I’ve always felt an affinity with the moon and the stars; I feel as if there is a fine, invisible thread that connects me to them and to the vastness of space. Perhaps it is because, in part, I feel recognition within my spirit of the unseen forces of the Creator and creation. Up there in the sky, in reality, is where we began and how we came to be; the Universe is our celestial Mother and Father, God, and Goddess. And don’t we all gaze up in wonder? Don’t we all feel inspired by the sight, yet at the same time, feel inconsequential compared to the beauty and power combined which collided in a mystic and fiery dance of existence?
I have been watching the moon wax and wane in the last month, and I realized how the moon’s cycle compares to Michael’s life at times. Michael, at his fullest and brightest, shone with an intense light that enveloped all who came near him—it was a light pulsing with energy—but, there always seemed to be a darkness lurking in the background ready to eclipse his light with negativity. And when it encroached, when it surrounded him with its malicious intent, his light flickered and dimmed much to the delight of those who had cast him into that darkness.
Now we have the Conrad Murray trial being played out in a Los Angeles courtroom, and once more Michael’s life is surrounded in controversy and speculation. I have no idea at this time what the verdict will be—whether it will be one to celebrate or one to mourn. But, I do know this much—it appears that two trials are being carried out. On one hand, Conrad Murray stands charged with Involuntary Manslaughter, on the other hand, Michael Jackson stands charged of being human, with flaws, weaknesses, and idiosyncrasies. Can you hear them? Can you hear the voices of the past that still resound today, propounding his imperfections, as if in justification of their deliberate and well-structured campaign that was set in motion years ago, to portray Michael’s life and humanity as a carnival freak show?
Noticeably, the media seems to be largely ignoring certain important and vital facts that have come from the testimony so far, most noticeably being—no Demerol, metabolites, or narcotics were found in Michael’s system. This obvious omission from media reports, to me, indicates one of two things, 1) The media is suffering from an extreme case of guilt (or perhaps eating crow) after years of perpetuating the misguided theory that Michael was a hard-core drug addict, which only intensified in their reports after his death in 2009, or, 2) after years of making careers for themselves and raking in large amounts of revenue for their negative, intrusive, accusatory, and vilified reporting on Michael’s personal life, the resounding truth echoing from the courtroom is a threat to their livelihood and ratings.
Rather than see Michael as human, rather than show compassion and understanding, they prefer to continue surrounding his name and life in a cloud of innuendo and negativity. Truth doesn’t sell nearly as well as sensationalism, and for an industry that has largely built itself upon a foundation of dehumanization—Michael Jackson being one of their biggest targets and most prominent victims—setting the record straight is not an option. There simply is too much to lose on their part. A leopard can’t change its spots.
But, while “Jacko”, “Jackson Trial”, and “Jackson Drug Death Trial” remain headliners, while not reporting all the facts pertinent to the expert testimony is prevalent—while Michael’s words ring out from the audio tape recorded by Murray and while the image of his body that is stamped on our collective conscious is undervalued by the media, nothing can overshadow or diminish Michael’s humanity as it has been exposed to the world; a humanity laid bare; a humanity that belies the years of unjustified persecution, allegations, and degradation of this man at the hands of extortionists, the media, and public alike. It is there for the world to see and hear, and it will never disappear no matter how hard people try to ignore or hide it, because as with the moon and its cycle, Michael’s life and name will once more shine full and bright long after this trial has ended, through us, and through those who are committed to his legacy. This is what we need to build upon and build up—as supporters and fans, we have always known the beauty and innocence of Michael’s soul—because in reality, for this trial to be the last thing Michael is remembered for, would be the truest injustice of all.
So, it falls to us again—and will continue to do so, until Michael is fully vindicated and recognized for who he was—to project upon the media and public screen an image of Michael both truthful and positive, and embrace and live the love that was at the center of his being. This is not only vital to the recognition and continuation of Michael’s legacy, but to our own as well, because both are inextricably entwined through mutual respect and that powerful, life-changing emotion called, love.
© Valmai Owens, 2011. All Rights Reserved.
No reproduction without permission from author.
No reproduction without permission from author.
This article appears in the publication Dot to Dot: Keeping Michael’s Legacy Alive, and its content is the property of the authors and the Michael Jackson Tribute Portrait. Articles and exclusive interviews are copyrighted; therefore there should be no republication without permission. You may email edito@michaeljacksontributeportrait.com with any requests for republication. If permission is given, credit must be given to the author, Dot to Dot: Keeping Michael's Legacy Alive and the Michael Jackson Tribute Portrait.
No comments:
Post a Comment