Anna Nicole Smith

Yes, I am blogging about Anna Nicole Smith. I have been thinking about her a lot in the days since her untimely death. Now, I have to say that I wasn't an Anna Nicole fan. Her reality TV show was one I could never sit through (and I watch a wide variety of TV shows). She just seemed to me like someone who was so desperate to be loved (by men, fans, etc.) that she'd resorted to the lowest common denominator. I was actually embarrassed to watch her. Didn't she realize how ridiculous she looked?

Why then, am I so bothered by her death? Besides the fact that she was only a few months younger than me, she and I had almost nothing in common. And yet...

I just read an article posted on Jim Wallis' God's Politics blog about Anna Nicole from a theological stand point. I think it describes one reason why her death keeps lurking in my mind. The author is a Christian from the Episcopalian tradition, but mentions a concept we UU's share: the desire for peace and justice and respecting the dignity of every human being.

Now, I know some would argue that Anna Nicole didn't have respect for her own dignity so why should we. To me that sounds like the school kids saying "he hit me first", implying that makes it okay to hit back. My response is the same: you can only control your own actions. Whatever someone else does is beyond your control, but you do have the power to control your own response. In the end you need to ask yourself if you are proud of *your* actions.

Anyway, I feel bad for Anna Nicole. I (and a lot of other people) didn't show much respect for her dignity during her life. I scoffed at her. She deserved better as would any human being. I do hope they'll let her finally rest in peace.