Dissonance Chords & Dissenting Opinion

This is my favorite Michael Jackson song. Enjoy.

I never really was much of a Michael Jackson fan. Of course, I knew who he was, but mostly through all the scandal and gossip that surrounded him. I had a friend in high school whose mom was president of the local chapter of his fanclub, and anytime I joked around about the allegations against him, she’d jump down my throat. It didn’t matter to me: whatever he’d done or hadn’t done, I still knew he was Michael Jackson. King of Pop. A man who was world-famous for his music before he was infamous for what might’ve gone on at Neverland Ranch.

Really, I’m a little disappointed in the general reaction I’ve seen from people after his death. I agree, TV is giving it too much coverage, when there are other things going on in the world. I agree, it’s ridiculous for Congress to have given him a moment of silence when they won’t do the same thing for American soldiers in the Middle East, or for brutally murdered demonstrators in Iran. But there are facts and then there are opinions. Here are some facts I think people need to be reminded of:

1) A man is innocent until proven guilty.
2) Michael Jackson was never proven guilty.

Truth be told, I thought conservatives, of all people, would understand this principle of justice. I was really pleased with our reaction to the scandal that surrounded Mark Sanford; as much as liberals like to jump for joy and attack with sabers drawn every time a Republican is caught in a scandal, we don’t rise to it and we stand for our morals, whether our representatives do or not. I saw a tremendous outcry for Sanford’s resignation, and was happy with that. Compared with how John Edward’s similar scandal was handled, the conservative base has held their own against the liberal base. We know where we stand. We have the moral high ground, still.

But at the same time, watching conservatives lash out against Michael after his death, I can also see why liberals pick on us and think of us as sticks-in-the-mud, you know? Stiff old guys in business suits who talk in monotone voices.

Like I said before, I really picked on him about all the charges that were brought against him, but so did everyone. I don’t think it changed anyone’s opinion of his music, which is what he was truly legendary for. No one really knows what happened between him and those kids, and to be completely honest, I’m really not sure what I believe; I think it is plausible that he may have done something to at least one child, but “plausible” does not mean “absolute.” I mean, let’s look at some other facts here.

In the second trial, the child’s parents were… not very good people. They were tax evaders, frauds, and con artists. It’s not hard to believe that the child was told to lie in order to squeeze some money out of an innocent man. Parents telling children to lie about such things isn’t uncommon; just watch the Steve Wilkos show.

And throughout both trials, celebrities who were loyal friends of Michael’s as children defended him, swore up and down that he had never done anything to them, and that they had never seen him do anything to any other child. Even now, as adults, after Michael’s death, they’re distraught and heartbroken. Now would be the time when you would expect them to start coming out to admit the truth, if they hadn’t told it before. But, I don’t know. Maybe it’s just me who always looked at Michael as someone who wasn’t all there upstairs, but who looked generally harmless.

But I said this on livejournal yesterday, and I believe it wholeheartedly: even if I’m wrong, and he did touch those children and bring harm to them, that’s not the man we’re mourning, that’s not the life we’re celebrating. The legend of Michael Jackson is something entirely different from the strange looking guy we always saw in the tabloids. It’s the legend that everyone is upset over, not the alleged child molester.

I doubt I’ll change any minds, because I get it. The conservative base is built around Christian morals and through that, we deplore anyone who would bring harm to a child. Nothing disgusts and angers me more than a child molester, I promise, I’m not defending that on any level. I totally understand where everyone is coming from.

But I think what all those people are forgetting is what I mentioned before: innocent until proven guilty. I doubt that anyone slinging those nasty words around was there, in the room, as an incident between Michael and a child occurred, or has any solid proof that such an incident occurred. If you did, why didn’t you stand up to get him convicted? You’re just as guilty for not doing so. Shame!

Seriously, though, I think everyone just needs to step back a moment and rethink this. At the very least, show some respect to the man because of what he did in his professional life, before his personal life went to hell in a handbasket. He was talented on many levels, and inspired more modern musicians than you’re giving him credit for. Even if you disagree with me on that point, I should think the outpouring of emotion and excessive TV coverage you’re complaining about proves you’re in a minority here.

So simmer down, folks. A joke is a joke, and your opinion on whether he was guilty or not is your opinion.

But it’s not the facts. Or the point.

Links Links Links:

Vesper In Limbo - A really lovely tribute to Michael.
Lisa Marie Presley’s Statement on Michael’s Death
Elizabeth Taylor’s Statement on Michael’s Death (it was reported that she collapsed upon hearing of his death and was too devastated to make a statement right away)
Statements from John Landis, Corey Feldman, Elton John, Justin Timberlake, and several tweets from other celebrities
Article about Macaulay Culkin’s Silence After Michael’s Death, and a 2004 interview with Culkin about Michael
Mariah Carey’s Statement on Michael’s Death
Paul McCartney’s Statement on Michael’s Death
Rosie O’Donnell’s Poem About Michael’s Death (irritatingly written in internet speak, but a beautiful sentiment nonetheless)
Michael’s Music Takes Over the iTunes’s Top Sellers List

I’m a big ONTD fan, can you tell?