by Jack Lee
North Korea is threatening to launch a missile at Hawaii on the 4th, California runs out of money in a couple of days, Iraqi's are cheering deliriously as skyrockets burst in brilliant colors overhead to celebrate US forces withdrawing from Baghdad (even Saddam didn't get that kind of send off) and there are a dozen other things of equal or greater concern, but instead we're going to spend hours of prime time watching the Michael Jackson funeral procession?
Michael Jackson, that pointy nose, bleached white, lipstick wearing, monkey adopting, child molesting, freakazoid, is being eulogized by Rev. Al Sharpton and others for virtually single handedly breaking down the color barrier for black entertainers and being a magnificent role model for millions of adoring fans who will now weep for days at the loss of this wonderful human being who does not even look black. He barely looks human.
In Congress, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. said with a straight face, "I come to the floor today on behalf of a generation to thank God for letting all of us live in his generation and in his era."
I should thank God letting me live in HIS generation? Un-be-lievable! Congressman Jackson is as nuts as MJ if he believes his own words. It's as if we're all supposed to conveniently wipe out the last 20 plus years of Michael Jackson's pedophilia and bizarreness and crown him a champion of truth, justice and the American way, because nothing else matters, except how good he could sing and dance!
This ladies and gentlemen is why we're in serious trouble of not being a society worthy of our inheritance, much less our continued existence.
For those who will claim that MJ was not convicted of any pedophilia crimes I want you to understand that the phrase “innocent until proven guilty” is one of the most misunderstood concepts there is. It speaks only of “the eyes of the law” and refers ONLY to the criminal justice system.
The failure of the criminal court to convict OJ Simpson of murder didn’t save him from a jury finding that he was responsible for the deaths of Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman and they awarded their families damages as a result. Further, the court of public opinion may find any level of guilt it chooses for anyone, collectively and severally on any evidence whatsoever.
A finding of “not guilty” does not imply innocence, it just says that a jury couldn’t agree beyond a “reasonable doubt” that the state should punish the accused.
A rather brilliant observation TH; one that is often lost on the multitudes unwashed, unshaven liberals lapping it up in the government trough.
I do not believe the liberals are totally lapping up the governments lies so much as they are just turning their heads and hoping the problem like OJ, and MJ would just go away. I believe they feel uncomfortable with the damage their ideas have wrought upon society and how even their own neighborhoods.
Case in point, the community where Frank Lombard lived. They enabled his crime by their very ideas of what a good community is and does. Now the resulting crime has caused them to close off all access to the media in the hopes that soon his crime will be forgotten like a bad nightmare. But like the characters in the movie, "Prince Of Tides", the damage is done and it is just a matter of time before the results of the damage will come home to roost. Maybe with their own children or themselves, but mark my words in the future we will revisit the problems MJ, OJ, and Lombard and others have visited upon us.
This is simple.. when you (an older man that knows better - a pop icon) invite young boys to stay in your house, nay, sleep over at your house, nay, sleep in your bed… you may just have to wake up and deal with peoples opinions the next morning. Especially if one of those boys says something about being molested.
Again, a nuance to the real point. If we want to commemorate someones death at the elected/represented level, those people should be real heroes. Heroes that stained the dirt of another country with their blood, so that its citizens may have a fighting chance at real freedom. Not a pop icon that may/may not have overdosed on prescription pills.
I love the guys dance moves, and yeah, I listened to him but he isn’t my hero. I don’t want my elected official to remember MJ on behalf of me. Do it on your own time, with your MJ fan club, and even wear the shirt.
When heroes become centrally those that entertain us, not the ones that teach us, or defend us, or risk their lives so we /can/ have entertainment; I fear we might be a sword plunge away from the fate of the roman empire.
Agreed with DaNang… the “innocent” bit in public eyes vs jury. On the second molestation suit, Jackson was indeed being taken to the cleaners by a professional lawsuit type of family with a history of screaming abuse for cash. You’ll find even the much maligned Rush Limbaugh echoing my comments on that. He was set up, and deservedly found innocent.
The first lawsuit that Jackson settled was his downfall. The police, stripping Jackson nude to examine if the child’s “description” of him was close enough to be considered viable evidence - was the mitigating factor in the settlement decision for Jackson. The “description” was to vague to determine any proof of intimacy, but it also led to Jackson - rather like Howard Hughes in many ways - settling the lawsuit just to halt the process which turned excruciatingly humiliating. Little did he know that he tarnished his reputation by doing so, and set himself up for future lawsuits.
I, personally, am not convinced one way or another about Jackson INRE these leveled pediphile charges. In one way that suggests he was a very sexual person when I really got the impression he was very asexual. He’s often said he just doesn’t care about that physical pleasure, and I’m not sure sure I disbelieve that. He was an odd bird at best.
But I’m personally not going to dwell on unproven legal accusations, nor pronounce judgment. He was an extraordinary talent with music that, on the whole, I enjoyed immensely. And for all his gifts and wealth, he was such a very sad character.
His ultimate judge will be God… not me. I shall miss his music and presence in the artistic world.
However I certainly agree that a Congressional moment of silence is completely inappropriate. If they feel the need to honor the dead, they should do it daily for our warriors… not a music icon.
Jack, I agree that this is not appropriate, but so many things like this are inappropriate.
Think about it for a moment, why should Nixon shake hands with Elvis in the White House - didn’t he have better things to do?
Should the Queen have given MBEs to the Beatles?
I don’t think it’s a big deal. Our modern culture is obsessed with celebrity. And I guess MJ was more than just a guy who sang and danced. Some look at the way he broke racial barriers and after all the troubles in the 50s and 60s that should count for something.
Sadly, often times celebrities have more clout than elected politicians.
From a news report: "Terry George leapt up excitedly as the phone rang. It was 9pm and he knew exactly who it would be… the most unlikely best friend a 13-year-old boy could have.
It was none other than his pop idol Michael Jackson, who had been calling his Leeds home like clockwork for the past five months after striking up a bizarre relationship.
But this time the besotted young fan’s excitement soon turned to shock and embarrassment as Jacko’s voice crackled down the line.
“He’d ring at 9pm on the dot three times a week and we became like best friends,” Terry recalled. “But on this night he sounded different. The line went quiet and I asked if he was still there.
“Then, suddenly out of nowhere, he asked me if I masturbated and that if I did, did I use cream? I was puzzled
and said no. I said I didn’t know what he meant.
“When I paused he said, ‘Would you believe that I am doing it right now?’ and I could hear down the line he was making strange noises. It made me feel confused and uncomfortable.”
Yesterday Terry – now 42 and a multi-millionaire businessman – said: “Michael was a musical legend and genius. But what he did when I was a teenager was wrong.”
He was the first victim of the star’s obsession with children which would ultimately cripple his career.
Jacko, accused of abusing several young boys, was never convicted of any crime. But multi-million-dollar pay-offs to families and a warped insistence that it was OK to share his bed with boys has left a permanent stain on his legacy.
No sympathy at all for the poor beggar, huh?
Another knock on rich people. There was virtually no one in that man/boy's life to tell him: NO! You will not do that!
Except that nurse. But he got around her ... and died.
It is just too damned bad.
You know Lib sometimes you sum it up so nicely, thank you. You're right, Michael Jackson, just like so many super-stars, had absolutely nobody to tell him no and make it stick!
Those folks let their fame and money push them further and further in risky behaviors just because they could, there was nobody there to set limits; and for too many of us that can be fatal. More often these rich and famous types are surrounded by little people trying to keep their jobs by going along with the celebrity. And yes, it's just too damn bad, there was probably a time in MJ's life that was a major turning point where he could have taken a higher road. I would like to believe that and that we all have such forks in the road for us, maybe not on the scale that Jackson had, but they are there.
Yall be a racist cracker and a homeofob too. Michael was the greatest hero the world ever seen.
Why?
I do wish my liberal brethren, such as they are, would learn to spell. Homeofob? Sigh.
Michael reminds me of Coleridge. Neither of them faired well. Wildly imaginative vision needs one externally firm hand, and if they haven't got it ... they get themselves drugged up and die.