Ok, there's been something weighing really heavily on my heart for the last few years that gets aggravated this time of year. Please hear me out and don't jump right down my throat...
Alright, so the "roses for MJ" drive reaaaaaaaally bothers me lol. Don't get me wrong, I'm not heartless and it's beautiful to see the outpouring of love, it's a very sweet sight to see every year. But...
Michael's message encourages us all to band together in order to spark true change in the world. When large groups of people mobilize, there's no limit to the things that can be accomplished. Every year, fans mobilize, but to do what?
Ok let's do the math. You got, more or less, 15,000 roses at $3 each: that's $45,000 just this year. If this is the average (hypothetically), over five years that's $225,000. That's a quarter of a million dollars all given by fans worldwide. We could be buying schools new textbooks or computers, setting up college funds for orphanages, a small water filtration system for some rural town, or a down payment on a new house for a low income family in need, or fund the building of a new homeless shelter etc. etc. etc. The possibilities go on and on.
Every year fans join together in great demonstration, in rememberance of Michael. What a squandered opportunity to carry forward Michael's most valuable message through action.
I'm not trying to sit here like I'm Mother Teresa and I'm completely selfless 24 hours a day lol. Have I paid for an item or service for my own personal gratification when I could've donated that money to Starlight Foundation or given it to a homeless woman? Of course, I'd be a shameless liar to say no. But that's not the point. It's not about starting a useless argument about who's "better" than who, or who "does the most". The point (and the root of my sadness) is that when we have a unique opportunity such as this every year, with so many lives and hearts moving en masse towards a central purpose, requiring MINIMAL financial sacrifice from the individual, we don't direct all of that towards a goal that would not only absolutely make Michael's spirit smile, that would be a testament to the real legacy that Michael entrusted to his fans, and would make real, life-changing differences for people in need. We direct it all towards flowers lol. It's just sad man. Seeing with your own eyes what powerful things we're capable of when we all join together, but then seeing what's actually done with that power... Every year, we could put a kid through medical school, but we buy roses instead.
Absolutely, positively NO "SHADE", "HATE", OR DISRESPECT is intended towards those that organized the One Rose For MJ event or any of its participants. I know that the sentiment behind it is heartfelt, and I'm not knocking that at all. Everyone is free to spend their money wherever and on whatever they choose, as long as you aren't harming anyone do what you want, it's no business of mine lol. I didn't post this to be negative, or divisive. That's NOT what I'm about, or what this post is about. Nor am I going to participate in the ridiculous popularity contests that seem to spring up in fan groups, not my thing. I'm simply urging all of us to stop and see what we can all really do together. A (hypothetical) donation drive for an organization only gets $1,500, maybe $5k if people really get into it, but a drive to get YOUR personally-purchased flower delivered to Michael's crypt gets $45,000!?!?!?! We'll do that for roses, but not for our fellow men?
::siiiiiiiiiigh::
