strangegrey wrote:Well, Jeremy, I'm not looking to argue the issue on MJ any longer. The last thing I want to do is take it to the personal level either.
I do think that it's kinda hard to say that he was found not guilty by a jury of his peers. That's kinda odd to even contemplate, dont ya think? Those jurors that claimed after the fact that they felt he was guilty, clearly weren't peers of his. They weren't even born in the same side of a century with him....
Regardless, there's enough justification for folks to either stamp guilt on Jackson or absolve him of it. Obviously, it's clear where we all stand.
Personally, irrespective of the outcome of the case, there's enough information that unfolded during the case, for me to come to my own conclusion. I don't apply a great deal of confidence to the southern california court system. They failed to convict OJ, out of fear of racial unrest...and I firmly believe the same motivational factors come to play with Jackson. Maybe not racial (because he was no longer black and far more interested in being white)....but there were enough people that would have thrown a temper tantrum in socal, if he was thrown in jail, that the courts walked very carefully...
What I do find rather frustrating to see unfold, is all of the MJ love thrown in his direction, post-OD. I still maintain, if he were anyone else, his death (and all of the bullshit surrounding it) would carry a somber/subdued tone, because of the child molestation charges (whether or not he was found guilty). The mere fact that charges were brought against him, he paid his way out of another case and made the statements he did on tv, would be MORE than enough to make people rethink all of the tributes currently going on.
But the fact that they are simply being tossed to the side of the road (when before his death, people were MORE than happy and content with his living as a hermit out of the scrutiny of society) in favor of all this stupid tribute shit....is deplorable. It really is. This is child molestation. It wasn't like he got a few DWIs and all was well....
I'll leave it at that...
I understand what you're saying about coming to your own conclusion. That's your right and mine.
In regard to the "MJ love" you mentioned that you find frustrating, I have to say...Michael Jackson taught me how to love music at a very early age. He's a large part of the reason why I'm a musician today. I think probably a lot of people can say the same thing. When someone who had such a big role in making you who you are passes, it leaves a hole and there's a lot of hurt there. For me, the tributes are totally justified and quite honestly they couldn't go on long enough. I just wish the people who are praising him now would've been doing the same thing before he passed. We might have seen a different outcome.
I still think that "the mere fact that charges were brought against him" isn't enough to say he did it. (Not to mention the fact that he was found not guilty). I mean, there's a lady suing him now (or his estate) that claims she's the mother of all of his children, and that HER father is Lucifer, the devil. Think there's something to that as well?
Regarding him buying his way out of charges, celebs are sued for ridiculous crap all the time (see above) and they often pay whatever to not have to deal with it. Now, the comments he's made on tv about sharing a bed...I have to say, as others have, from everything I've seen, misguided though it may be, I truly believe that's how he saw the world.
As far as the porn they found goes, others have said it as well as I could.
Edit - I thought I heard on the news that the crazy lady was saying that she was the mother of one of his "twins" which, as far as I know, he doesn't have, but apparently she's saying she's the mother of all his kids. The devil being her father thing, she is claiming that.