Just came across this photo….

Personally I find the photo eerily amazing.  Several MJ fans have raised money to purchase a fly-by banner for April 5th at the courthouse.  The above photoshopped photo shows how the banner will look flying over the courthouse. I really hope they go through with it.

I personally believe that Murray should be charged with 2nd Degree Murder not involuntary manslaughter.  There is nothing “involuntary” about giving drugs to a patient in a harmful way.  Michael Jackson needed to be treated for his insomnia not put to sleep with anesthesia. The prescription drug problem in this country is out of control. More and more doctors are enabling instead of treating.  These doctors need to be held responsible for their actions regardless of who the patient is or what they may have asked for.

I get that MJ played a part in all of this by requesting or going along with the sedation.  But ultimately it is the DOCTOR (if you can call Murray that) that gives the final approval and hands out the prescription.  In this case, it even goes a step further because Conrad Murray administered the drugs.  Murray should not only go to jail but he should lose his medical license – in all states not just California.

This whole situation is comparable to putting your pet to sleep.  The vet gives your pet an overdose of anesthesia and it slowly stops their heart. Now tell me MJ wanted that? I don’t think so. He just wanted to get some rest.

Anesthesia is a pharmacologically induced reversible state of amnesia, analgesia, loss of responsiveness, loss of skeletal muscle reflexes and decreased stress response. Deep sedation analgesia: “Drug-induced depression of consciousness during which patients cannot be easily aroused but respond purposefully following repeated or painful stimulation.” Patients may sometimes be unable to maintain their airway and breathe on their own.

Based on that definition, the caregiver (and I say that mockingly in Murray’s case) would and should be entirely responsible for the care and well being of the patient while that patient is under anesthesia.  Imagine if you underwent surgery and all the doctors left the room to make phone calls while you were under?  Left you there unsupervised without any monitoring devices? Left you as your heart decreased beats and your lungs stopped functioning?  That’s what Murray did.

Murray sedated Michael to a state of “drug-induced depression of consciousness during which patients cannot be easily aroused” and is now claiming he has no responsibility for that?  That is just bullshit.

Say what you will about Michael Jackson… no one deserves to be treated that way.  No one.

#Justice4MJ

And before you say this is just a celebrity problem, think about how many relatives in your own family have had issues regarding their doctor prescribing too much medication? I know both Rick and I have grandmothers whose doctors over-prescribed medication.

Both of our grandmothers (at the end) were so drugged out of their minds they couldn’t function. And in both cases, when confronted by the family their reaction was “My doctor prescribed this for me and I’m going to take it.”  Shit…  their mentality was simple “since a doctor prescribed it, it must be right?”  You can’t ever question your doctor.  He’s the doctor.

Most doctors do not take into consideration other drugs the patient may be taking or how these drugs will interact with each other.   I’ve seen it in my own family.  In the case of my Dad, the last weeks before he died, he had been prescribed Vicodin for his knees.  The prescription was so strong that he was basically drugged up for weeks – not functioning at all – he couldn’t stay awake for more than 30 minutes.  The final straw for me was when he fell asleep at the table during my girls 3 year old birthday party.  I told my mom (who was so close to the situation that she couldn’t see it) that this was NOT NORMAL – it was NOT RIGHT.  She needed to take him off the Vicodin or severely reduced the amount he was taking (that he had been prescribed).  She took him off it and he became lucid again and more like himself.

It’s so easy to say things like “Michael Jackson was an addict.” or “Michael Jackson ASKED for it.” or “Michael Jackson deserved it.” or “Who the fuck goes under anesthesia to get sleep and rest?”… I’ve said them all myself actually.  But after reading more about MJ (and not the tabloid journalism crap), I began to see that he was not the monster portrayed in the press and that all he really needed was someone to stand up to him and help him.

We as a society threw him away and now we as a society are saying he doesn’t deserve justice.  That just ain’t right.

We all deserve forgiveness, compassion, understanding and justice.  And so does Michael Jackson.

April 5th.

#Justice4MJ

Well it looks like Shawn Michaels is officially retiring after last night’s “Career vs Streak” match with the Undertaker.  My two favorite wrestlers of all time are Shawn and Taker so if Shawn is leaving, going out to the Undertaker is the way to go, IMHO.  Still sad.

Rick and I were at Wrestlemania 13 in Chicago when Undertaker beat Sid Vicious.  Got my official Undertaker shirt (that has since disappeared)… but last night, I was wearing my Shawn shirt. Hoping that Shawn would pull out the win…

But after several kick-outs when Shawn knelt before the Taker and Taker didn’t want to pin him… somehow I knew… I had seen it before… the look in the eyes… the pleading… Shawn pleaded for Undertaker to just DO IT…

Rick Flair had also begged a hesitant Shawn not too long ago to “end it” too.  Flair went out to Michaels and Michaels has now gone out to Taker.

I have mixed feelings…  I think it’s great to see Shawn, my HBK, go out on top.  He really is retiring as The Show Stopper and Mr. Wrestlemania.

Flair needed to retire a long time before he “did”… he lost his shine… I say “did” because he is now back wrestling on TNA these days looking half past dead. He supposedly pissed all his money away and can’t retire.  hmmm…

It was also nice to see Bret and Shawn make amends. Their feud was real and very personal. Shawn was able to move on but Bret has been living ’97 Survivor Series over and over for the last 13 years and it’s torn his entire life apart.  Wrestlemania 26 tried to wrap everything up in a nice little bow… Bret comes back, Stu gets inducted in the Hall of Fame, Bret and his family beat the hell out of Vince, Bret patches things up with Shawn and then Shawn retires at the top of his game.

INSERT – Top of his game…  Seriously?!? Did you see Shawn’s back flip off the top rope onto Undertaker laying on the announcer’s table? DAMN! I mean DAMN! If that ain’t worth an “ECW Holy Shit!” I don’t know what is… Classic Shawn!

Bret and Shawn won’t ever be close… the history and wounds are too deep.  But hopefully both of them found some peace and can move on with their lives especially Bret who has allowed that one moment in time to define his personal life and has ultimately destroyed him.

Shawn Michaels makes his final walk through the backstage area after Wrestlemania.

Hopefully RAW will have an official Shawn retirement tribute tonight. Mixed feelings for sure…

This is the “We are the World” version they should release.  It’s all Michael.

The one for Haiti is awful…  Most of the people can’t sing or get a “Who the hell is that?” reaction.

JUSTICE FOR MICHAEL

It has finally hit me. No more music. No more songs. No more dancing.  No more videos. No more albums. No more tours. He’ll never perform on another stage again. His children will never get to grow up with their father. It makes me sad.

Sony plans on releasing new music but it won’t have Michael’s stamp of approval on it.  It just won’t be the same.

Next week (April 5th) will be the beginning of Murray’s trial.  At this point, there really will be no justice even if he is found completely guilty.

It will never be the same.

I’m sorry that I had to lose him to remember how much I loved him.

#justice4mj

FORGIVE ME

Forgive me for not seeing the light until the darkness came; sunny days seem far away.

Forgive me for not keeping the faith; swift and sudden fall from grace.

Forgive me for breaking you; oh God, he’s drifting away.

Forgive me for beLIEving the lies; the T.V. screen don’t make it factual.

Forgive me for trippin; world hunger, no cures, corruption, police brutality, drug addiction

Forgive me for not defending against the slander; everybody wants to read all about it.

Forgive me for not being there; just let me be.

Forgive me for not lending my voice; lie for it, kill for it, die for it

Forgive me for invading; respect’s not given it’s earned.

Forgive me for seeing exactly what I wanted to see; get away from me.

Forgive me for being so damn disrespectable; what do you want from me?

Forgive me for not standing; they were kicking me.

Forgive me for injustice; why can’t I see?

Forgive me for not trusting; L.O.V.E. ain’t what it used to be.

Forgive me for not caring anymore; left for reasons unexplained.

Forgive me for judging; heart of stone.

Forgive me for giving in; just do the things I say.

Forgive me for my abandonment; promised me forever.

Forgive me for not making a change; words are not enough.

Forgive me for not beLIEving; ghosts in the mirror.

Forgive me for the blood on the stairs; who gave me the right?

Forgive me for not giving a damn; is it too late?

Forgive me for hurting you; can’t conceive it.

Forgive me for being a stranger; don’t walk away.

Forgive me for not smiling; my heart is broken.

Whatever happens; don’t let go of my hand.