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The service capped a two-week span of nearly non-stop news coverage so Michael was never far from my mind, and I struggled with how I felt about him as a person. I was never a huge "fan" of his - I enjoyed his music and videos well enough, and I felt that at times he displayed otherworldly talent, but I never wore a single glove or learned to moonwalk. But those were my feelings about his craft, not about his character. I knew how I felt about the entertainer - how did I feel about the man?
Unfortunately, the first thing that seems to come to mind when you think about Michael is the unsavory child molestation business. He was found not guilty in a court of law but even so, that taint always remains. Admittedly, I knew very little about the facts of the cases so I went in search of knowledge this morning.
After reading a few pages of documentation, I'm nearly fully convinced that he wasn't guilty. I think the deadbeat psycho parents of his accusers pimped their kids out with the intention of extorting money from Jackson, pure and simple, and it makes me sick. For each of these two kids who levelled accusations, there were 15 kids who said nothing ever happened when they spent time with Michael. Staffers for Jackson came out with stories of molestation; however, some of these were disgruntled people who had been fired and all of them were promised thousands of dollars from tabloids to tell their story. If they'd truly been concerned, I have a feeling they would've told these stories to the police for free - not suddenly felt compelled to tell the "truth" after some rag waved some money in front of them. Hell, even sister LaToya accused Michael of being a child molester...only to admit later that her husband had told her to do it for the money her story would bring in.
I can't imagine the horror and humiliation of this entire situation. Apparently, one of the kids said Jackson had exposed himself, and the kid described Jackson's genitals. So Michael submitted to a 25-minute strip search - I'm sure pictures were taken during this procedure, to be submitted as evidence. [Turns out there were some similarities but not enough to make a positive ID, as it were, including that the kid said he was circumsized, which wasn't true.] Add to that all the media vultures skulking around, all the horrible headlines, all the accusing eyes.
People assume that Jackson was guilty because he settled out of court with the family of the first kid - oh, he didn't want a trial, he must be hiding something. Truthfully, I think he just wanted it to be over. There had been enough misery which took a huge toll on his health and his career, and he just wanted it finished. I find it interesting that this kid's parents put a price on their son's head - $22 million. If it were your child and you knew your case was rock solid, wouldn't you have wanted to drag Jackson's butt into court? No matter what the outcome of the trial, wouldn't you have wanted to destroy the man who molested your child? Apparently $22 million erased the kid's trauma well enough. Of course, this boy's father said, when asked how he thought all of this would affect his son, "That's irrelevant to me...It will be a massacre if I don't get what I want."
What a lovely guy.
Was Michael a saint? Certainly not. Was he odd/eccentric/strange? Yes, but there's no law against that. Did he look at pornography? Perhaps, but if that were illegal [apart from child pornography], half the planet would be in prison. Was he flawed? He had faults as deep-reaching as those beneath San Andreas. Was he influential? He met with princes and presidents, congresspersons and kings, revolutionaries and royals. Did he make bad decisions? Many times. Was he generous? He gave millions to charity [he was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the pop star who supports the most charities].
I'm actually surprised that Michael lasted as long as he did. He was thrust into adulthood, never had an opportunity to be a child. I can understand why he wanted to cling to child-like behavior, since that was stolen from him. I'm sure some people think "poor little rich boy," and I don't excuse his refusal to grow up. We all have an albatross around our neck for which we're responsible, and most healthy adults have an ability to remove, or at least to cope with, the weight. But I don't believe Michael had the ability to adequately handle his demons, and I think that denial [along with genuine physical pain from years of performing] is what drove him to drugs. He was broken at an early age and really never stood a chance as an adult. That he lived to 50 years of age is a testament to his determination.
I'm hoping Michael's legacy will be one of hope and love. He was far from perfect, but I hope future generations will focus more on his contributions than his failings. He wanted to heal the world, wanted people to join together regardless of race, had the child-like desire to fix every hurt and right every wrong. He gave millions of people a reason to smile, to thrill, to be amazed, to reach out and try something new, to strive to be more. And I thank him for that.
Like a comet blazing 'cross the evening sky
Gone too soon
Like a rainbow fading in the twinkling of an eye
Gone too soon
Shiny and sparkly and splendidly bright
Here one day, gone one night.
Like the loss of sunlight on a cloudy afternoon
Gone too soon
Like a castle built upon a sandy beach
Gone too soon
Like a perfect flower that is just beyond your reach
Gone too soon
Born to amuse, to inspire, to delight
Here one day, gone one night
Like a sunset dying with the rising of the moon
Gone too soon
Gone too soon