On the afternoon of Oct. 5, I turned on the television just in time to see the words BREAKING NEWS flash across the screen of CNN. With the same firm and steady voice used to report every story, the anchor informed me that Steve Jobs had left this world. I will admit that I felt a lump rise in my throat. A genius had left us.

Now, this is not a eulogy to Mr. Jobs. There already have been, and will continue to be, many of those. They will be given by people far more qualified than I. Plus, frankly, I find the whole idea depressing. I’m Irish; we don’t do the whole funeral thing well.

Instead, I would like to point out the sad hypocrisy of this nation’s reaction to Jobs’ passing.

In the days leading up to Jobs’ death, a movement that started in New York City, known as Occupy Wall Street, had just begun to spread to cities nationwide. While the movement has no clear central goals, what is clear from interviews with protestors and the signs they wave is that most hold a dim view of corporations in general and claim to represent the other “99 percent of America.”

Yet when Jobs, the head of a major international corporation, passed, more than one percent of America was struck with sorrow. Rather, people  all over this nation and all over the world, mourned and celebrated his leadership and genius.

I’m not saying this is the wrong reaction. Through his intellect and shrewd management, Jobs changed the way we go about our daily lives. On the contrary, I only wonder why more of the people who move the world aren’t celebrated this way.

Apple is not the only business in this country that makes a very healthy profit for providing people with a product they are convinced they must have.

Think about all the material products around you. True, you don’t need all of those things, but no one made you buy them. You chose to buy them.

Every day, when you slip on a pair of shoes, drive to work or go to the supermarket, a profit-seeking corporation made it all possible. Yet, the CEOs of

many of these companies are treated with derision. Corporations are accused of shipping American jobs overseas. Find out where your iPod was manufactured.

People accuse CEOs of taking extravagant salaries, even if their companies are doing well. Find out how much Jobs made on stock options while working for one dollar a year.

There is no doubt in my mind that Jobs deserved every penny he made. Yet, when another CEO profits by successfully running a company, the public lashes out.

It’s also true that Jobs was not your typical company head. However, there is more than one way to successfully run a business, so why do we challenge anyone who succeeds with a different approach?

It is true that there are businesses and individuals that don’t deserve the kind of respect we give to Jobs. However, it is grossly unfair to judge all corporations on the stupidity and amoral behavior of a few, albeit large, bad apples.

There are so many individuals that deserve the same level of praise as Jobs that we ignore. Maybe it is because we see their products as less exciting or game changing. Still, they make our modern life possible. Maybe we need to think about that a little more often.