Photo: Jonathan Exley
"Sometimes the heart is so heavy that we turn away from it and
forget that its throbbing is the wisest message of life, a wordless
message that says, 'Live, be, move, rejoice -- you are alive!' Without
the heart's wise rhythm, we could not exist."
Michael Jackson
Justice for Michael has become the one cry that raises above all in the Michael Jackson fan community. During the 2005 trial it was what kept us going through and showed Michael he was not alone in his fight and showed the world that Michael meant so much to so many people.
After June 25th, 2009 Justice for Michael become an outcry of pain and sorrow and as details of how Michael died we all wanted for the doctor and the others to be brought to justice.
This year with the wrongful death trial Justice for Michael is a way of keeping strong through the details and attitudes and the grief.
And all that was and is amazing.
But Justice for Michael should mean more.
The success with the Jackson 5, the success with the Jacksons and as a solo artist, his talent, his work has brought him great joy, admiration, millions of fans but also envy and hate. For braking barriers, for reaching new heights, for transforming the music industry and for doing that while speaking in a soft voice. That contrast between the fierce artist and shy person has brought much comments, a lot of them mean and in tabloid style.
But in my opinion it wasn't the commercial success that attracted the hate. It was the raising up of his voice and profiting the success of Thriller and his work and starting to push for a message that brought together millions and made it possible for me to call family someone from Hong Kong, some people from the USA, some people from Germany, someone from Argentina. And I am sure I am not the only one who can say that.
And it is not like he started to be preoccupied about the state of the world and the well being of children after the sparkle dust from Thriller mania settled down. He was involved with charities and helping people from an early age. His music contained his concerns and expressed his willingness to act. His actions spoke of his kindness and determination to make a change within himself and bring people together for a better future. It's usually things that we admire in the people around us.
Yet he was ridiculed and criticized for it in many situations. His advocacy for children causes has been used as a way in to hurt him and since there was no way of limiting his talent and creativity people (and corporations) tried, and succeeded at times, to control his outreach around the world with the help of mud throwing.
If you take any Michael Jackson album review most critics you'll find are about the songs with messages about the greater good. With few exception. Even to the point where I felt some people wouldn't allow for him be anything else but a dance floor wonder. He was supposed to come up with as many Billie Jean as possible.
I don't intend to go further in this direction.
What for me would truly mean Justice for Michael is that Earth Song, Heal the World, Cry, They Don't Care About Us, Be Not Always, Another Part Of Me, Why You Wanna Trip On Me, Man In The Mirror, The Lost Children, We Are The World would be the most viewed and most listened songs.
I got nothing against Thriller. Or any other song. I love them all. Equally - even though I do prefer one over the other depending on the state of mind I am in just like everybody.
But when these songs will be most talked about and consequently reach that many people, when his work as a humanitarian and environmentalist will be recognize in full, then Justice for Michael would have been achieved.
And what is most amazing is all the people working towards that.
I miss you Michael.
Thank you.
After June 25th, 2009 Justice for Michael become an outcry of pain and sorrow and as details of how Michael died we all wanted for the doctor and the others to be brought to justice.
This year with the wrongful death trial Justice for Michael is a way of keeping strong through the details and attitudes and the grief.
And all that was and is amazing.
But Justice for Michael should mean more.
The success with the Jackson 5, the success with the Jacksons and as a solo artist, his talent, his work has brought him great joy, admiration, millions of fans but also envy and hate. For braking barriers, for reaching new heights, for transforming the music industry and for doing that while speaking in a soft voice. That contrast between the fierce artist and shy person has brought much comments, a lot of them mean and in tabloid style.
But in my opinion it wasn't the commercial success that attracted the hate. It was the raising up of his voice and profiting the success of Thriller and his work and starting to push for a message that brought together millions and made it possible for me to call family someone from Hong Kong, some people from the USA, some people from Germany, someone from Argentina. And I am sure I am not the only one who can say that.
And it is not like he started to be preoccupied about the state of the world and the well being of children after the sparkle dust from Thriller mania settled down. He was involved with charities and helping people from an early age. His music contained his concerns and expressed his willingness to act. His actions spoke of his kindness and determination to make a change within himself and bring people together for a better future. It's usually things that we admire in the people around us.
Yet he was ridiculed and criticized for it in many situations. His advocacy for children causes has been used as a way in to hurt him and since there was no way of limiting his talent and creativity people (and corporations) tried, and succeeded at times, to control his outreach around the world with the help of mud throwing.
If you take any Michael Jackson album review most critics you'll find are about the songs with messages about the greater good. With few exception. Even to the point where I felt some people wouldn't allow for him be anything else but a dance floor wonder. He was supposed to come up with as many Billie Jean as possible.
I don't intend to go further in this direction.
What for me would truly mean Justice for Michael is that Earth Song, Heal the World, Cry, They Don't Care About Us, Be Not Always, Another Part Of Me, Why You Wanna Trip On Me, Man In The Mirror, The Lost Children, We Are The World would be the most viewed and most listened songs.
I got nothing against Thriller. Or any other song. I love them all. Equally - even though I do prefer one over the other depending on the state of mind I am in just like everybody.
But when these songs will be most talked about and consequently reach that many people, when his work as a humanitarian and environmentalist will be recognize in full, then Justice for Michael would have been achieved.
And what is most amazing is all the people working towards that.
I miss you Michael.
Thank you.
"There is no one in the world like MJ. Never
has been. Never will be. We all know him in one way or another. In some
way he has touched us, been the voice of one of our sweetest memories.
And what a wonderful, genuine, compassionate, soft-spoken giant so full
of love. He gave us love, excitement, one-of-a-kind moments in a mundane
world. I can't believe he won't be with us here on earth anymore. But
long from now, when we are all dust, he will still never be forgotten.
To the best that ever did it!
You are loved, admired and respected forever."
To the best that ever did it!
You are loved, admired and respected forever."
Alicia Keys
