Today is the 7th year since the untimely death of one of the greatest entertainers the world has ever seen. Michael Jackson’s legacy as a singer, showman, dancer and entertainer are the stuff of legends. As most creatives are kin to energies unfamiliar to the commoner, Michael was the source of constant speculation from the time he emerged from the shadow of childhood to embark upon a road that would make him an icon.
However, along the way, his choices have been the catalyst for millions of tabloid headlines from across the globe.
From rumors of his sexuality, to his relationship with Brooke Shields, monkey parties hosted by Bubbles the Chimp, a hyberaric chamber he was alleged to have slept in, a supposed vocal surgery in the early 80s that ensured his voice would remain akin to that of a 13-year-old…the rumors ran far and wide.
(Photo Credit: mtv.com)
Yet, despite the negatives, he continued wowing people all over the globe. In hindsight we look upon a life that was far more tumultuous than any of us could have possibly imagined looking from the outside in.
A marriage to the daughter of an American music icon couldn’t have been a tranquil one, with photographers ready to leap from every bush just for the chance to snap a photo of them simply holding hands. There was rampant speculation that the children that he fathered with Debbie Rowe actually weren’t his.
Constant charges of nefarious business practices also dogged him.
As we look back and try to remember the times when he made us get up and get funky, fall in love or reflect upon our shared responsibility to be kind to one another and love the world, the temporal path down memory lane is blocked by negative anomalies that mainstream media is all too comfortable playing over and over again.
Yes, even the most loyal fans of MJ recall the manner in which he was persecuted in the court system and embarrassed by the criminal justice system. Michael was accused of child sex abuse in a civil suit and settled, but no criminal trial was ever pursued and no additional charges were filed. He went to trial in 2005, he was tried and acquitted in a jury trial of child sex abuse.
Though many of us have uttered a silent prayer in wishing Jackson’s eternal rest is peaceful, not all believe in that adage as his name continues to be the source of allegations.
In contemporary society, more Americans are tolerant of the personal behaviors of others than at any point in the history of this country. However, child sexual abuse will forever be seen has a contemptible, despicable act by most people.
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And for individuals who are accused of such acts, it is forever a mark of shame. So, is there any wonder as to why seven years after his death that he is at the center of more allegations that seek to depict him as a sexual predator of children?
According to RadarOnline, a 2003 raid of Jackson’s Neverland Ranch resulted in the discovery of video recordings, computer hard rives, photos and other information that they say he used to desensitize children, according to former Santa Barbara Senior Assistant District Attorney Ron Zonen.
The documents also state that photos of numerous children were located in a safe in the employee break room at his home, and that they also located a book which contained “numerous” photos of children’s faces superimposed onto adult bodies with the genitals exposed.
After the firestorm surrounding these revelations were blasted across the media-sphere, the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office sent an email to Billboard stating; “Some of the documents appear to be copies of reports that were authored by Sheriff’s Office personnel as well as evidentiary photographs taken by Sheriff’s Office personnel interspersed with content that appears to be obtained off the internet or through unknown sources.”
What the documents themselves allude to is that one of the world’s favorite musicians was a serial pedophile. However, the email that was sent to Billboard magazine should give the logical among us wiggle room to exercise reasonable doubt.
First, I simply refuse to take anything law enforcement says as the gospel, based upon personal experiences and observing the state of affairs in America today. Also, the fact that some of the documents in the police file are “copies of reports”, “evidentiary photographs” and also described as coming from “the internet or through unknown sources” is a major eye-raiser.
Where are the original documents and materials? Why wasn’t this information released prior to his death? Why didn’t this information result in success for the prosecution rather than resounding defeat?
If this evidence was rock solid, Michael Jackson should have been convicted of at least one of the seven charges that were levied against him in the 2005 trial that ultimately resulted in his acquittal.
Yes, it is disheartening and sickening to imagine that one of my favorite entertainers could have possibly been a monstrous individual, but my distrust for those who revealed this supposed evidence, as well as suspicions over what the true motivations behind the timing of this revelation, significantly suspends any outrage I may have otherwise had.
As many reminisce on Michael Jackson’s legacy on the seventh anniversary of his death, I will be playing “Off the Wall” repeatedly, remembering the summers of yesteryear that it helped fuel.
RIP Michael.