Michael Jackson 1958-2009..................... Memorial Set for July 7th at Staples Center

Originally Posted by Fede DPT

smh.gif
At Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson fighting over who is going to do the eulogy. Stay classy, scumbags.
Click to expand...


Although I agree the bickering is childish. Jesse Jackson is an idiot. Sharpton is at-least respectable. My vote goes to him, and this is prior to his Obamacomments.
 
Originally Posted by kix4kix

Originally Posted by Fede DPT

smh.gif
At Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson fighting over who is going to do the eulogy. Stay classy, scumbags.
Click to expand...


Although I agree the bickering is childish. Jesse Jackson is an idiot. Sharpton is at-least respectable. My vote goes to him, and this is prior to his Obama comments.
Click to expand...
QFT.

Al Sharpton has somewhat impressed me as of late... i find myself agreeing with a lot of what he says. he's really toned down the ignorance and is actuallybecoming somewhat of a positive leader now. i remember him completely roasting Fox News last year when the Obama-Rev Wright issue came up.

Jesse Jackson, on the other hand, is still an idiot and a scumbag.
 
Originally Posted by Emmanuel Goldstein

its a disgrace to have either do the eulogy ... scumbags at their finest with them two dudes ... a damn shame ...
Click to expand...


Sharpton is a lot of things, scumbag is def not one of them
laugh.gif
.......
 
I don't know if any of yall seen this but it's a good read.

Phonte from rap group Little Brother's Reaction to MJ's Death via Myspace blog

I haven't been compelled to blog in a long time.

In an era where everybody is twittering and text-messaging their lives away, a well-thought out essay that extends past 140 characters is quicklybecoming a thing of the past.

But when our universe lost its brightest star on June 25, 2009, I felt a deep, overwhelming sadness that I haven't experienced in many years and Ifelt moved to say....something.

My hero, Michael Joseph Jackson, is dead.

Honestly I'm still trying to process it, almost like the loss of a much-loved family member. I mean, hell, to many of us Michael WAS family. Muchlike Nike, or Coca-Cola, or McDonalds, Michael Jackson wasn't so much a person as he was a living, breathing, American institution; a ubiquitous force thathas seemingly existed forever and one that we couldn't imagine a world without. Seeing Michael onstage was less like watching a musician perform and moreakin to witnessing a magician at work.

But contrary to his otherworldly stage presence and magical aura, the man we called The King of Pop proved to be a mere mortal. And now my hero, MichaelJoseph Jackson, is dead.

What isn't dead, unfortunately, is the cloud of false accusations, unsubstantiated rumors, myths, slander, and outright lies that surround his lifeand his legacy. The greatest myth regarding Michael Jackson is that he was a pedophile who preyed on young children.

It is my belief now, just as it was 16 years ago, that the charges brought against Michael during his 1993 sexual abuse case were false. The allegationsmade by Jordan Chandler (the accuser) and his father Evan Chandler always seemed suspect to me for a few reasons:

1. Ask the average parent whether they'd want justice or money for their abused child and more than likely they'd say justice, if for no otherreason than to protect their child (and other children) from a future attack. The fact that Evan Chandler was willing to essentially let Michael off the hookfor a few million (reportedly 2-3), made their case seem like a well-orchestrated extortion attempt. In regards to the case, Evan was later caught on tapesaying, "If I go through with this, I win big time. There's no way I lose. I will get everything I want and they will be destroyedforever...Michael's career will be over." Notice that homeboy ain't mention jack **** about his son. So much for being a concernedfather...

2. Generally when victims of abuse come out with allegations against someone, other victims come forward to corroborate their story (i.e. the CatholicChurch scandal, where a few parties came forward and it later led to thousands).

Very rarely do child molesters stop at just one kid, or even two for that matter. An alleged pedophile with only two accusers is kinda like an allegedserial killer with only one body. Or an alleged sneaker addict with only two pairs of Jordans in his closet. It just doesn't make any logical sense, nordoes it coincide with the recurring psychological characteristics of most people who fall into those categories.

In the case of Michael Jackson vs. the Chandler family, not a single corroborating witness could be found to help prosecute the case and after raidswere conducted on several of Jackson's homes, no hard evidence of sexual abuse was gathered.

Michael later settled the Chandler case out of court, not as an admission of guilt, but at the behest of his lawyers and financial advisors who warnedhim that a criminal trial could cost him millions of dollars in legal fees, as well as the loss of hundreds of millions in touring and endorsement revenue.With the Chandler case finally over, Michael continued to tour and released his greatest hits package "HIStory" in 1995. Ten years later though, hewould face another trial that, in my opinion, would be the one to literally and figuratively, kill him.

Martin Bashir's heinous, Machiavellian documentary "Living With Michael Jackson" aired in 2003. It was in this documentary that Mike(albeit foolishly) talked about his fondness for sharing his bed with children, and was seen holding hands with a young boy. Shortly afterwards the young boyfrom the documentary, 13 year-old Gavin Arvizo (a cancer survivor who had all his medical bills paid for by Michael), accused him of sexual abuse.

When Mike's case against Arvizo hit airwaves in 2005, I must admit that I had my doubts. Much like the Chris Rock joke, I too shook my head indisbelief and said "ANOTHER kid!?! Mike, what the ****?!! How could you be THAT stupid?!?!" As the case unraveled though, the financial motivationsof the accuser's family became much more apparent.

Similar to the Chandler case from '93, the prosecution couldn't produce any credible witnesses to corroborate Arvizo's testimony againstMichael. Many of the prosecution's witnesses were either former employees of Michael who had financial disputes with him, or had criminal convictionsthemselves. Arvizo's testimony contradicted previous statements he'd made to officials saying that nothing ever took place between him and Michael, andArvizo's mother Janet Arvizo, an eccentric woman with a prior conviction for welfare fraud, single-handedly killed the case with her flippant remarks onthe witness stand and overall bizarre courtroom behavior.

Actor Macaulay Culkin came forward in Michael's defense and testified that no inappropriate behavior ever took place during their many timestogether, as did many other associates who had spent time at Neverland. Ultimately, Michael emerged from the Arvizo case with a Not Guilty verdict on allcounts, but it proved to be a pyrrhic victory. The damage was already done. In the court of popular opinion, The King of Pop was an unrepentant childmolestor.

When defending Michael Jackson against his detractors, I am often asked if I would let one of my sons sleep over at his house. The answer is no. ****, Iwouldn't let my sons sleep over at YOUR house. But that doesn't make you a pedophile, it just makes me a concerned and protective dad who doesn'tleave his kids around people I personally don't know well enough to trust.

When it came to children, the only thing Michael was guilty of in my opinion, was naivete. While cuddling in the bed with children isn't technicallyillegal, it does violate several social norms; norms that a man who dresses funny, lives at an amusement park and refers to himself as "Peter Pan"would certainly pay a higher price for breaking. When I hear the tales of Michael laying in bed with those children, watching movies, tickling, and engaging ingeneral horseplay, it sounds less like the work of a pedophile and more like the actions of a man trying to experience a childhood he never had.

During his investigation for the Arvizo trial, Michael was examined by Dr. Stan Katz, a clinical psychologist who concluded that Michael didn't fitthe profile of a pedophile but instead that of a regressed 10 year old, an analysis which I agree with wholeheartedly. I mean after all, only a person with thesimple, unsuspecting mind of a child could truly believe they could sleep in the same bed as their pre-pubescent buddies and not pay a price for it.

Still, the most saddening myth surrounding Michael's life is that he was ashamed to be Black. During the mid 80's, in the midst of hisever-changing skin complexion and facial features, popular opinion in the Black community was that Mike was a sellout. This was an opinion that wouldunfortunately haunt him for the rest of his life, but a closer look reveals quite the opposite.

As echoed by my man Scorpeze of the house music duo Windimoto in his excellent blog, Michael Jackson never tried to disown or separate himself from hisBlackness at any point in his career. In fact, he was probably the most openly pro-Black pop entertainer of his time. Michael Jackson ashamed to be Black? Imean, this was the same guy who:

-portrayed Black people as kings and queens in ancient Egypt ("Remember the Time" video)
-called Tommy Mottola (his then label boss) a devil and a racist
-sang "white man's gotta make a change" live on the Grammies in '88
-sang about a beautiful African woman in "Liberian Girl"
-featured an African chant at the end of "Wanna Be Startin Somethin"
-donated over $25 million to the United Negro College Fund
-sang "I ain't scared of no sheets" in "Black or White" and upped the ante by morphing into a BLACK PANTHER at the video's end
-wrote a song called "They Don't Really Care About Us," with a Spike Lee-directed video that featured prisoners raising the Black power fist
-uhhh "We Are The World" and USA for Africa, anyone?

What about this man wasn't Black enough? Was it his battle with vitiligo and how it caused skin discoloration? Was it his excessive facialsurgeries, due I'm sure in no small part to the teasing and ridicule he faced about his looks as a teenager?

Why did we turn our collective backs on a man who always reminded us that he never forgot who he was, or more importantly, whose he was?

This essay is my plea to all people who consider themselves a fan of Michael Jackson, but especially to Black people: Don't let them talk about ourBrother. Don't let his naysayers convict him of crimes that were never proven. Don't let people reduce the memory of one of our greatest heroes to thatof a weird guy who wore a shiny glove and molested little boys.

When Elvis Presley died, did the media remember him as an overweight, drug-abusing racist who dated a 14 year-old, or was he eulogized as The King ofRock and Roll?

When Woody Allen dies, do you think the media will focus on the controversy behind him marrying his own stepdaughter, or on the films "AnnieHall" and "Manhattan" and how great they were? (Ditto for Jerry Lee Lewis, the rock and roll pioneer who married his 13-year oldcousin.)

When people accuse Michael of being a pedophile or a child molester, ask them to provide hard evidence. Ask them to provide an opinion rooted in fact,rather than one based on gossip, hearsay, and conjecture. Chances are, they won't be able to. The Black community has done a great disservice in notreciprocating the love that Michael Jackson showed us when he was alive. The least we can do in honoring his death is ensure that his legacy is rememberedproperly for future generations.

Was Michael Jackson a weirdo? Of course he was a weirdo.

But maybe if you had been in the public eye since you were 7, had grown #!% women throwing themselves at you since you were 13, suffered physical abuseat the hands of your father, watched your father and older brothers engage in sex with groupies on tour as a child, were called "Big Nose" and"ugly" by both family members AND fans, developed a skin disease that took away the one thing you repeatedly expressed your pride for, and spent thelast half of your life as the most famous person on Earth, you'd probably be a bit of a weirdo too.

I am not attempting to paint Michael Jackson as a saint, as no man ever lives up to such a lofty title. But to me, the phrase "no good deed goesunpunished" seems to sum up Michael Jackson's life more than ever.

Why would people try to tear down a man who constantly used his power, money, and influence to help others?

Why would people express such disgust and contempt for a man who constantly sang of love and peace, and used his talent to entertain, uplift, andinspire millions?

Tell em that its human nature, I suppose...

Rest in Peace, Brother Michael. I love and miss you dearly.

Phonte
 
At Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson fighting over who is going to do the eulogy. Stay classy, scumbags.
i may be wrong but i dont remember too many people coming to mj's defense when the media and errybody else was harrassing dude now all of asudden......
Click to expand...
 
Originally Posted by Pmighty

At Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson fighting over who is going to do the eulogy. Stay classy, scumbags.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
i may be wrong but i dont remember too many people coming to mj's defense when the media and errybody else was harrassing dude now all of a sudden......


Exactly. They just want to put themselves on a pedestal. How many dudes use to clown Mike for his allegations? Numerous, and Jamie Foxx on the BET Awardswanted to claim MJ as "ours" now because he's dead? Please.



Wanna take your own advice?

And you are?
Click to expand...
 
Originally Posted by ExtRaOrDinaRy SwAg


I don't know if any of yall seen this but it's a good read.

Phonte from rap group Little Brother's Reaction to MJ's Death via Myspace blog

I haven't been compelled to blog in a long time.

In an era where everybody is twittering and text-messaging their lives away, a well-thought out essay that extends past 140 characters is quickly becoming a thing of the past.

But when our universe lost its brightest star on June 25, 2009, I felt a deep, overwhelming sadness that I haven't experienced in many years and I felt moved to say....something.

My hero, Michael Joseph Jackson, is dead.

Honestly I'm still trying to process it, almost like the loss of a much-loved family member. I mean, hell, to many of us Michael WAS family. Much like Nike, or Coca-Cola, or McDonalds, Michael Jackson wasn't so much a person as he was a living, breathing, American institution; a ubiquitous force that has seemingly existed forever and one that we couldn't imagine a world without. Seeing Michael onstage was less like watching a musician perform and more akin to witnessing a magician at work.

But contrary to his otherworldly stage presence and magical aura, the man we called The King of Pop proved to be a mere mortal. And now my hero, Michael Joseph Jackson, is dead.

What isn't dead, unfortunately, is the cloud of false accusations, unsubstantiated rumors, myths, slander, and outright lies that surround his life and his legacy. The greatest myth regarding Michael Jackson is that he was a pedophile who preyed on young children.

It is my belief now, just as it was 16 years ago, that the charges brought against Michael during his 1993 sexual abuse case were false. The allegations made by Jordan Chandler (the accuser) and his father Evan Chandler always seemed suspect to me for a few reasons:

1. Ask the average parent whether they'd want justice or money for their abused child and more than likely they'd say justice, if for no other reason than to protect their child (and other children) from a future attack. The fact that Evan Chandler was willing to essentially let Michael off the hook for a few million (reportedly 2-3), made their case seem like a well-orchestrated extortion attempt. In regards to the case, Evan was later caught on tape saying, "If I go through with this, I win big time. There's no way I lose. I will get everything I want and they will be destroyed forever...Michael's career will be over." Notice that homeboy ain't mention jack **** about his son. So much for being a concerned father...

2. Generally when victims of abuse come out with allegations against someone, other victims come forward to corroborate their story (i.e. the Catholic Church scandal, where a few parties came forward and it later led to thousands).

Very rarely do child molesters stop at just one kid, or even two for that matter. An alleged pedophile with only two accusers is kinda like an alleged serial killer with only one body. Or an alleged sneaker addict with only two pairs of Jordans in his closet. It just doesn't make any logical sense, nor does it coincide with the recurring psychological characteristics of most people who fall into those categories.

In the case of Michael Jackson vs. the Chandler family, not a single corroborating witness could be found to help prosecute the case and after raids were conducted on several of Jackson's homes, no hard evidence of sexual abuse was gathered.

Michael later settled the Chandler case out of court, not as an admission of guilt, but at the behest of his lawyers and financial advisors who warned him that a criminal trial could cost him millions of dollars in legal fees, as well as the loss of hundreds of millions in touring and endorsement revenue. With the Chandler case finally over, Michael continued to tour and released his greatest hits package "HIStory" in 1995. Ten years later though, he would face another trial that, in my opinion, would be the one to literally and figuratively, kill him.

Martin Bashir's heinous, Machiavellian documentary "Living With Michael Jackson" aired in 2003. It was in this documentary that Mike (albeit foolishly) talked about his fondness for sharing his bed with children, and was seen holding hands with a young boy. Shortly afterwards the young boy from the documentary, 13 year-old Gavin Arvizo (a cancer survivor who had all his medical bills paid for by Michael), accused him of sexual abuse.

When Mike's case against Arvizo hit airwaves in 2005, I must admit that I had my doubts. Much like the Chris Rock joke, I too shook my head in disbelief and said "ANOTHER kid!?! Mike, what the ****?!! How could you be THAT stupid?!?!" As the case unraveled though, the financial motivations of the accuser's family became much more apparent.

Similar to the Chandler case from '93, the prosecution couldn't produce any credible witnesses to corroborate Arvizo's testimony against Michael. Many of the prosecution's witnesses were either former employees of Michael who had financial disputes with him, or had criminal convictions themselves. Arvizo's testimony contradicted previous statements he'd made to officials saying that nothing ever took place between him and Michael, and Arvizo's mother Janet Arvizo, an eccentric woman with a prior conviction for welfare fraud, single-handedly killed the case with her flippant remarks on the witness stand and overall bizarre courtroom behavior.

Actor Macaulay Culkin came forward in Michael's defense and testified that no inappropriate behavior ever took place during their many times together, as did many other associates who had spent time at Neverland. Ultimately, Michael emerged from the Arvizo case with a Not Guilty verdict on all counts, but it proved to be a pyrrhic victory. The damage was already done. In the court of popular opinion, The King of Pop was an unrepentant child molestor.

When defending Michael Jackson against his detractors, I am often asked if I would let one of my sons sleep over at his house. The answer is no. ****, I wouldn't let my sons sleep over at YOUR house. But that doesn't make you a pedophile, it just makes me a concerned and protective dad who doesn't leave his kids around people I personally don't know well enough to trust.

When it came to children, the only thing Michael was guilty of in my opinion, was naivete. While cuddling in the bed with children isn't technically illegal, it does violate several social norms; norms that a man who dresses funny, lives at an amusement park and refers to himself as "Peter Pan" would certainly pay a higher price for breaking. When I hear the tales of Michael laying in bed with those children, watching movies, tickling, and engaging in general horseplay, it sounds less like the work of a pedophile and more like the actions of a man trying to experience a childhood he never had.

During his investigation for the Arvizo trial, Michael was examined by Dr. Stan Katz, a clinical psychologist who concluded that Michael didn't fit the profile of a pedophile but instead that of a regressed 10 year old, an analysis which I agree with wholeheartedly. I mean after all, only a person with the simple, unsuspecting mind of a child could truly believe they could sleep in the same bed as their pre-pubescent buddies and not pay a price for it.

Still, the most saddening myth surrounding Michael's life is that he was ashamed to be Black. During the mid 80's, in the midst of his ever-changing skin complexion and facial features, popular opinion in the Black community was that Mike was a sellout. This was an opinion that would unfortunately haunt him for the rest of his life, but a closer look reveals quite the opposite.

As echoed by my man Scorpeze of the house music duo Windimoto in his excellent blog, Michael Jackson never tried to disown or separate himself from his Blackness at any point in his career. In fact, he was probably the most openly pro-Black pop entertainer of his time. Michael Jackson ashamed to be Black? I mean, this was the same guy who:

-portrayed Black people as kings and queens in ancient Egypt ("Remember the Time" video)
-called Tommy Mottola (his then label boss) a devil and a racist
-sang "white man's gotta make a change" live on the Grammies in '88
-sang about a beautiful African woman in "Liberian Girl"
-featured an African chant at the end of "Wanna Be Startin Somethin"
-donated over $25 million to the United Negro College Fund
-sang "I ain't scared of no sheets" in "Black or White" and upped the ante by morphing into a BLACK PANTHER at the video's end
-wrote a song called "They Don't Really Care About Us," with a Spike Lee-directed video that featured prisoners raising the Black power fist
-uhhh "We Are The World" and USA for Africa, anyone?

What about this man wasn't Black enough? Was it his battle with vitiligo and how it caused skin discoloration? Was it his excessive facial surgeries, due I'm sure in no small part to the teasing and ridicule he faced about his looks as a teenager?

Why did we turn our collective backs on a man who always reminded us that he never forgot who he was, or more importantly, whose he was?

This essay is my plea to all people who consider themselves a fan of Michael Jackson, but especially to Black people: Don't let them talk about our Brother. Don't let his naysayers convict him of crimes that were never proven. Don't let people reduce the memory of one of our greatest heroes to that of a weird guy who wore a shiny glove and molested little boys.

When Elvis Presley died, did the media remember him as an overweight, drug-abusing racist who dated a 14 year-old, or was he eulogized as The King of Rock and Roll?

When Woody Allen dies, do you think the media will focus on the controversy behind him marrying his own stepdaughter, or on the films "Annie Hall" and "Manhattan" and how great they were? (Ditto for Jerry Lee Lewis, the rock and roll pioneer who married his 13-year old cousin.)

When people accuse Michael of being a pedophile or a child molester, ask them to provide hard evidence. Ask them to provide an opinion rooted in fact, rather than one based on gossip, hearsay, and conjecture. Chances are, they won't be able to. The Black community has done a great disservice in not reciprocating the love that Michael Jackson showed us when he was alive. The least we can do in honoring his death is ensure that his legacy is remembered properly for future generations.

Was Michael Jackson a weirdo? Of course he was a weirdo.

But maybe if you had been in the public eye since you were 7, had grown #!% women throwing themselves at you since you were 13, suffered physical abuse at the hands of your father, watched your father and older brothers engage in sex with groupies on tour as a child, were called "Big Nose" and "ugly" by both family members AND fans, developed a skin disease that took away the one thing you repeatedly expressed your pride for, and spent the last half of your life as the most famous person on Earth, you'd probably be a bit of a weirdo too.

I am not attempting to paint Michael Jackson as a saint, as no man ever lives up to such a lofty title. But to me, the phrase "no good deed goes unpunished" seems to sum up Michael Jackson's life more than ever.

Why would people try to tear down a man who constantly used his power, money, and influence to help others?

Why would people express such disgust and contempt for a man who constantly sang of love and peace, and used his talent to entertain, uplift, and inspire millions?

Tell em that its human nature, I suppose...

Rest in Peace, Brother Michael. I love and miss you dearly.

Phonte
Click to expand...

eek.gif
pimp.gif
pimp.gif
Real rap from Phonte.....
 
Originally Posted by ExtRaOrDinaRy SwAg


I don't know if any of yall seen this but it's a good read.

Phonte from rap group Little Brother's Reaction to MJ's Death via Myspace blog

I haven't been compelled to blog in a long time.

In an era where everybody is twittering and text-messaging their lives away, a well-thought out essay that extends past 140 characters is quickly becoming a thing of the past.

But when our universe lost its brightest star on June 25, 2009, I felt a deep, overwhelming sadness that I haven't experienced in many years and I felt moved to say....something.

My hero, Michael Joseph Jackson, is dead.

Honestly I'm still trying to process it, almost like the loss of a much-loved family member. I mean, hell, to many of us Michael WAS family. Much like Nike, or Coca-Cola, or McDonalds, Michael Jackson wasn't so much a person as he was a living, breathing, American institution; a ubiquitous force that has seemingly existed forever and one that we couldn't imagine a world without. Seeing Michael onstage was less like watching a musician perform and more akin to witnessing a magician at work.

But contrary to his otherworldly stage presence and magical aura, the man we called The King of Pop proved to be a mere mortal. And now my hero, Michael Joseph Jackson, is dead.

What isn't dead, unfortunately, is the cloud of false accusations, unsubstantiated rumors, myths, slander, and outright lies that surround his life and his legacy. The greatest myth regarding Michael Jackson is that he was a pedophile who preyed on young children.

It is my belief now, just as it was 16 years ago, that the charges brought against Michael during his 1993 sexual abuse case were false. The allegations made by Jordan Chandler (the accuser) and his father Evan Chandler always seemed suspect to me for a few reasons:

1. Ask the average parent whether they'd want justice or money for their abused child and more than likely they'd say justice, if for no other reason than to protect their child (and other children) from a future attack. The fact that Evan Chandler was willing to essentially let Michael off the hook for a few million (reportedly 2-3), made their case seem like a well-orchestrated extortion attempt. In regards to the case, Evan was later caught on tape saying, "If I go through with this, I win big time. There's no way I lose. I will get everything I want and they will be destroyed forever...Michael's career will be over." Notice that homeboy ain't mention jack **** about his son. So much for being a concerned father...

2. Generally when victims of abuse come out with allegations against someone, other victims come forward to corroborate their story (i.e. the Catholic Church scandal, where a few parties came forward and it later led to thousands).

Very rarely do child molesters stop at just one kid, or even two for that matter. An alleged pedophile with only two accusers is kinda like an alleged serial killer with only one body. Or an alleged sneaker addict with only two pairs of Jordans in his closet. It just doesn't make any logical sense, nor does it coincide with the recurring psychological characteristics of most people who fall into those categories.

In the case of Michael Jackson vs. the Chandler family, not a single corroborating witness could be found to help prosecute the case and after raids were conducted on several of Jackson's homes, no hard evidence of sexual abuse was gathered.

Michael later settled the Chandler case out of court, not as an admission of guilt, but at the behest of his lawyers and financial advisors who warned him that a criminal trial could cost him millions of dollars in legal fees, as well as the loss of hundreds of millions in touring and endorsement revenue. With the Chandler case finally over, Michael continued to tour and released his greatest hits package "HIStory" in 1995. Ten years later though, he would face another trial that, in my opinion, would be the one to literally and figuratively, kill him.

Martin Bashir's heinous, Machiavellian documentary "Living With Michael Jackson" aired in 2003. It was in this documentary that Mike (albeit foolishly) talked about his fondness for sharing his bed with children, and was seen holding hands with a young boy. Shortly afterwards the young boy from the documentary, 13 year-old Gavin Arvizo (a cancer survivor who had all his medical bills paid for by Michael), accused him of sexual abuse.

When Mike's case against Arvizo hit airwaves in 2005, I must admit that I had my doubts. Much like the Chris Rock joke, I too shook my head in disbelief and said "ANOTHER kid!?! Mike, what the ****?!! How could you be THAT stupid?!?!" As the case unraveled though, the financial motivations of the accuser's family became much more apparent.

Similar to the Chandler case from '93, the prosecution couldn't produce any credible witnesses to corroborate Arvizo's testimony against Michael. Many of the prosecution's witnesses were either former employees of Michael who had financial disputes with him, or had criminal convictions themselves. Arvizo's testimony contradicted previous statements he'd made to officials saying that nothing ever took place between him and Michael, and Arvizo's mother Janet Arvizo, an eccentric woman with a prior conviction for welfare fraud, single-handedly killed the case with her flippant remarks on the witness stand and overall bizarre courtroom behavior.

Actor Macaulay Culkin came forward in Michael's defense and testified that no inappropriate behavior ever took place during their many times together, as did many other associates who had spent time at Neverland. Ultimately, Michael emerged from the Arvizo case with a Not Guilty verdict on all counts, but it proved to be a pyrrhic victory. The damage was already done. In the court of popular opinion, The King of Pop was an unrepentant child molestor.

When defending Michael Jackson against his detractors, I am often asked if I would let one of my sons sleep over at his house. The answer is no. ****, I wouldn't let my sons sleep over at YOUR house. But that doesn't make you a pedophile, it just makes me a concerned and protective dad who doesn't leave his kids around people I personally don't know well enough to trust.

When it came to children, the only thing Michael was guilty of in my opinion, was naivete. While cuddling in the bed with children isn't technically illegal, it does violate several social norms; norms that a man who dresses funny, lives at an amusement park and refers to himself as "Peter Pan" would certainly pay a higher price for breaking. When I hear the tales of Michael laying in bed with those children, watching movies, tickling, and engaging in general horseplay, it sounds less like the work of a pedophile and more like the actions of a man trying to experience a childhood he never had.

During his investigation for the Arvizo trial, Michael was examined by Dr. Stan Katz, a clinical psychologist who concluded that Michael didn't fit the profile of a pedophile but instead that of a regressed 10 year old, an analysis which I agree with wholeheartedly. I mean after all, only a person with the simple, unsuspecting mind of a child could truly believe they could sleep in the same bed as their pre-pubescent buddies and not pay a price for it.

Still, the most saddening myth surrounding Michael's life is that he was ashamed to be Black. During the mid 80's, in the midst of his ever-changing skin complexion and facial features, popular opinion in the Black community was that Mike was a sellout. This was an opinion that would unfortunately haunt him for the rest of his life, but a closer look reveals quite the opposite.

As echoed by my man Scorpeze of the house music duo Windimoto in his excellent blog, Michael Jackson never tried to disown or separate himself from his Blackness at any point in his career. In fact, he was probably the most openly pro-Black pop entertainer of his time. Michael Jackson ashamed to be Black? I mean, this was the same guy who:

-portrayed Black people as kings and queens in ancient Egypt ("Remember the Time" video)
-called Tommy Mottola (his then label boss) a devil and a racist
-sang "white man's gotta make a change" live on the Grammies in '88
-sang about a beautiful African woman in "Liberian Girl"
-featured an African chant at the end of "Wanna Be Startin Somethin"
-donated over $25 million to the United Negro College Fund
-sang "I ain't scared of no sheets" in "Black or White" and upped the ante by morphing into a BLACK PANTHER at the video's end
-wrote a song called "They Don't Really Care About Us," with a Spike Lee-directed video that featured prisoners raising the Black power fist
-uhhh "We Are The World" and USA for Africa, anyone?

What about this man wasn't Black enough? Was it his battle with vitiligo and how it caused skin discoloration? Was it his excessive facial surgeries, due I'm sure in no small part to the teasing and ridicule he faced about his looks as a teenager?

Why did we turn our collective backs on a man who always reminded us that he never forgot who he was, or more importantly, whose he was?

This essay is my plea to all people who consider themselves a fan of Michael Jackson, but especially to Black people: Don't let them talk about our Brother. Don't let his naysayers convict him of crimes that were never proven. Don't let people reduce the memory of one of our greatest heroes to that of a weird guy who wore a shiny glove and molested little boys.

When Elvis Presley died, did the media remember him as an overweight, drug-abusing racist who dated a 14 year-old, or was he eulogized as The King of Rock and Roll?

When Woody Allen dies, do you think the media will focus on the controversy behind him marrying his own stepdaughter, or on the films "Annie Hall" and "Manhattan" and how great they were? (Ditto for Jerry Lee Lewis, the rock and roll pioneer who married his 13-year old cousin.)

When people accuse Michael of being a pedophile or a child molester, ask them to provide hard evidence. Ask them to provide an opinion rooted in fact, rather than one based on gossip, hearsay, and conjecture. Chances are, they won't be able to. The Black community has done a great disservice in not reciprocating the love that Michael Jackson showed us when he was alive. The least we can do in honoring his death is ensure that his legacy is remembered properly for future generations.

Was Michael Jackson a weirdo? Of course he was a weirdo.

But maybe if you had been in the public eye since you were 7, had grown #!% women throwing themselves at you since you were 13, suffered physical abuse at the hands of your father, watched your father and older brothers engage in sex with groupies on tour as a child, were called "Big Nose" and "ugly" by both family members AND fans, developed a skin disease that took away the one thing you repeatedly expressed your pride for, and spent the last half of your life as the most famous person on Earth, you'd probably be a bit of a weirdo too.

I am not attempting to paint Michael Jackson as a saint, as no man ever lives up to such a lofty title. But to me, the phrase "no good deed goes unpunished" seems to sum up Michael Jackson's life more than ever.

Why would people try to tear down a man who constantly used his power, money, and influence to help others?

Why would people express such disgust and contempt for a man who constantly sang of love and peace, and used his talent to entertain, uplift, and inspire millions?

Tell em that its human nature, I suppose...

Rest in Peace, Brother Michael. I love and miss you dearly.

Phonte
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Phonte from rap group Little Brother's Reaction to MJ's Death via Myspace blog

When people accuse Michael of being a pedophile or a child molester, ask them to provide hard evidence. Ask them to provide an opinion rooted in fact, rather than one based on gossip, hearsay, and conjecture. Chances are, they won't be able to.
Fact: kids gave testimony to being in Mike's bed with Mike and other kids.
Fact: Mike defended that, saying that sharing a bed with someone is one of the most loving sacrifices a person can make, and that we're all sick for makingit something perverted when it's something beautiful.

I mean, forget the assumptions and accusations: those two things are facts. Kids gave the testimonies they gave, and Mike offered the defense he offered.

So just run with that first fact, except replace 'Mike' with '23ska,' and replace 'kids' with 'your son.'

Now let's rephrase it with those replacements.

Fact: your son gave testimony to being in 23ska's bed with 23ska other kids.

You good with that? Like, if we were friends and your son was like 'Yeah, we played in 23ska's bed and some other kids for hours,' we'd stillbe friends after that, like everything was everything?
Phonte from rap group Little Brother's Reaction to MJ's Death via Myspace blog

Was Michael Jackson a weirdo? Of course he was a weirdo.

But maybe if you had been in the public eye since you were 7, had grown #!% women throwing themselves at you since you were 13, suffered physical abuse at the hands of your father, watched your father and older brothers engage in sex with groupies on tour as a child, were called "Big Nose" and "ugly" by both family members AND fans, developed a skin disease that took away the one thing you repeatedly expressed your pride for, and spent the last half of your life as the most famous person on Earth, you'd probably be a bit of a weirdo too.
So many people have plenty of excellent, perfectly understandable reasons for their deviant behaviors.
Phonte from rap group Little Brother's Reaction to MJ's Death via Myspace blog

I am not attempting to paint Michael Jackson as a saint, as no man ever lives up to such a lofty title. But to me, the phrase "no good deed goes unpunished" seems to sum up Michael Jackson's life more than ever. Why would people try to tear down a man who constantly used his power, money, and influence to help others?

Why would people express such disgust and contempt for a man who constantly sang of love and peace, and used his talent to entertain, uplift, and inspire millions?
Why? Maybe some people are still not o.k. with the issue regarding the little kids.

Look, I'm not trying to say that everyone should focus on his negatives. I am perfectly fine with people mourning his death and choosing to honor hislegacy of music and his kind heart, putting aside any negatives that he may have had.

The thing that bothers me about his death is that now all of a sudden hes a saint in the eyes of so many. I've done terrible things in my life, but I wouldnever expect those close to me to be like 'Oh, he never did anything wrong. 23ska was so perfect. What a tragedy it is that the world has lost someone whonever did anything wrong.' I'd turn over in my grave in disgust and disappointment if I knew that people were saying that about me.

We don't have to focus on his negatives now that he's dead, but acting like there were no negatives is downright appalling, in my opinion. I have noproblem with those who have the opinion 'Man, he really was troubled and we all know about his problems, but he sure did make AWESOME music, and I'msorry he's gone now.' But I definitely have a problem with those saying 'The world lost a saint! He was so perfect! His only flaw was being accusedof doing stuff wrong.' And it seems like a lot of people are saying that
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i may be wrong but i dont remember too many people coming to mj's defense when the media and errybody else was harrassing dude now all of a sudden......

Nah, Al Sharpton was by Michael's side in Harlem when MJ called out Sony Records for lack of motivation behind is album, more importantly Tommy Mottola. Idon't know how close Jesse Jackson was to MJ, but I'm willing to bet that Al Sharpton was closer to Michael than Jesse Jackson. Not to mention therelationship Al Sharpton had with James Brown, that alone should put Al Shartpon over Jesse Jackson for obvious reasons for Michael's funeral services.
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Ska, you are COMPLETELY missing the point of that Blog. Not gonna say what I really want to say for fear of being banned, but comprehension are a must in oursociety.
 
Comprehension are a must?

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If what you want to say would get you banned, then take a step back and re-evaluate things. I've not said anything to attack you, but you're gettingall worked up to the point where what you want to say would get you banned? All I've done is give my opinion, attacking no one. If giving myopinion incites you to be offensive, calm down; be easy.
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And you say that I've missed the point of that blog; I'm pretty sure you've missed the point of my previous reply.
 
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