perspective: a rant

I think it's sad when people die. Especially creative geniuses. (This is my preface...hoping to cover my ass a little).

I am already so incredibly tired of hearing about Steve Jobs. Yes, he was a visionary. Yes, a genius. He was so good at creating material things that the masses flocked to purchase.

I realize that it wasn't always like that, but that's what it is now. He worked hard to create the Apple empire, and I applaud that.

And maybe this is where I will come across as, well, bitchy. But...does every Facebook status update have to be "RIP Steve Jobs"? Does every news story have to be about him?

He wasn't a scientist. He wasn't creating life-saving technology. He made an iPod. iPhone. iPad. All those other stupid things with an "i" in the front.

They are TOYS. They are not necessary to human function. Sure, they make doing things convenient. Hell, I own an iPod and an Apple computer (it is nearly 10 years old, however. A relic.).

I guess what aggravates me the most is that there are REAL tragedies occurring right now. People you know are struggling. Friends of people you know.

YOU DIDN'T KNOW STEVE JOBS.

What this all comes down to is this:

I have posted the link to Jasmine's Hopeful Heart Facebook page multiple times on Facebook. I have given some brief details of little Jasmine's battle. Several of my friends have liked the page.

More of my friends have posted things like, "RIP Steve Jobs" last night and today.

Really?

A baby needs a heart. A baby who hasn't had a chance to build her billion dollar empire yet. Her parents aren't Steve Jobs. They can't just buy a new heart for her.

Maybe people see my post and then think something like,

"Why should I like that? It won't give that baby a new heart."

Well, no, it won't. Or will it?

Bringing attention to Jasmine's story is exactly the kind of thing that may in fact get her a new heart. The more "fans" of Jasmine's page on Facebook, the more people that can potentially learn about her story. The more people that know, the greater chances of her receiving a private donation heart.

Not only does that simple "like" bring awareness to Jasmine's story, but to organ donation as a whole. Organ donation is a way to save a life. And there aren't enough donors.

A major Las Vegas news channel is coming to interview Jasmine's mom and will do a story on Jasmine. This is huge! This ONE news story may help Jasmine get the heart she needs so that she may LIVE.

But for the next couple of days, let's clog the newsfeeds and TV broadcasts with the story of Steve Jobs.

I just don't get it.


Comments

  1. This is a great post Kara. I felt similarly when Amy Winehouse died, she was a druggy singer and every news cast talked about her for a week. That week more than 20 soldiers died in Afghanistan and they recieved almost no news coverage at all because we were so obsessed with talking about how one good singer squandered her life. Our society is so broken. I'll be praying hard for little Jasmine.

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  2. Kara I feel your pain I really do. The minute you wrote about Jasmine, I liked the page, I donated to her medical expenses and I've vigilantly kept her in my prayers. I have to admit that I am one of those people that updated my status update with RIP Steve Jobs. Not because he created all the toys we now own or co-founded pixar but because of the advancements that his technology has brought to the world as a whole. Its because of his technology that as a nursing student most of our anatomical slides are done virtually or even our layering and dissections. His creating of the i-products is but a small ripple in his vast contributions to tehcnology as a hold. Its from ideas he created that other industried have advanced leaps and bounds, from the concepts he innovated. Its because of technology that he pilared we have advancements in technology that span the medical field, musical industry, movie, video games, etc.
    I get it though, cause if people can pay attention and get so grossly involved in someone they didn't know why can't they get that way with Jasmine. The truth is that not everyone is affected by things the same way. People may feel they don't know him but would rather connect with him than a little baby they don't know. I'm not saying any of it is fair. I understand your frustration and angst, everyday I read her grandma's updates hoping to hear her heart beat is down or recently my focus was them being able to get the PICC line in.
    A life is a life, no life is greater or lesser than the other. None should be celebrated or diminished more than another. I don't think its fair to judge. I'm going to put a post up today about Jasmine on my blog to help raise awareness for her. I'm going to continue to keep her in my prayers and hopefully there can come enough awareness to bring about a positive resolution.

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  3. I have to agree completely and sorry, I mean no disrespect, but I feel like the commenter above is a little over the top with the Jobs love. I agree that Steve Jobs was a great mind, but I mean, come on... first of all - he didn't cure cancer, he made life easier and more luxurious than it should be. Secondly, everyone acts like Apple is going to fall apart. PLEASE! Do people really think Steve Jobs is just sitting up in his office creating all of this stuff alone. NO WAY! There are tons of other innovators in that company and others that are making headway as well.

    I almost wrote a really smart ass comment in my own FB status about all the RIP Steve Jobs statuses, but didn't want to seem like a Jobs hater.. especially when the man died. I just think it's dumb when EVERYONE feels like they need to comment on stuff like that. I honestly feel like everyone thinks they are breaking news or something.

    Sorry to take over your comment section with my own rant. Anyway. I feel ya. I hope Jasmine gets a heart soon. :(

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  4. Kelly, sorry if you saw my comment about Steve Jobs as over the top. Wasn't meant to be, just tried to really draw home the point that no life is worth more than another, and that his accomplishments shouldn't be confined to just thinking it was in one arena. Anyway..... I do agree that I hope Jasmine gets a heart soon.

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  5. ALL death is a tragedy. No matter if we know the person/people or not. Because of this post and a post by Nini, I am aware of sweet Jasmine and her story...and I will pass it on so more people know and maybe she will get the heart she needs.

    This statement in the above commenter is just NOT right: I agree that Steve Jobs was a great mind, but I mean, come on... first of all - he didn't cure cancer, he made life easier and more luxurious than it should be.

    Is it because he had money that we can't mourn his death? So what if he didn't cure cancer? If jasmine gets her heart, or a kidney patient gets their kidney and they don't cure cancer or whatever does that make that person's life not worth mourning over? Maybe with his death we will find a cure for cancer. I mean he did die from cancer, or did we forget? I think people also forget that he created technologies that keeps a lot of machines in hospitals running. That at least should be celebrated.

    I'm sorry for ranting too but ALL death is a tragedy. Steve Jobs had a family too. And you know just hearing or seeing a "rest in peace" does give a family peace of mind.

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  6. I agree, I'm just the MOM, that all death is a tragedy. And it's all sad.

    My rant was more me being agitated that my Facebook "friends" can't take a second to click "like" on a page that is trying to bring awareness to the story of a beautiful little princess who needs a new heart. The daughter of a friend of one of their FB friends. But, they have all the time in the world to mourn the loss of Steve Jobs, someone they did not know.

    On another note, a nobel prize winning scientist died last week, and I barely heard a thing about it. Definitely no "RIP Dr. Ralph Steinman". No "Thank you for your hard work in research on cells that play a pivotal role in our immune systems" posts.

    Apple is trendy. It's trendy to mourn Steve Jobs. I don't say that to take away from his death nor his contributions to the world of technology. But it's a sad reflection on our society when people like Dr. Ralph Steinman fade away unnoticed by the throngs of hungry comsumers.

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  7. Oh I hear you! I have told FB friends to like Jasmine's page and I just got ignored :(
    You are right. A lot of Americans seem to only glorify what is trendy.
    RIP Dr. Steinman. And know that people were celebrating his life in classrooms last week. A good friend of mine said her microbio teacher dedicated their lecture to him last Friday night. :)

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  8. Kara - I could have written parts of this blog post! I own an iphone and an ipod (haven't used it since getting the aforementioned iphone though), and I'm about to buy a 4 year old imac off a friend so my husband and I can easily record music and I can edit videos taken on my phone.

    All that being said, I swear I'm not an apple girl. I find the cost, trendiness, and proprietary nature of apple's hardware (as in, I cannot change my own battery or upgrade my hardware) quite troublesome. I own an iphone because it's a fun toy. I own an ipod so I can carry around most of my music with me. I will own a (used and old) imac to make recording and editing easier.

    I don't disagree that Steve Jobs really did have a hand in revolutionizing how we deal with information, music, recording, video editing, etc., but you're right, there are more important things in life than technology that makes life, as I'm just the MOM said, "easier and more luxurious than it should be."

    We had a similar situation last month here in Canada when Jack Layton died. All of a sudden, everyone and their uncle's FB picture was orange (he was the leader of our official opposition party, the NDP, whose primary colour is orange) and their statuses were singing the virtues of a politician whose greatest political accomplishment was finishing second in an election. Sure, he was involved in a number of other worthwhile and important ventures, but he was hardly a saint. He was largely a smarmy (love that word) politician who was really quite an arrogant bully who acted immaturely in parliament (even for a politician).

    I really hope Jasmine gets her heart, and I will spread the word.

    (sorry my comment is so long!)

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  9. Just wanted to let y'all know that Jasmine's page is getting more and more "likes." Thanks Kara and Nini for sharing her story with me.

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  10. AMEN SISTA!!!

    I so agree, there are so many more important things going on. Sorry that he died but there are more important things. I have been following her story. Poor baby,cant even imagine.

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  11. I found this post off of Sprout's blog and I just want to say "APPLAUSE APPLAUSE APPLAUSE". This is beyond so true and partly what is wrong with the world today...Thank you for putting this into perspective...

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