This doesn’t really pertain to Music…or maybe it does!
So, I was watching this show called Autopsy. It’s about celebrity deaths that seem questionable. I think that’s what it’s supposed to be about. I don’t normally tune in to these sorts of programs, but the lead-in or cover story that displayed on the TV, was the death of Robin Williams and I was interested.
I was travelling and in San Francisco, at the time, and never really did get the story. When I heard about his death by suicide, I was shocked. Of course, not knowing Mr. Williams personally, that should come as no surprise, as often we characterize our favorite stars by the characters they portray, and the media stories we read about them.
Moving forward, I thought it was just a single show. However, after Celebrity 1, Celebrity 2, Celebrity 3…. Celebrity 5, and still no Robin Williams, it finally dawned on me to look up the Program Information. Then I found out it was a series that ran for years.
So, the narrative of this show is given from the perspective of the Coroner, or whoever did the autopsy. They introduce facts, discovered during these autopsies, which lead to questions about what really might have happened.
I still haven’t caught the Robin Williams episode, but along the way, I did see the one about The Doors, Jim Morrison. I’m not trying to substantiate or dispel any of the show’s conclusions, but it seems as though some of the conclusions, or the information leading to the results of these autopsies, are a stretch in that they aren’t conclusive either, or at least in this layman’s mind. There is a lot of speculation on the part of the coroner, but since I’m not educated in that field, I can only say it presented me with a lot of doubt about whether any of this is conclusive.
One of the things I found interesting, which was brought out by this show, was that Jim Morrison served 6 months of hard labor, for using abusive language and for being indecently exposed! Both infractions were, and as far as I know, still are misdemeanors. I got to thinking that if this happened, today, how that would sit in the consciousness of today’s modern society. It doesn’t seem likely, at least to me, the idea of doing hard labor for a couple of misdemeanors. It sounds insane. Maybe in Russia but not in Uncle Sam’s U.S. of A.
Well, that got me thinking that maybe we are not reasoning correctly when it comes to “Equal Justice” and being “Above the Law,” two of the common declarations I hear all the time from Politicians.
Maybe, instead of comparing White guy A’s crime to Black guy B’s crime we should be looking at the crime and the punishment for a crime today, as compared to 5 or 10 years ago, instead of 65 years ago. I think what the government wants us to believe is that the law is the law, consistent and inflexible. I think, we should start reasoning things differently. Politicians today, are drafting laws that will be around for many years to come. Once ratified, laws are much harder to retract than they were to ratify.
The average age of Congressmen has gradually risen over the years. Currently, in the 117th Congress, Representatives average 58.4 years of age and Senators, 64.3. I have to say, in the year 2085, I find it highly unlikely, the normality of legal principles, justice, and punishments, will closely resemble how things are today.
Personally, I will no longer vote when it comes to issues. It isn’t that I don’t care. It’s just that more than likely, the law I’m voting on will probably be around longer than me. I don’t find that to be fair to those who are to be governed by these laws long after those who passed them are gone. I envision people in 2085, when reflecting back on today’s society, will think many of us will be thought about as having done hard labor throughout our lifetime!
You should fact check me because my source is from the internet and you can’t see their source, unless you register…blah, blah, blah. I’m not trying to convince anyone of anything…This was just something that popped into my mind after viewing the show.
I just think we need a different approach as to how to change our society, for the better. We should stop comparing apples to oranges today and start seeing how the apples today compare to the apples of a generation ago. Maybe all laws, or at least the ones that are going to impact our freedom, our purses, and our children, should have a sunset, 10, 15, or 25 years after becoming law. If they still seem impactful and relevant, they can be re-enacted by those who are living during that era.
I think maybe his Rock Star status and general GAF demeanor, may have rubbed the elders of his time wrong, which in my opinion, shouldn’t conflict with our Constitutional right to live how we choose, providing we aren’t impacting others. Yeah, you can say his actions were impacting the consciousness of the youth of his time, but so does the actions and teachings of Teachers, Preachers, and Television.
Who’s to say how Mr. Morrison would’ve matured, had he lived until 75, or whatever the average lifespan of today is… He might’ve been a Philanthropist and an inspirational voice of today, Or maybe even a Congressman.
I mean Jim may have been a bit strange, but I can think of many people of that generation who used profanity and ran naked! Like the Upper Falls, in New Paltz, New York. People used to run around there naked and on LSD! I’m not sure what they do today, as I don’t get out that much.
One of The Doors greatest hits, “People are Strange,” was co-written by Jim.
It seems somewhat ironic and a bit eerie, they had to cut him open to see what was inside!
Sysop
