude, it's 9/11 and 3000 people died on this day".

wait a minute, she can start whatever thread she wants to start on this board. Who are you or anyone else to chastize someone for starting a thread they felt compelled to start? YOU go and focus on the terrorist attacks all day long, that's YOU. but you don't have to say things like why do we care. If yo don't care about him being dead, then skip the damn thread. its that simple. No one has to defend their decision to start a particular thread. There is a thread going that commemorates the terrorist attacks. If that is all you want to focus on today, then simply keep your eyes on that thread. You could have refrained from clicking on the link to the thread if it irrititated or baffled you that much.

I just read this. Condolences to Anna Nicole and her family. :(

Phasad;
Re-read post number 12-answers your comment.

Stop telling people to go back and read posts. We've read them, and that's what we're commenting on. Telling us to go back and read them again doesn't change our feelings on what you posted in the first place.

You might want to read the entire thread before you hit that reply button next time.

You're right, it does.

But it applies both ways. It applies to those who are "not in the frame of mind" to read a posting about the death, however sad, of a demi-celebrity and as a result submit a post that strikes some as tacky. It also applies to those who insist on criticizing that poster for being too sensitive and offending too easily. There's enough sympathy to go around for everyone.

Jon, I know from your other posts here that today is a day of particular sadness and poignancy for you. I hope you find some comfort today.

Dani, I hope your boyfriend is okay. I can't imagine the stress I would feel pretty constantly if someone close to me was putting his life in danger like that.

And for the record, although I think Anna Nicole Smith is, like Paris Hilton, a sad example of America's obsession with celebrities who have done absolutely nothing to deserve celebrity, I always feel sympathy for anyone who has lost a child. That includes Anna Nicole Smith and her family.

'Cat81:
So true-all of what you wrote.
Thank you.

However, should not someone who will be offended by reading about the post of a quasi celeb's death avoid clicking on such threads? Because really, then you're only reading to criticize.

What's wrong with being critical of what the news media chooses to cover?

I'll agree with your question -- maybe the better course of action is just to avoid the thread altogether. But I won't agree on the statement, though, as I'm not sure one is only reading to criticize. But that's one reason I said that the "spirit of the day" might counsel against suggesting that the thread was inappropriate under the circumstances. (For some, it might counsel against reading the thread altogether.)

But I know where Jon was coming from, and I know where those who criticized him were coming from. As foreign as it is to the culture of GC at times, there really are times we all just need to cut each other some slack.