The passing of an icon.

That’s how Michael Jackson’s death has been described as it’s been covered by the plethora of news outlets.

August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009 is Michael Jackson reduced to dates, but his date of death is important, because today is July 9, 2009, and we’re still hearing about it. Enough is enough.

Here are some other things that have happened in that two-week period:

Al Franken officially won his Minnesota Senate seat, giving Democrats a filibuster-proof supermajority.

A climate bill regulating greenhouse gas emissions is being passed between the House and Senate.

The LGBT community is attempting to challenge the Defense of Marriage Act and “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.”

The Iranian government announced after a partial recount that Ahmadinejad won.

Any and all of these things have infinitely more weight and importance than the passing of a pop star.

It’s time to let go of the intense obsession with the lives and deaths of celebrities.

It’s time we focused on real issues that make a true impact on our world.