Somehow my heart hurts. I even cried tears feeling the disrespect with which Michael's fans treat another. I'm that melodramatic.
"And with your pen you torture men, you'd crucify the Lord." Yes, indeed. Because we are all too willing to crucify one another with never ending loads that are firing from our pens.
So much talk about Love and upholding what all sides in this call "Michael's legacy". What is Michael's legacy? Healing the world with music? Or "winning" an argument by "MAKING THE 'OPPONENT' UNDERSTAND" your point of view at all cost? Until they weep before you pleading with you that they now see things your way?
Wars start this way. Exactly this way.
We look across this planet and shake our heads in disbelief why it is that countries are at war with one another, why it is possible that neighbor A seems to turn into an animal by walking over to neighbor B and slashing him to death. And we do this over and over again.
Not only do we disagree with one another- no, we fight 'til the very bitter end, feeling entitled to all actions to MAKE THE 'ENEMY' SEE THINGS OUR WAY, as if we were in a war.
That mindset makes wars possible. Because those neighbors who might have lived next to each other for years also feel they are entitled to take all 'final' action.
So, one side accuses those who are alright (or even support the tracks in question) with certain tracks of being naive sheep that need to rinse their ears, who are being blind sided by evil forces.
Side A on the other hand accuses Side B of being naive sheep and being easily susceptible to mass hysteria- and of being kill joys on top of that.
Both sides (with exceptions everywhere) are unified by feeling they are in the possession of truth and that they are both motivated to uphold what they call 'Michael's legacy' which again begs the question- what is his legacy?
Michael Jackson was sued frivolously countless times. Again and again and again, no mercy in sight.
Imagine the anxiety, pain, hurt and disappoint he must have felt rising inside of him each and every time his lawyers would inform him- 'Mr. Jackson, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, you are being sued by x,y and z.'
Who would ever want to pick up the phone yet again, turn the TV on or read another newspaper?
Yet how often did he actually sue somebody in return? Compared to the countless lawsuits and depositions he endured? In the wake of the most horrifying and searing pain he personally endured- his own personal pain, a pain that NOBODY could endure for him?
Did Michael Jackson stand up and say, now buddy, I am going to make you feel the same amount of pain that I had to endure until YOU scream the way I screamed inside and out?
Did he go out in the world looking to "avenge" his pain?
Or was he aware that the damage was done, that the pain was already inflicted- and that no amount of rage or action was going to take the pain from him?
Or was he looking for ways to help people heal themselves and thus the planet by seeking ways to love another as 'brothers', as he often said? Was he hoping that people could understand his pain and exercise true compassion by ceasing all action that would deliberately cause another pain?
This singular being left an imprint on my very essence that NOBODY has left. I read in books about them, I read in book about Gandhi- but this dude called Michael Jackson- he made me UNDERSTAND to a degree that freaks me out.
That is why people are here, beyond the music, beyond the dance. I could get 5 whole body tattoos (okay, I got one little one)- that's nothing compared to the way he got UNDER my skin to make me understand.
Not just his life and his light- but my very own. Your very own life and light.
Through his life and his music I learned more than any book could teach me.
His death left me standing at the edge of the swirling black hole, until this day. But it served a purpose. There's work to be done here.
True Peace does not mean having to "give into" the other side of an argument.
Peace simply means to be aware of the damage that that could or is being inflicted on someone if one insists with all might to MAKE the other one see your point. And it means being able to stop the firing so that nobody, bystander or involved, 'collateral damage' (how that word makes me hurt) or soldier- gets killed or hurt. It means stopping before it's too late to stop.
Side A is convinced that certain tracks are 'fake' and thus action is not only justified, but necessary, all in Michael's name- standing up and defending a man who did not receive the respect in life that he deserved.
Side B is convinced that certain tracks are real despite it's production and that supporting this album is not only justified, but necessary, all in Michael's name- standing up and defending a man who did not receive the respect in life that he deserved.
Both sides are convinced the other side is not standing up to "defend the legacy of Michael Jackson".
I do dare to ask the question- aside from seeing his fans think for themselves (both sides are claiming to do just that!)- would he want us to torture one another with our pens over of a bunch of songs- or would he rather see us treat one another in the kindness that he himself never experienced?
Giving somebody the benefit of the doubt does not have to mean you're agreeing, or admitting weakness- it is the strength to simply assume that the other one might have come to their conclusion not because they are feeble minded, have no ears or are susceptible to mass hysteria- but that the other one might have arrived at their conclusion based on thinking and listening for themselves- just as you have.
Giving somebody the benefit of the doubt simply means to allow the other person to be a decent human being just as you assume yourself to be the same. And that the difference of opinion does not mean being less of a person.
Side A ('fake tracks') feels the deep need to act- that is a need from deep inside that needs to be respected. People need to act according to their conscience. By all means, write Sony, call Sony, organize yourselves. Do what you feel is right.
Side B ('real tracks') feels the deep need to act- that is a need from deep inside that needs to be respected. People need to act according to their conscience. By all means, buy the album, support the album, organize yourselves. Do what you feel is right.
But no side has the moral standing to shred somebody to bits and pieces the way Michael Jackson was shred to pieces, with a mind set that makes all these wars possible. If Michael Jackson fans are willing to tear one another to shreds over music (!!!)- imagine how easy it is to incite wars all over this planet.
Divide and conquer at it's best.
Diplomacy and Peace simply mean being able to disagree without violently forcing one another to see the world through the same eyes. It doesn't mean giving up, being lovey dovey without ability to put your money where your mouth is, or not taking a stand.
It simply means acting by listening to yourself, to your conscience without denying those that disagree with you the very same right.
While I am all for living peacefully in Michael's "Army of Love", I understand Michael's "Army of Love" to feature one major rule that no other army would ever feature: That the ability to think for yourself is not only welcomed, but exercised on a regular basis.
'The Army of Love' should pride itself on difference of opinion, of being the biggest group who march to the beat of their own internal drummer that makes them respect those that rave all night, while you and I may look like the last bastion of mikegasmic freaks in a circle with a big a** MJ shirt, blissfully punch drunk on a particular pair of pants, HD videos with great audio and carrying the seed of actually living the LOVE Michael spoke about.
While maintaining the respect for those, who chose to exercise the same right, maybe in a mosh pit ("We could put chairs there- they want festival seating") or square dancing.
I might not like your freakin' sunflower you carry because I might prefer roses, thistles or violets or Japanese Beetles- but they are all bleepin' plants we're waving around and the Japanese Beetles eat holes into any leaf, no matter how pretty. (hm, maybe thistles then...)
Michael spoke of 'Hope': "And without Hope, we are lost. See, that's a sign of Hope right there. " (Exeter Speech, UK, 2002)
