According to Yahoo News, the death of Heath Ledger, 28, has prompted the White House to postpone President Bush's event planned for today promoting an ad campaign aimed at preventing prescription drug abuse.
"We thought it would be better to postpone the event rather than run the risk of anyone thinking that we were being opportunistic in highlighting the issue," said White House press secretary Dana Perino, even though Bush's event had been scheduled for a while.
Reports say the autopsy earlier today was inconclusive as far as the cause of death for the Oscar-nominated Australian-born thespian, who was found dead yesterday in a Manhattan apartment. Police said they found bottles of prescription sleeping pills and anti-anxiety medication in his bedroom and in the bathroom.
I find myself immensely saddened by Heath's death. Although we aren't yet certain what killed him, if it was a drug overdose, that's a tragic way for his 2-year-old daughter Mathilda to lose her father.
The news has touched me more than most celebrity headlines. And it's not just me. Almost 24 hours after the story first broke, the story is still the lead featured story on CNN's Web site.
Ledger showed great promise as an actor. Like Johnny Depp before him, Ledger threw off the stereotypical teen heartthrob label, instead choosing grittier, more challenging roles. One article I read yesterday compared Ledger's early demise to the early death of James Dean. I think many people will find that an apt comparison.
I think that Bush was correct to cancel his event. It is good to see leaders sensitive to these issues. I'll never forget when the Queen of England was going to Yosemite and a Highway Patrolman was killed protecting her. She cancelled all events for a few days out of sympathy for his family. Classy. It is important to be sensitive to others. Bush is showing some class here.
It is really sad, especially since he was so obviously gifted. It's even worse that his 2-year-old daughter will never know her father.
But, as far as the coverage, is it more because of the circumstances? Because he was found dead and naked in his apartment, with prescription bottles in the room? Aren't those the kind of circumstances that feed 24-hour cable networks so that they can keep going over the few facts that are known by dragging out talking head after talking head? People who don't know the deceased and just speculate away? I wonder if there would have been this type of coverage if he had, for example, died of natural causes in Omaha, Neb.
I'm not disrespecting Ledger. He had tremendous talent. I just question how cable networks handle these things, let alone how Internet outlets deal with them. (Sites were posting "facts" and then taking them off yesterday afternoon.) A lot of stuff is going on in the world. They need to keep things in perspective.
I commend President Bush for showing respect. Loss of life is sad no matter what the circumstances. Somebody always gets hurt. May his family take comfort from God as they mourn his death.
"We thought it would be better to postpone the event rather than run the risk of anyone thinking that we were being opportunistic in highlighting the issue," said White House press secretary Dana Perino, even though Bush's event had been scheduled for a while.
A sound decision. Why run the risk of Bush's approval ratings going into the negative digits.