“Not Guilty” x 14

20 Comments

1. Despite my cynicism, that says any other grown man in the world who was sharing a bed unattended with a boy who wasn’t his son is up to no good, I’ll admit there’s no law against being a bit weird. And though he has been accused of it before, there’s also no law against being stupid enough to put yourself in that position again and again. And although I found the sentence about it being impossible to prove something didn’t happen less than convincing, the article you referred had a good point that personal vendettas and a lust for cash played a much stronger part in this case than any other sort of lust.

   He wasn’t cleared of all charges, according to the Yahoo News article you pointed out – he was cleared of the ones that matter, but charged with supplying a minor with alcohol. I didn’t see any details on exactly what his sentence was for this, but for his own sake, I hope it precludes him being left in the company of minors who aren’t his children unattended. Because then hopefully he won’t have to go through this again and again and again. If he is innocent, (and a jury has found him so,) he has been remarkably foolish, and will be remarkably foolish again if he’s allowed to.

2. okok, heis “not guilty” but is he “innocent”?

   would u let MJ babysit your kids/bro/sis/nephew/niece? i doubt it.

3. Think you might have misunderstood the article – in legal terminology, you are charged with a crime, and then acquitted or convicted of the charges against you.

   Here, the 10 major charges were for child molestation and conspiracy. Then there were 4 others for supplying a minor with alcohol. The jury read out “Not guilty” 14 times in all, acquitting him of all the charges.

   It’s fair to say he’s either made many serious errors of judgment in the past few years which left him exposed to such claims, or is just incredibly stubborn. God knows I wish I could beat some sense into him. But being a dumb deluded pop star isn’t a crime, or else America’s jails would be full of ’em.

4. singaporeslut: “Innocent until proven guilty”. Right?

   Would I let him babysit? Just like that, no – I wouldn’t let any stranger babysit my children alone. But if I knew him and he had earned my trust as a responsible caregiver, why not? If there had been anything I actually found convincing in the prosecution case then I’d think twice, but: nada.

   Now I’ll ask *you* a question – if you truly believed he molested your child, and he then offered to buy your silence, would you take the money?

5. You’re absolutely right, cleared of all charges – my head is not 100% screwed on today. But I’d stand by the fact that sleeping with (in the purely literal, innocent sense) other people’s children isn’t appropriate, whether it’s illegal or not, and I have no sympathy for a man who is dragged through one accusation and then does something like that again.

   On a more frivolous note, beating some sense into him would be illegal.

6. Yeah man. Beat it beat it beat it beat it….

7. “Now I’ll ask *you* a question – if you truly believed he molested your child, and he then offered to buy your silence, would you take the money?”

   Hell No! if i had proof that anybody touched my kid inappropriately, the whole world is gonna know. sheeeeat, i aint takin no $$ from someone who molested my kid, fcuk that, everytime i used the money, i’d feel like castrating myself.

   and i call BS on your not allowing a “stranger” to babysit your kids. (great lawyer response btw):

   1) MJ is not a “stranger”; he is world famous.

   come on, r u saying that u wouldn’t let brad pitt babysit your kids! i bet u would.

   2) if u were to be on vacation and require a babysitting service, a stranger, albeit a professional, would be watching your kids.

   3) i believe that most molestations happen btwn ppl that know each other (family, friends, etc)

8. but don’t take my word for it, chk out the facts from The Abel and Harlow Child Molestation Prevention Study:

   http://www.childmolestationprevention.org/pages/tell_others_the_facts.html

   Which Children Do Child Molesters Target?

   CHILDREN IN THE FAMILY

   Biological Child

   19%

   Stepchild, Adopted or Foster Child

   30%

   Brothers & Sisters

   12%

   Nieces & Nephews

   18%

   Grandchild

   5%

   CHILDREN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

   Child Left in My Care

   5%

   Child of Friend or Neighbor

   40%

   CHILDREN WHO ARE STRANGERS

   Child Strangers

   10%

   Source: The Abel and Harlow Child Molestation Prevention Study.

   WOW, a whopping 10% of kids are molested by strangers!!! and they didn

9. Singaporeslut: I wouldn’t let him babysit my child, mainly because there’s the slightest suspicion he might have done it, partially because he seems to have the mentality of, well, my hypothetical child. And not least because he’d be very expensive and lives a long way away, and I’m not paying his airfare.

   For that last reason I wouldn’t let Pitt babysit my child either.

10. singaporeslut:

    “1) MJ is not a “stranger”; he is world famous.

    come on, r u saying that u wouldn’t let brad pitt babysit your kids! i bet u would.”

    You do realize there’s a difference between a celebrity’s public persona and who they really are, right? As far as I’m concerned, anyone I don’t know personally and fairly well, in real life, would be a stranger as far as my kids are concerned. Ask Kelly to explain this to you.

    And of course I’d let Brad Pitt babysit my kids! After all, he’s got no children of his own and no background in childcare as far as I know, but damn he’s a good-looking guy and he’s done some heroic swashbuckling roles, and that means he must therefore be a great babysitter!

    Sorry, you bet wrong.

    “2) if u were to be on vacation and require a babysitting service, a stranger, albeit a professional, would be watching your kids.”

    Yes, there is a certain amount of trust parents may be willing to place in *professional* childcare services. (I’m not actually sure I would in the context you describe though.) But you are deviating from your original question, which was whether I would put my children in the care of Michael Jackson the *individual*, who is not a childcare professional. Which is why I have said I would have to know him personally first.

    “3) i believe that most molestations happen btwn ppl that know each other (family, friends, etc)”

    So, in order to keep my child safe from molestation, I should randomly offer its care to strangers on the street! After all, they’re less likely to molest my child than my family and friends! Man, I’m gonna be such a good parent!

    The statistics you quote are sad but I have no idea what you’re trying to prove with them. Regardless of whether a child is in the care of strangers, friends or family, the point is that parents must be vigilant as to its welfare, and not abdicate their responsibilities as parents in order to serve their own convenience or laziness.

    Whether I put my child in the care of Michael Jackson, my sister, a childcare centre or my rubbish collector, I would need to take all these measures, and obviously different considerations would come into play for each one. I don’t see the point of oversimplifying things the way you have.

11. “You do realize there’s a difference between a celebrity’s public persona and who they really are, right?”

    plz dont talk to me like iam a child; i was actually starting to think similarly about y’all, just showed u the respect enuff not to post it.

    i am not a celebrity whore, quite the opposite, ask Kelly. these ppl r just that, ppl. erm, i ain’t the one posting “Oh my god! I can

12. Well, as someone who has posted in this section, I’m quite hurt that someone who can’t be bothered to type the whole word ‘are’ or ‘you’ or ‘people’ thinks I am like a child.

    I don’t like Jackson’s music particularly, though the bassline to Billie Jean gets me every time. But this is all turning into a rant. So the guy’s innocent, his lawyer has said he won’t be putting himself in any suspect positions again, and even better, he’s in dire financial straits, which means there’s a tour on the way. So everyone’s happy!

13. Its obviously a good thing he got off. I think he’s been very good as the son in Nip/Tuck, and it’d have been a shame if they’d had to write him out in a contrived way.

14. John: You’re funny. :)

    pmckcon: To be honest, your first argument was so weak that I didn’t know whether you seriously didn’t get it, or if you were wilfully pretending to be obtuse. If a 12-year-old had said that, I would have patiently explained why it was flawed, but given that you are a long way from 12 years old, I talked to you as an *adult* who should know better than to make such lame arguments.

    In contrast, your second argument was slightly better, and less presumptuous (eg. no “come on, r u saying that u wouldn’t let brad pitt babysit your kids! i bet u would”), and therefore got a more civil answer.

    I don’t know where I was saying you were a “celebrity whore”, so I can’t respond to what you said about that.

    Yes, I suppose I haven’t written here that I wish he would check himself into rehab, though I have said rather *less measured* things such as “God knows I wish I could beat some sense into him” and called him a “dumb deluded pop star”. If that’s being “so up in his ass” then remind me never to ask you to kiss someone’s ass for me. Well, maybe Kelly’s, but that’s different. :P

15. “Well, as someone who has posted in this section, I’m quite hurt that someone who can’t be bothered to type the whole word ‘are’ or ‘you’ or ‘people’ thinks I am like a child.”

    FAO MATT

    dude, where did i insinuate that u r childlike?

    can u point that out for me plz?

    and i type like this becuz it works for me; it’s called “code switching”.

    FAO Michelle:

    first argument: was just a general Q.

    i read your and kelly’s posts about yay, heis innocent and free, instead of damn, i hope my idol gets himself some help. so i was just takin the piss.

    my life is educating youth, i’ve been doin it for 15+ yrs; anytime i hear abt. them being abused (or put into abnormal sexuations), i get a bit irked, nope, that’s putting it mildly. it pisses me off, becuz ive counselled them and dealt w/ their pain first hand. i knew MJ was gonna get off, w/out a slap on the wrist or ticket to a facility where he can be helped; freekin celebrity.

    anyways, i look fwd to sat. nite, it’s all just shits and giggles. ;)

16. “plz dont talk to me like iam a child; i was actually starting to think similarly about y’all” – I just took y’all as plural. I like y’all, I think more people should use it to distinguish between you and you. The french have tu and vous, we should have you and y’all. And the shortened versions of the words is my problem, not yours, and I guess I’ll just have to deal with it.

    And likewise, I’m just enjoying the argument. A privilege to be involved.

    k thx bye.

17. FAO Matt

    it’s all good man, just shits and giggles. :]

18. singaporeslut: Similarly, I look forward to many giggles with you and your singaporeslut on Saturday night. But if possible, cut back on the shits. Alec just cleaned the flat.

19. Wah lau eh, may I PLEASE clarify: pmckcon & singaporeslut = same person with crazy hair. I’m not the slut! I’m -singapussy-. Get that clear! Everyone thinks singaporeslut is me! Why? Why? Why?

    Once again, I am -singapussy-. Hear me roar!

20. Does anyone smell burning hair?

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