OK, “pitting” Jacko is shooting fish in a barrel. I don’t think he lacks any humanity, and so it’s possible he’s giving disadvantaged children a fun day because it’s a nice thing to do for them, and obviously he doesn’t deserve to get pitted for that. But one suspects that whatever altruistic motives he has are mixed up with staging a PR stunt and/or a desire to be surrounded by kids, possibly videotaping the whole thing for later enjoyment. One wonders how carefully they monitored the kids, and assured that none were taken inside for That Secret Special Ride…
Words fail me. I am eager to see one of our more prolific pitters write an epic pit on this event.
You said it, Arky. Everybody knows I think most people are stupid, but even I’m left gasping by this. It takes a true, Grade A, “I’m sorry you figured out how to reproduce”-style moron to take his (or her) kids to Michael Jackson. That this man was sick and had some big time problems was obvious years ago, and now he’s in the middle of a long-running child molestation case. Come on! I suspect that if Charles Manson was out of jail, some of these parents would have him babysit their kids.
Holy heck, it’s bad enough to imagine the stupid parents putting their kids on a bus, but Jackson claims those kids were sent to Neverland by entire organizatons of stupid people!
"Friday’s visitors, from six organizations and ranging in age from about 3 or 4 years to their teens, were bused to Neverland and then rode a train up from the parking lot. They included children with special needs from Santa Barbara and some affiliated with the First AME Church in Los Angeles
Jackson must still have ties to charities or kid’s clubs or something. How else could he find all these kids? An ad in the personals?
Though I would be worthless to any case as a juror because of my personal opinion that he probably is, until either a conviction or an undisputable disclosure comes out, one would do well to use such words as “alleged” or “suspected.”
My crystal ball says that might come soon, btw, but until it does…
The parents and organizers are probably the same people we saw falling all over the place, sobbing and wetting themselves when Jackson lept on top of the van and danced after his initial hearing. Remember that?
They’re the idiots that go to his concerts and go into absolute hysterics when he comes out, weeping and going into convulsions. Then if he even looks at them, they start freaking out as if they were lepers who had been cured by the miraculous springs of Lourdes.
THESE are the type of people who’d let their children around Michael.
Even after a conviction, nothing’s for certain. But even without a conviction, this is as slam-dunk a case you’re gonna get. But for now, yeah, use “suspected” and after he’s convicted, use “convicted”.
“Convicted” both emphasizes the minute chance of factual innocence while at the same time emphasizing the criminal nature of the pedophilia. If he’s guilty, he’s a disgrace to ordinary law-abiding pedophiles.
Apparently, there was a glitch in the system, and for some reason, I ended up being read as “member” rather than “Charter Member”, which I was originally. It’s such a minor thing, I’m not about to bother the admin about it. shrugs
For a publication like, say, The Chicago Reader, it brings up the very real problem of libel. That’s all I’m really concerned about. I would hate to see a board of directors get worried enough about possible litigation to pull our board down.
As for what I personally think about him, yeah. And I would probably argue that he is in open conversation. After all, what would the world care how I feel? But, putting it in print and distributing it to thousands of people? Surely you see my concern.
Being a pedophile isn’t a matter for the courts. Being a molester is. There is a difference. A pedophile is someone sexually attracted to children, but such a person can not (and should not) be considered “guilty” of anything until they commit a crime. There is not (yet) thought crimes in this country. )
It is not contested that Jackson “loves children” and slept in the same bed with a young boy, and is know that he wrote the boy love letters, in which he called him “Rubba” for reasons I do not care to wonder about (http://crime.allinfoabout.com/michaeljackson/rubba.html). That makes him a pedophile. To call him a molester may be libel, though it would have to be proven I knowingly lied with malice and forethought.
There are thousands of blogs and opinion pieces online alleging that Jackson is a pedophile. Amazingly, none have been snuffed out by Jackson’s lawyers, who are much too busy keeping his skinny ass out of prison right now to worry about it.
Only slightly facetiously…
Charlie Manson wasnt a pedophile, he might try to brainwash your kids into killing mommy and daddy, but I dont think he would try to shag them…
Actually, I would have to reread crime files, but I dont think he actually killed anybody in the Tate-LaBianca murders, I think he only planned and incited…Not that he isnt purely nuts, and deserves to be in the slammer for life.
The only unusual thing here is that Jackson was there. And I’d like to add my voice to the chorus: Jackson is a supected molestor, not a “known pedophile.”