by Laura Hinds

Created on: September 03, 2009   Last Updated: September 05, 2009

Today, September 3rd, 2009, Michael Jackson will finally be laid to rest. Reportedly the delay of over two months from the time of death is due to controversy amongst his family about where he should be interred. This seems to indicate that in death as well as in life, the Jackson family remains filled with communication issues and power struggles. Is it possible that this familial strife is one of the causes of Jackson's underlying emotional problems that may have contributed to his drug addiction? Absolutely.

Dr. Conrad Murray, who was Michael Jackson's personal physician, and who even resided in Jackson's home, admits to administering a variety of prescription drugs to Jackson in the hours preceding his death. Whether his actions are construed as malpractice, mischief, malfeasance, or simple negligence remains to be seen. Regardless of the legal outcome, Dr. Murray does indeed have a great deal of culpability in this tragedy.

Over the years, Jackson has had a slew of physicians who have yet to be exposed in public as has happened with Dr. Conrad Murray. There were also pharmacists and perhaps hospitals involved. While Dr. Murray may be the one and only person who may face legal charges, the responsibility does not lie with him alone.

Back in 1984, Michael Jackson was working on rehearsal for a commercial for Pepsi. In a bizarre accident, his hair caught on fire and he was rushed to the hospital with severe burns. It has been reported that this is when he originally became addicted to prescription pain killers. Allegedly, the director of the commercial insisted on numerous takes which may have contributed to the accident. Does Pepsi Co, and or this director bear some responsibility? Perhaps slightly, but ultimately not in the long run.

Michael Jackson did go to a rehabilitation facility for treatment of narcotic addiction, and it was believed that he had conquered this demon. Yet years later it recurred and became worse and worse, to the point that it is now obvious that he had a severe drug addiction. This was an open secret and yet nothing was really done to stop him.

Since his death, his family has changed their tune about their knowledge of this addiction. There were reports that an Intervention Event was planned by the Jackson Family, but that they were having a hard time even contacting Michael. Shortly thereafter, the Jacksons began to deny that they were aware of the problem. Which is it?

Are the family members responsible on any level for his death because they did not intervene, or did not notice what must have been a very clear problem? Does the family now hold two responsibility cards: family dysfunction and family denial? Probably.

In conclusion, however, the person responsible for Michael Jackson and his life and death is Michael Jackson himself. He was an intelligent man. He had suffered from addiction in the 80's and had received treatment. He knew treatment was available. There were plenty of people he could have reached out to. He chose not to. He chose the medications no matter what the financial cost or the cost to his health, and to his children.

The blame game can be played in many ways in this tragedy, and those who bear some responsibility should own up to it. Michael paid the ultimate price and this needs to serve as an example to others: money can buy you almost anything, including the slow suicide orchestration of one's own demise, whether intentionally or through the blinders worn on the face of addiction.

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