Heath Ledger and Michael Jackson

When the insomniac Heath Ledger died in 2008, questions about his death and drug use/abuse/addiction quickly surfaced. Ledger's death was ruled to be from a combination of medications that resulted in respiratory arrest and subsequent death. It was not due to an accidental "overdose" but rather the combined effects of the drugs, all of which, except one, cause respiratory depression individually. Questions still remain about Ledger's death but it can only be assumed that at some point in time he accidentally, but likely willingly, took all the medications found in his system over the course of some extended amount of time. Regardless of his manner of death being from medications, those closest to him before his death did not speak about any drug abuse or addiction but rather his lack of being able to sleep, his respiratory illness while filming his last movie, stress and depression from the separation from his girlfriend and child and their lack of seeing any visible abuse or addiction in the months leading up to his death. Private details about his life were kept private, including details from his former girlfriend. The media were the only ones to speculate about serious drug abuse and/or addiction.

When ET/Insider said they had obtained "drug footage" of Ledger from 2006--it drew a backlash from many of his peers, including Natalie Portman, Sarah Jessica Parker, Ellen Page and Josh Brolin.

http://www.observer.com/2008/battle-rages-over-heath-ledger-drug-video

http://www.defamer.com.au/2008/02/upset_actors_let_etinsider_know_that_running_heath_ledger_video_could_lead_to_immediate_red_carpet_embargos-2/

His peers' outspoken outrage prevented the full airing of this video, much to the respect of Ledger's grieving family who have also always defended their son/brother. I agreed with the outrage over the video and applauded them all for being so vocal on behalf of this fallen talent.

So I ask the question--why is not the same being done for Michael Jackson?

Jackson's death is an on-going homicide (not accidental death) investigation yet vast amounts information, including speculation about his death and events that may or may not have taken place even decades prior to his death, have been discussed or willing given to the public. Even his autopsy report and various search warrants have been made readily accessible by anyone. This can do nothing but severely jeopardize the homicide case at hand if such a case is to ever get underway.

Jackson, too, had a chief complaint of insomnia like Ledger and had insomnia for many years by Jackson's own account. Not only did Dr. Conrad Murray admit in police testimony he administered all the drugs found in Jackson's system but he also gave them all, but Valium, via the parenteral route (through punctures in the skin) which does in fact question Jackson's compliance of the administration of these medications. Even if he did comply, Murray is the one who admits to physically administering all the medications in an inappropriate setting to Jackson and did so in a highly negligent manner, contrary to the statement he "gave nothing that should have killed Jackson". Jackson's involvement in his own death cannot be firmly established (hence homicide--injection by another), certainly not as firm as Ledger's accidental death yet Jackson's death and even past occurrences unrelated to his death are constantly being hurled around and spread further and further into outlets which are building the type of connotation that will destroy any hope of justice for him when he rightfully deserves justice once and for all. Nothing is strongly being done for Jackson but the additional defamation of a his name that was destroyed by lies years ago and the implication that he is falsely responsible for his own death while at the same time shifting blame away from Murray and in-effect clearing his name of wrongdoing without him even having to attempt to prove such. No wonder we see Murray at the beach and pumping iron in tabloid photos. These verbal and written actions not only deeply sadden me but give me great pain because it almost makes me feel like Jackson has been abandoned by those few he was actually able to get close to during his life, whether this abandonment is intentional or not by those individuals. I think many who speak on Jackson's behalf do not understand they are doing this to him and do not understand his death is much more complex than it seems. It is time for Michael Jackson to have a strong protective voice as Heath Ledger does. For those closest to Jackson to appropriately defend him, which I hope most of them want to defend him, they need to stop being sidetracked by the media's ploys to get them to spew useless past information/hearsay and instead demand the media focus on Murray and his actions if they wish to speak about his death, which should be deferred until a homicide trial is adjourned. On June 25th, 2009, Jackson was eventually rendered defenseless by a physician who had control of the situation and therefore held Jackson's life within his hands. We all do good and wrong in our lifetimes but thus far the majority of focus is on all the (possible) wrong in Jackson's life, some of which is baseless and even flat-out false. It is time to concentrate on the good as he did years of good deeds for others and his countless good actions would take years to be completely expressed.

Shouldn't we, as a whole, accept nothing but the same respect for Jackson in death that we have seen for Ledger, regardless of your feelings for either person? I should think so--no, I know so. Both of these men left behind young children, died from unnatural circumstances, had enormous talent and seemed to also care about others immensely. However, their levels of respect from others are not even close to being parallel. Something must be done about it. This is my plea. Do not forget how Jackson loved the planet, loved animals, loved children, loved life and loved you, more.