On June 25, 2009, the world lost the King of Pop. He was one of the most successful and influential, as well as one of the most controversial, musicians of all time.
It is a shame that he died at 51, a relatively young age in our time. He left three children and a legacy in music and fashion, among other things, behind.
Considering the amount of fans he amassed over the years, I was not surprised to see stories about him and his death take the spotlight in the news, even with other pertinent things going on in the world.
What I did not expect, however, was to still hear speculation and news about his death eight months after the fact.
I will admit right away that I have never been a fan of Michael Jackson. I am sure that there are some songs of his that I have appreciated, but I never followed his career or went out of my way to listen to or to watch his work. In fact, when I think of Michael Jackson, the charges of pedophilia come to mind before anything else.
I fail to see a reason for all of the hoopla and idolatry that surrounds him. I am sure that he made great advances in his genre and contributed to charities, etc. However, the overwhelming evidence against him in terms of his pedophilia does not seem to be cancelled out by those things.
If I were to commit a horrendous crime and then go and do many philanthropic things, no doubt I would still be seen as a criminal simply faking redemption. Jackson, however, seems immune to the standard rules.
Eight months after his death, Jackson is once again in the news as his doctor is charged with manslaughter. I believe that all murder victims deserve justice. What I do not agree with is the victimization of someone that the public had no problem hating prior to his death. Why is it that society is so ready to forgive him in death?
With a history of instability, it does not seem to be so improbable that he administered the drugs without the instruction or aid of a doctor. Another possibility is that Jackson requested that his doctor administer the mix of drugs found in his system by the coroner.
Yet now his doctor, Dr. Conrad Murray, is facing charges of involuntary manslaughter. The strongest support to this charge is that he is a cardiologist, not an anesthesiologist. This means that he should not have given Michael Jackson the propofol, a powerful drug commonly used in operating rooms to help sedate patients.
Does this really call for a charge of involuntary manslaughter? By definition, Jackson needs to have been killed “from the commission of a lawful act in a negligent or improper manner” (Merriam-Webster). According to a CNN article by Beth Karas and Ann O’Neill, the prosecutors will need to prove that Dr. Murray “took risks he shouldn’t have – and that other doctors wouldn’t have” (“What Is Involuntary Marnslaughter?”).
This might be difficult, as Dr. Robert Kotler describes something called “the celebrity trap” in a separate article. He says that famous people are very manipulative, making it hard to say no to their requests. That, tied with the allure of the limelight may have the ability to alter any doctor’s normally sound judgment (Kotler, Robert, MD). Even if a different doctor had been in Dr. Murray’s shoes, who is to say that this doctor would not have done the same thing?
Personally, I feel that this whole situation has been distorted from its original proportion. Medical mistakes happen all the time, but we don’t see those cases taking center stage.
Does fame really entitle people to this extra attention? If the same thing happened to Joe Shmoe, I’m sure that his case would never graze the peripherals of the media.
If Dr. Murray is indeed the reason for Michael Jackson’s death, I believe that there should be consequences. At this point, however, I am not entirely convinced that his actions warrant this charge.
What I do believe is that this case does not need to live in the spotlight. So many other cases go on that we never hear about. It’s been eight months, and I think that’s more than enough time for the public eye to focus on one person. If people still feel the need to grieve, that’s fine, but there is no reason for it to be displayed for everyone to see.
What happened was sad, but there are other things that need the world’s attention. This is something that the Jackson family needs to settle quietly.
17 comments
MJ is immortal.