“As I, Turn Up The Collar On
My Favorite Winter Coat
This Wind Is Blowin’ My Mind
I See The Kids In The Street
With Not Enough To Eat
Who Am I, To Be Blind?
Pretending Not To See Their Needs…”
I would like to apologise first of all, for the very personal tone of this week’s column. I started ‘Critical Perspectives’ as a vehicle for objective analysis of various issues, whether they have had a personal impact or whether those issues simply affect wider society.  I beg your indulgence this week to write on something that has impacted me personally, as indeed at least thousands of others around the world, the death or rather, the life of Michael Jackson.
There are three songs that I could list as having some profound influence on my life.  One is Barry Mannilow’s “I made it through the rain”, another is Stevie Wonder’s “Place in the Sun”.  The third is of course the song quoted above, none other than Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror”.
I remember the first time I heard this song was while watching his 1988 Grammy awards performance.   Few events have touched me so personally and profoundly as that did; so much so that I was one of the founding members of what I believe is the first (and probably only) Michael Jackson fan club in Guyana.  For me what was a testament to the sort of influence he had on us was that we didn’t just become a fan of his music – we were inspired by it to contribute in whatever small way we could to what that music was exhorting the world to do, that is, try to make a change.
At its peak, the Michael Jackson Fan Club that I was part of had some 72 members, and its primary work wasn’t an idolization of Jackson’s dress or singing his songs.  We organized and fund-raised what we could to give to those in need, like the children of Joshua’s Home for example.  For us, this was the best way to pay tribute to the man who did not need to donate so much of his wealth to charity, but did anyway.
If anyone needed any convincing of the sheer ‘goodness’ of Jackson’s soul, I’d advise them to just listen to the words of his song, ‘Heal the World’, written by himself, the simple yet powerful poetry in its message urging all of us to “Heal the world, make it a better place/for you and for me and the entire human race”.  For so many entertainers, it is often clear that the shift to a charity or human rights theme in their message is just a publicity stunt or a last-resort gimmick to resuscitate a dying career.  With Michael, this concern for humanity was expressed at the height of his career and continued throughout, beginning from his co-writing (with Lionel Richie) of the hit single ‘We are the World’ in 1985 (which raised millions of dollars for famine victims in Africa, as well as invaluable awareness) right through to his establishment of the ‘Heal the World Foundation’ and beyond.
Contrast the tremendous good that Jackson did with the ridicule and outright public torture he had to endure during the final decade and a half of his life, and the picture emerges of one who was wronged on almost Messianic scale.  Like many Michael Jackson fans, I might easily be accused of a willingness to gloss over the biggest stain against his otherwise stellar career and life, the accusations of child molestation.  For those convinced of his guilt, all I can say that in a country that is rightfully rabid when it comes to adults sexually preying on children, Michael had his vindication via the American justice system, if not beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of public opinion.  With regard to other source of public ridicule, his ever-changing appearance, all that I think can be said is that it was a circus of hypocrisy in a country that prides itself on individualism and has made a virtual science of the manufacture of artificial public images on a grand scale.
It must have taken a tremendous amount of personal strength to withstand the level of public scrutiny and ridicule that Michael Jackson was subjected to year after year, an easy target for tabloid fodder.  In the aftermath of his passing, an increasing amount of evidence is emerging concerning his abuse of sedatives and, possibly, other medication. 
One of the most touching new stories I have seen in the past week is one in which a former nurse says that Michael expressed his wish that he only be allowed a little sleep.  Few of us can imagine being so deprived of sleep, for whatever reason, that we would literally torture ourselves for some, yet Michael’s insomnia was such that he was willing to take the powerful drug Propofol, the intravenous application of which was so painful in itself that it had to be taken with a painkiller.  While I don’t condone the abuse of drugs to deal with one’s personal problems, I can understand his need to do just that.
The tragedy of Michael Jackson’s life is that despite his ability to make people happy with his music – his talent of sending his fans into euphoria just by his appearance – he was unhappy himself.  That said, we are only able to define that tragedy in contrast to the enormous triumphs of his life – in terms of sheer achievement, history may only have room for one Michael Jackson.  In closing, I would like to leave you with some words from one of the less popular songs by Michael, yet one I think exemplifies the way he lived his life more than any other, ‘Keep the Faith’
Go for what you want
Don’t let them get in your way
You can be a winner if you keep the faith.
There is no doubt in my mind that despite his trials, Michael Jackson kept his faith, and so lived and died a winner. (First published on July 5, 2009 Burrowesk@yahoo.com)