Michael Jackson goes free, at least under the law. But he'll bear the brand of freakdom forever.
As most of you have probably already heard, Michael Jackson was acquitted of all charges today, much to the surprise of pundits and prosecutors. Apparently the accuser's mother was just too opportunistic and unconvincing for jurors to accept, and the rest of the case just fell down like dominos. If she wasn't credible then the conspiracy claims fall apart, and her sons testimony looks suspect as well, and the rest of the case was mostly rumor and innuendo.…
Article comments
26 - Dawn
Dave - I found this to be fair, judicious and quite well written as well as, very insightful into the essence of this entire fiasco.
Clearly, any parent who would let their child near this man should be committed into the closest insane asylum.
Conviction or not, he is a menace to himself and children alike.
27 - nick
can't wait for the next world tour for my part !
28 - Eric Olsen
apparently three jurors favored conviction going into deliberations, but were talked out of it by their peers
29 - nick
Good job they ended up seeing the light
30 - james mclafferty
Nick: INNOCENT Yayyyyyyyyy!!!!! :) And ERIC mate (my oh so wrong dude) :) From the coverage i saw of the interviews with the jurors they said they had no problem finding him innocent beyond reasonable doubt and said it was the mother's unhingedness that persuaded them, and also they said the time line that was presented by the prosecution was naff : He'll be back mate roll on the victory tour, Tom sneddon is a cold man!, Tom sneddon is a cold.
31 - nick
yayyyyyyy you are right dude. Although we will still find people to spin the truth. It is worse that number 10 here ! I reckon Blair could hire Eric to replace Alastair Campbell !
32 - Seán Mac Cann
i suppose we'll never really know. In Jackson's favour, it could be argued that a genuine abuser would have hidden his tracks a lot better than he did. And some of the most vicious child rapists and beaters ever were ultra-normal appearing Catholic priests in Ireland and in the US .
33 - Natalie Davis
"Personally I have a warm affection for freaks, but it's no way to go through life if you have a choice."
Why not? Why conform if it's only for the sake of conforming or bowing and scraping to the rank and file? What is the good in being "normal," whatever the frig that is? Why can't people just be themselves without having to be ridiculed by the masses, who ought to have learned to get over their childhood cruelties toward nonconformists but clearly have not? I simply don't get it. Then again, I wave my freak flag wide and high.
34 - Dave Nalle
ND and I apparently have different definitions of 'freak'.
Dave
35 - sandra smallson
Eric, in your system, I think one is presumed innocent till proven guilty. MJ was not proven guilty(whatever the evidence or lack of) Therefore, the presumption of innocence remains. Therefore he is innocent. What part of that are you finding difficult to understand?
How can you in one breath say a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty and then say, when you say "not guilty" in your system it means not enough evidence. Well, eric, it seems that has been confusing you for years. Let me explain it.
When there is not enough evidence to prove guilt, it means that, the presumption of innocence can not be discarded so, MJ is innocent of the 10 charges brought against him.
Now, if you or Juror number 1 think he molested Chandler so he is not "innocent", I suggest you go find Jordy and get him to Court, till then, please, hold your peace.
Jeez! It's like accusing Joe Bloggs of theft today, where there is no evidence that he stole...then Tom, Dick and Harry come out and say, "it's true, he is a thief because he stole from me in 97 and 98 but I didn't take him to court because he gave me money.."
Oh well! Tough Shite! Perhaps you should have taken him to court. Right now, that information of prior theft is not conclusive of anything other than Tom, Dick and Harry prefer money to justice and/or protecting other potential victims.
36 - sandra smallson
Dave, while I may look like an utter idiot to you,(which believe me, coming from a person who wrote that nonsense above, I will take as a compliment) I do think my response can and does apply to your drivel saturated post.
Now, you seem not to think so. That doesn't surprise me.
37 - Eric Olsen
in legal terms, yes, in reality terms it's all fair game for discussion
38 - JR
Natelie Davis: Why can't people just be themselves without having to be ridiculed by the masses, who ought to have learned to get over their childhood cruelties toward nonconformists but clearly have not? I simply don't get it. Then again, I wave my freak flag wide and high.
Yeah, but you haven't spent the last twenty years badgering me for attention. If a guy is going to go around the world screaming "Look at me!", and then engage in behavior that most people find a bit disturbing, he's pretty much asking for it.
39 - sandra smallson
Fair enough, Eric. Everything on earth is fair game for discussion, ofcourse.
40 - Dave Nalle
Sandra, it's still bad etiquette to post the same tirade to a bunch of different threads without any real reference to the content of the specific threads - smacks a bit of self-centeredness.
And btw, weird doesn't equal pedophile, weird equals putting a target on your back. If you do that you need to be prepared to deal with the results in a mature and intelligent way, and Jackson certainly isn't.
There are plenty of weird people who know where to draw the line. Marilyn Manson is a perfect example. He puts on a good show of weirdness, but when push comes to shove he can do a pretty convincing normal guy impersonation. Jackson can't.
Dave
41 - Eric Olsen
nice analogy Dave
42 - sandra smallson
Dave, I think I made reference to your particular post and the points running through them. I don't know what you have imagined you posted about but I am sure I gave my point of view in part, on the points running through what you CLEARLY posted about.
Again, I am not surprised that you claim not to see it. Surely, after comment 36, you should know by now that what you consider etiquette or idiocy means nothing to me. Any insult or derogatory statement from you, I take as an award winning compliment. That's the standard I have put you in.
43 - Angel Elf
Despite the acquittal, at least three jurors said afterward they suspected the pop star has molested some boys, but not the one who accused him in court.
44 - nick
3 out of 12 had SUSPICIONS after a 4 months trial and a million dollars investigation that took 70 officers to the ranch and a decade long of press propaganda anti-Jackson. What an achievement !
45 - nick
I am glad however that it enables you people, who hate the idea of justice, still have something to hold on to to carry on with your foolish hate campaign.
46 - Dave Nalle
>>Dave, I think I made reference to your particular post and the points running through them. I don't know what you have imagined you posted about but I am sure I gave my point of view in part, on the points running through what you CLEARLY posted about.<<
Good job of demonstrating that you STILL haven't successfully read my post. I didn't post about Jackson's guilt or innocence, except to point out in the first paragraph that he'd been found innocent. My post was about how his behavior has caused him to be judged by the public and the untennable position that living as a freak in the public eye puts him in. Your response had absolutely nothing to do with that.
>>Again, I am not surprised that you claim not to see it. Surely, after comment 36, you should know by now that what you consider etiquette or idiocy means nothing to me. Any insult or derogatory statement from you, I take as an award winning compliment. That's the standard I have put you in.<<
Well of course, because you're a Jackson fanatic, who's here only to crow his victory and are not at all interested in what other people have to say.
Dave
47 - Dave Nalle
BTW Sandra, the only reference in your comment to the original article is the use of the word freak, which you clearly got from the title, since you apparently read no farther. The rest of the comment is a clone of your other comments which are about nothing except the fact that Jackson was found innocent and is as pure as the driven snow - which this post had nothing to do with.
Dave
48 - sandra smallson
Yes, everyone who thinks MJ is innocent is a Jackson fanatic in your eyes?
Now, your post is about the after effect of the verdict and how some in the public will still consider him guilty of molesting little boys. What part of my post do you think can not be seen as a response to that drivel you wrote?
Surely, my pointing out that he has been found innocent and regardless of what some in the public think, that is simply the fact of the matter, can be seen as a response to your drivel about public opinion?
You must be under an illusion that there is something different in your posts as opposed to all the other post-verdict posts. You are deluded. There is nothing different.
You are all saying the same thing. Not guilty does not mean innocent and it's all his fault we think he is a freak. THAT is what you are saying contrary to whatever else is running through your little head. If all of you are saying the same thing, then forgive me for giving you the impression that I have all the time in the world to post the same responses at each given time.
Copy and paste is all you deserve and if you wanted a totally different response then you should have made an ORIGINAL point. YOU DID NOT.
49 - Nancy
Jackson is for all intents & purposes dead as far as the US is concerned, save for the small minority of his die-hard fans, for various reasons not all having to do with this trial. All of us, including Mr. J., need to move on. In his case, preferably to Europe or Japan to recoup his financial standing & health. For the rest of us, to resume our lives or to actually get a life until the media go baying after the next object of their attention.
50 - nick
The media have been saying for a decade that MJ is a dead man. However I can see a man who is still standing. He is certainly frail but I do think he will recover.
51 - Nancy
My bad; apologies all around, including MJ. I should have stipulated, 'professionally'. For his own sake, physically & mentally, I should think he would be better off going somewhere where he doesn't get hit w/all this constant hostility, and the media/public are still enthusiastic over him and not his 'scandals'; but he certainly doesn't have to do what I think, or anybody else, either. Having gone thru what he has just gone thru, guilty of molestation w/other kids or not, to stay here where the media jackals (and most of the public) are just waiting for Round 3 would seem to be inviting additional stress and problems.
52 - nick
Agreed. It sounds like the US are full of vulptures to me...
53 - Mihos
I hope that every single person that bothered to follow this trial will take the time to reflect on the value of human life and dignity. There were no victors in the case. Everyone ended up losing their dignity in the scramble for Jackson's cash and humanity. And let us be honest about it. People have exposed their tireless prejudice in this instance. People we would never think could have a bigoted bone in their body turn around and suprise you with the sheer dimensions of their racist delusions. Black people are no more likely than anyone else to rape a child. But the idea presented had wings because it seemed entirely likely that this dimension challenged icon enjoyed the company of young people more than he aught to and his influence over young people seemed too large to contain.
Dragging him around by his feet and in the press didnt seem to work so finally some smart persecution minded people kicked in the blothced danger zone and that almost worked. It had all of the world transfixed for months on end. Half a million people were murdered in IRaq during the trial and at least a million in Sudan and yet the whole world preferred to turn and stare at the trainwreck of the world's last esoteric poet. Like Gibrain, Krisnamurti and Rumi, Jackson is larger than his time.
Human yes but underappreciated for all the wrong reasons.
Personally I think he is a bit clueless on many counts.
But his wisdom is brimming over with a boundless charisma our era is in dire need of.
Some one asked rhetorically- this man slept in the same Room with an unrelated boy not older than twelve for an entire year- and we are expected to believe nothing sexual ever happened?-
THe question is could you share a room with an unrelated child for an entire year and never behave inappropriately - in a sexual manner?
I can answer that question without a single pause.
Yes I certainly could. Couldn't you? It may be mind boggling to some Americans but most of the rest of the world finds itself sharing sleeping spaces. Yes that is right, people share tables in cafes and they dont even know one another. They often share beds and blankets with people they dont even know. Welcome to reality people.
Children are interesting and fun to hang out with because they are not sexual beings. It is disgusting to believe that anyone could molest a child and it is infuriating to me that this case has obscured real child abuse victims. Anyone who has been so blessed as to share a nap with a child ..
54 - Nancy
I'm glad you added that "...in a sexual manner." Depending on the age of the kid in question, I might behave inappropriately if I'm trying to get some sleep and they're up giggling and wiggling and I've told them for the umpteenth time to SHUT UP AND GO TO SLEEP! Other than that, no problem.
55 - JD
I read all the pro's and con's and you can say he's eccentric (but this isn't Britain) - me, I have to agree, he's a freak (the facts rather speak for themselves ...)
http://whackojacko.com
56 - lady harpington
i think any1 who h8s MJ infact i no any1 who h8s mj u aint got no coman sence u just believe anythin. Hes dun nout rong just cos hes a bit diffrent from all da rest of us dunt mean to say hes a bad person so get ur heads 2gether den ur c hes da best eva xxxxxxxxxxxx so **** all u ppl who dont av a brain n make der own minds up luv ya 12 yr old fan lady harpington
57 - JJJJJ
Michael Jackson is a major Freak. He should be put on display in a zoo. He is a major perv and has a few good songs but not many. my friend Azland says that he is really sexy but he looks like a hippy with a pig nose that was dipped in clorox.
58 - DONALD
ALL I HAVE TO SAY IS PEOPLE THINK THIS [ WHATEVER IT IS ] IS NORMAMAL, THEY MUST BE IN THE SAME CONDITION STEVIE WONDER`S IN, BLIND
59 - Phalio
Michael Jackson is not a freak, he is simply different.
And there are people who sadly, cannot accept that.
60 - Bob
The dude is a wanna be white boy. He turns his back on his black family and friends now god is punishing him. He is a sadistic freak. He should try to get a job in a circus side show.
61 - Adant Vant
"He's going to be a prisoner of the press and of legal and public suspicion, trapped on Neverland Ranch, with nowhere to go and nothing much to do except ride his rides and play with his monkey until his life reaches some sad and ironic conclusion in a few years."
Nice call.
62 - Ace
Face dancing indidviduals like you Nalle are governed by the illegitamacy of ignorance.