Jacko, Even if he didn't do it, he still endangered children

[cags]

Even if by some long and I do mean long stretch of the imagination, that Jackson is innocent and he's just got emotional problems, he still endangered children, by telling them it is ok to get into the beds with adult men who they are not related too. No other normal adult would do that. So the only other adults who would do it would have bad intentions and Jackson telling them that it is ok is endangering them by telling them it is ok and potentially putting a child in an unsafe situation. If I told a child to get into the car of a stranger I would be endangering them. Jacko did the same thing

[WindRavenX]

1. even if he didn't molest kids...

...no way in effin' hell would I let my kids near him. At the very least, he suffers from a severe distance of reality.

[skjpm]

2. If he didn't commit a crime, he didn't commit a crime

I think he showed an insane lack of judgment, and I can't imagine any parent allowing their children near them, but I don't think he committed any crime. I honestly don't think he thinks in sexual terms. I think he is asexual and doesn't have the kind of boundaries normal people have. I don't want to defend him, but I don't want him to be convicted of a crime he didn't commit.

[WindRavenX]

3. I agree with you

Innocent until proven guilty. However, regardless of the outcome of this trial, I find his behavior to be disturbing enough so that I personally would not let my kids near him.
JM2C.

[soothsayer]

15. agreed!

[WilmywoodNCparalegal]

4. I don't know if he did/didn't...

but I am not happy about the coverage of his trial and the slight pro-defense bias that transpires.

[Redstone]

5. And if he did it, don't you think the parents should go to jail

as well? Would you send your kid to spend a night with that mutant?

Redstone

[cags]

8. Yep, They might as well have told thier kids to go play in traffic

[tjdee]

6. WTF is wrong with these kids' parents?

I have known for a LONG time that Mike's a little strange. There is NO WAY IN HELL I would let him hang out with my kid overnight, and she's a girl.

Why would their children be allowed to spend so much time with a grown man? It's not like this was their uncle, he is a celebrity with a known history of being kind of kooky.

These parents are ridiculous.

[mondo joe]

7. He victimizes them as well

He picks vulnerable families to exploit - families in trouble, without resources.

Surprise!

[skjpm]

9. I have the privilage of caring for my godson

I am an unmarried adult male, and this case troubles me, because it calls into question all of us who have been given a role in the lives of children not our own. In taking on this responsibility, I talked over my role in depth with my godson's parents, and I make sure they know everything that is going on. I don't want to become paranoid about physical contact because there is such a thing as "good touch" and kids need it from adults. I wish more airtime was given to men like me, who choose not to have children, but who enjoy the time they have with other's, and use that time with appropriateness.

[mondo joe]

11. But you're the kid's godfather

You DO have a relationship with the child and family. You are not, to my knowledge, in a weird power imbalance. You do not, to my knowledge, have a history of endangering kids.

I don't think any rational person would confuse your relationship and Michael Jackson's.

[skjpm]

12. Except I'm a single adult male who likes kids

See? Even that sounds creepy. And it shouldn't. I wish that those of us who are not priests or popstars would stand up and be counted. We're part of the village it takes to raise a child, and we are just as careful and concerned as everyone else.

[cags]

13. Would you tell your godson its ok to sleep in a bed.............

with the neighbor man down the street or with one of his friends fathers?

There is a big difference with liking kids and doing things that endanger them. Theres nothing wrong with enjoying the company of children and I don't think anyone is confusing the two.

Jacko is doing things to endanger children.

[skjpm]

14. I agree. He endangers children.

He puts them in situations where the boundaries are unclear. Even if he is not molesting them, he is doing things which a future molester might exploit. But I really don't think he intended to endanger anyone--I think that he himself was put in similar boundarly-less situations and had no common sense. This is one case where time in a solid mental institution might be the best option.

[Debi]

23. I agree that there are good men out there that are roll models

for young boys and should be spending time with them.

I was a single mom for five years and I'm lucky that there were men in our community that wanted to be around my son and give him male companionship.

I didn't think there was anything wrong or disguting about it.

[pansypoo53219]

10. no matter what

he is a freak.
a sad sad sad freak. i found an old LIFE magazine with the jackson clan on the cover from the 70's, when he was just a talented brown kid.

[CatWoman]

17. just what constitutes being a freak?

Was Jerry Lee Lewis a freak? He married his young underage cousin.

Were the Catholic priests who raped little kids freaks?

Is George Bush, murderer of over 10,000 innocent Iraqis a freak?

What constitutes being a freak?

Having a lot of unneeded plastic surgery?

[CatWoman]

18. just what constitutes being a freak?

Was Jerry Lee Lewis a freak? He married his young underage cousin.

Were the Catholic priests who raped little kids freaks?

Is George Bush, murderer of over 10,000 innocent Iraqis a freak?

What constitutes being a freak?

Having a lot of unneeded plastic surgery?

[CatWoman]

16. Too bad you missed your calling as jury foreman

[amazona]

19. don't get this logic

Jacko told an adult making a movie that sleeping in a bed with a child was a beautiful thing. Not clear how saying stupid things to another adult, even on film, is a danger to children.

Having known victims of extortionists, I have no sympathy for them whatsoever, sorry. The people endangering the children are the people teaching the child to stab a friend in the back for money. This family already filed a claim and collected money against a security guard who supposedly somehow violated this kid. Making claims seems to be their way of earning a living.

Don't come back years later when there is no physical evidence and make wild accusations. Lots of people are funny-looking and don't appreciate the idea that being funny-looking is enough to convict you of child rape in the popular mind.

If he is guilty, fine, just show me the proof.

The conservation movement is a breeding ground of communists
and other subversives. We intend to clean them out,
even if it means rounding up every birdwatcher in the country.
--John Mitchell, US Attorney General 1969-72

[cags]

20. Jacko also told that to the children. That is a danger to them

Would you tell your kids or anyone elses for that matter that its OK to sleep in the same bed with the neighbor man down the street or with one of thier friends fathers? That is what is dangerous. Normal adult men do not sleep with the children of aquaintences or even thier friends. Telling these kids that it is OK is potentially putting them in a dangerous situation, the next time some guy says "come sleep in my bed".

I'm not saying he is guilty of molesting them because frankly I wasn't in the room. I will say I wouldn't leave my kids alone in a room with him. But he is guilty at least of leading kids to do things that are dangerous to them.

You don't tell kids to get into a strangers car, that is basically what he did.

[realisticphish]

21. that's my view as well

though, honestly, i don't give a rats ass about the trial. yeah, he's messed up. and detached from reality. but that alone is no reason to condemn him automatically.

[Debi]

22. I assume that you don't approve of grown men travelling with young boys

Say as camp counselors or sports coaches? An adult male being in close proximity to an underage male is not in itself a dangerous situation.

Should we not allow our children to go to the swimming pool because scantily clad adults are watching over them? No more basketball games or wrestling tournaments or swim meets - men and young boys with very little clothing all around.

Molestation does exist, perverts and pedofiles are out there, but until the man is found guilty of that crime the only thing over his head right now is poor judgment (VERY POOR).