This is NOT a political statement, although the following was put out by the Campaign to Defeat Barrack Obama (CDBO). Rather, midst all the stories about Whitney over the past few days I feel this to be the most comlimentary I've seen...and I'd simply like to share it with you. So, hopefully, if judge you must, please judge the contents (Whitney), not the package (CDBO).
Also, apologies if the link to the 1991 Super Bowl video doesn't show (a novice here). But you can easily get it at YouTube by simply searching "Whitney Super Bowl" there. The article.....
"This weekend the world was rocked by the news that singing sensation Whitney Houston had died - apparently the result of an overdose of prescription medications combined with alcohol.
"Ms. Houston obviously battled many demons in her life, scarred by the pressures and stress of an overwhelming fame that few of us will ever know or understand.
"Regardless of your views about Whitney Houston or her politics (which she kept largely under wraps), we can all appreciate her enormous talent.
"One thing in Whitney Houston's career stands out for us as a shining moment of greatness. The year was 1991, and just 10 days previous, President George H.W. Bush had committed America's military men and women to the Persian Gulf War to help liberate Kuwait, and protect Saudi Arabia, from invading Iraqi armies under the control of Saddam Hussein.
"We can argue about the merits of that military intervention, but the fact remains this: the Commander in Chief of the United States military had committed our sons and daughters to combat, and the nation was gripped in attention, wondering how this would play out for our troops and America's interests. The recording of her performance was released as a single, and for the first time in American history, the Star Spangled Banner became a Top 10 song on the nation's music charts.
"What you may not know is that Whitney Houston dedicated her proceeds from the single to veterans of the Gulf War. Following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks her performance of our national anthem was once again released as a single, and again Ms. Houston donated her proceeds - this time to the firefighters and first responders who bravely served this nation.
"Ms. Houston could have gone down the politically correct path of so many other celebrities and refused to perform. Or she could have botched or mocked the performance the way that Roseanne Barr had (when she grabbed her crotch and spat after her screeching performance) or botched the words of the national anthem - as Christina Aguilera recently did.
"Instead, Whitney Houston lent her talents and abilities to proclaim her love for this country. With millions watching, and thousands on hand - including some of our brave military men and women - Whitney Houston gave her heart and soul for this great nation.
"It is times like these where labels such as Republican or Democrat, conservative or liberal, are rendered trivial and meaningless. What unites us is that we are ALL Americans, and on this momentous day, Whitney Houston gave her talents to celebrate the greatness of this nation, and to show honor and respect for our brave military men and women.
"We hope you'll enjoy watching her performance, and that it will touch your heart and soul as much as it has for all of us. On this day, we all stood united, and the spirit of patriots and freedom-loving Americans was given voice by Whitney Houston. Before you watch it, you might want to grab a Kleenex - this performance will touch your heart and likely lubricate your tear ducts:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=5jeUINzHK9o
"Above: Whitney Houston casts a gaze at Old Glory
This morning we posted a link of this tremendous performance to our Campaign to Defeat Obama Facebook page. Most people were appreciative and were in awe of Whitney Houston's performance. However, a handful of people wondered why we would celebrate someone whose life ended in such disarray.
"With all due apologies, to those people who feel that way, we respectfully disagree. We all are sinners, we all are imperfect individuals, and we all face our own demons.
"What we CAN do, is celebrate that which is good. We can set the ideal for what we strive for, what we cherish and hope to achieve. On this momentous day in 1991, Whitney Houston gave to all of us the better part of her humanity. That is something that should be celebrated and honored, and we are pleased to do such today."