Posted on 02/06/2004 7:23:18 PM PST by DemWatch
Michael Jackson.
Go ahead, crack a joke, sigh or shake your head. Michael's lifestyle and his current predicament inexorably lead to those reactions. There seem to be only two main schools of thought concerning the one-time "King of Pop": he's either guilty of molesting a young boy and ought to be tried, convicted and put in a cell deep under a prison or he's innocent.
These groups also seem to be split into two other categories: black and other. A couple of white friends have asked me why this should be. I chalk it up to history and love.
Our criminal justice system has historically been indifferent or downright hostile to the fates of black men. When I was five years old, I watched two beefy white police officers beat a black teenager to unconsciousness. One officer had to literally hold up the profusely bleeding kid while the other officer whacked him with his baton. Almost 40 years ago, my mother's cousin was attacked on the main street of their small town by a group of white men. Her cousin never fully recovered and died a year later. No one was arrested for the crime. There was never any possibility of a trial. My mother still cannot talk about her cousin's fate without becoming upset. Fifty years ago, my husband's grandmother attended the funeral of a neighbor who was caught by the police with his white girlfriend in a hotel room. Facing social ruin, the woman claimed that she'd been kidnapped and raped. The young man went to the electric chair.
There isn't a black family in America who doesn't have similar stories, and it's why many of us are still uneasy around police or defend young men in trouble. I understand this, but it's the past. As hideous as it was, it doesn't have much to do with Michael Jackson's predicament today.
There are those, activist Dick Gregory among them, who believe that Michael Jackson was set up. They feel "The Man" so hates seeing successful black folks that, every now and then, one or two must be taken down as a warning to the rest of us. Michael's wealth and power - so their reasoning goes - is too much of an affront.
Nonsense. Absolute nonsense.
First, although Michael Jackson is still wealthy by average guy standards, he's lost a shocking amount of money over the years. It costs a small fortune each year just to maintain his 2,700-acre Neverland estate's house, train, zoo and amusement park rides. Forbes magazine says Jackson is worth about $350 million. The New York Times points out that his debts come to $200 million. Compared to billionaires like Robert Johnson (the founder of BET) and Oprah Winfrey, Michael's financial mess doesn't look enviable at all.
Second, Michael Jackson's artistic influence is pretty much nonexistent today. Young people want 50 Cent, Beyonce and Kid Rock. Unless he somehow pulls together an astonishing comeback, Michael's years of musical genius are behind him.
So, no, I don't think there's a conspiracy to take Michael Jackson down. His brother, Jermaine, called Michael's arrest a "lynching." Someone ought to send Jermaine a copy of Mamie Till Mobley's book Death of Innocence and One Hundred Years of Lynching. Michael Jackson is not Emmit Till. He's not even Rodney King.
I think, deep inside, most of us know why Michael Jackson is caught in the midst of his current trouble. It's not white envy - it's his own actions. Michael's repeated on-camera insistence that there's nothing wrong with having unrelated kids in his bed and his apparent fascination with boys makes him look worse than anything a malicious individual could invent. Given the opportunity to send a son of our own off to Neverland, I think most of us would instinctively turn down the chance.
In his youth, Michael Jackson brought an incredible amount of happiness to millions of people. We love the memory of that little kid with the joy-filled voice and the huge afro. That's what people are defending, not the 45-year-old man he is today. America's past and Michael's past are so strongly imprinted on many people's minds that they refuse to see anything else.
Totally agree. There are too many performers like her. Very talented but all they can come up with a there for their dances and songs is the vulgarization of sex and sexuality. So if an act is lousy the only way they can think of to improve it is to add more sex rather than better choreography or better lyrics. How much intelligence, hard work and creativity does it take to add more and more overt vulgar sex to a dance routine? I think....ZERO.
I kind of doubt that it even crossed her mind that there would be parents who don't want their kids to see her exposed breast or her bra for that matter. She thought about the sex angle that is ALL she thought about. It's all about them, money and the easiest way to exploit sex to get money.
They wore out their welcome about a decade ago and they don't even know it.
You know, I used to think black Americans were way too sensitive to the police thing, but then I had a run in with a dude that didn't care for the idea of me dating "his" girl (he was married to another woman, I was not, and the hell of it is I was just friends with the chick... long story). I got crosswise with that dude and his kid brother, both cops in the same whistle-stop town.
If I had had no special friends or capabilities, I would have been in very deep trouble. I was able to draw on the contacts and skills I gained, mostly in the military. Now, the system may have taken its sweet time, and I may have applied some judicious nudges, but I saw it work in the end. The creep is in prison for the next couple of decades, and his brother is an ex-cop that no department would touch with a bargepole -- his last couple of evaluations were radioactive.
Now, when a friend of whatever color tells me a cop story, I listen very carefully. Maybe a conservative is a liberal who has been mugged, but a conservative gets pretty liberal when he's indicted.
I support the police, but they have too much power in certain instances and too little power in other
I agree, but the problem is telling which circumstance is which. I think that the best thing that we can do is try to get the police to hire the very best people they can, and when one of them doesn't measure up, it's the duty of the department to get rid of them -- and the duty of the citizens to oversee the department's carrying out that responsibility.
For three years while this case was going on and investigators for all sides were tripping over each other (and I was spending $20k a year on my investigators!) I was afraid every time I crossed the border into that town (I talked one of my best buddies into moving!). I was afraid, and I wasn't afraid in combat! Now that the creep that tried to kill, and then jail, me is in prison himself, I no longer fear, it's just another town, but I never will look at a cop quite the same again.
d.o.l.
Criminal Number 18F
Wrong, right, and wrong.
I agree. The author was simply trying to explain why many black people are giving Wacko Jacko a pass on this.
I shake my head at it, because we can't go on forever with our cultures divided. Diversity is no strengh, but a curse. Somehow both sides have to acclimate to one another. In America, the acclimation of the Hispanic culture is moving much quicker, mostly due to the fact that there is less reason for animosity between the two cultures. That is, unless they want to blame us for all that "Pirate Stuff" back in the 1700's or so.
Whatever, the only thing I think we can do is to continue to make the arguement towards making society more family and community friendly. As communities progress and grow stronger, become better educated and involved in society, the differences that cause antagonism can be more easily and reasonably addressed and resolved. Still, the leftist assault on family, religion and morality continues to sap our society down to it's very roots. By encouraging and promoting a culture of ignorance among all people, they wipe out any potential progress that could be achieved.
Wish I had a real solution. When I read your story, all I could do is shake my head and think "I've seen and heard similar things, too." We still have a long way to go, and the current culture war isn't doing anything to help us resolve things. Especially inexcusable attacks on our own citizens.
I have hope for the future though. Many of the barriers that existed before between cultures are breaking down. This will help us as communities that preivously were divided will become closer throught their children sharing various heritages. My family has been here since 1635, but only in the past 15 years have we seen over half of the current generation marry outside of their race. This current generation has children that speak some 4 different languages within the United States alone. Basically my point is that time may indeed heel all wounds, but that does not dismiss the injustices committed against our own people in this day and age. I think what happened to you is disgusting beyond words.
Any way, thanks for sharing. I promise I'll cut back on the caffeine. /rant off
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