This post is intended to spur discussion and is also an attempt to find some perspective in the rash of recent widely publicized deaths of both celebrities and ordinary people caught in extraordinary circumstances.

On the world's stage, over the past several days, we have seen events unfolding in Iran as it's citizens struggle against the government to establish Democracy. We have also seen a string of celebrity deaths that have shocked or saddened fans around the world.

Media coverage of the events that have shaken Iran since the elections has been stifled due to restrictions imposed on foreign media outlets by the Iranian government and the full extent of the violence and bloodshed has, most likely, not yet been expressed. However, there was one poignant story of a young Iranian woman, Neda Agha-Soltan, whose brutal slaying at the hands of Iranian security forces was caught on video. Graphic images of her death were broadcast across the internet and Neda instantly became a symbol of the Iranian fight for Democracy and struggle against an oppressive government system.

Internet buzz and media coverage of the events in Iran have now been overshadowed by a recent string of celebrity deaths, In a span of just a few days news of the passing of Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, and the most surprising and widely publicized death of Michael Jackson.

Michael Jackson's untimely death was unfortunate, as were they all. Michael Jackson's passing has impressed upon many how widely popular he truly was. People from all walks of life and every corner of the globe are mourning MJ's death and paying tribute to his life's work and his music. Even those that were not avid fans seem to react to his passing as the end of an era and this news has dominated the media. His popularity is so widespread that, even in Iran where people are struggling to get news out and communicate with the outside world, I am certain that there are fans that have received word of his passing.

The question I pose is this: Which death is more significant? Is the death of Michael Jackson who represented an era, greatly influenced the music and entertainment industries and maintained an unheard of global following, more significant than Neda, the 26-year old woman from Tehran who was brutally and senselessly murdered by her government and has become a symbol of the Iranian struggle for freedom and Democracy?

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