With the passing of Michael Jackson today, one of our generation’s biggest icons, my initial response was sad.

A few minutes later that had passed and I started to think about the child abuse allegations that he had been accused of in the last few years. 

I loved Michael Jackson growing up. I think he had talent.  I think he was an amazing dancer and entertainer and he took “rock star” to a new level.  I still turn the radio up when I hear his songs.  I am not questioning his talent nor his contributions to the entertainment industry, but as a mother his child abuse allegations are extremely disturbing to me.

Michael Jackson was a great singer and a pop icon- I liked his music and my family and I actually met him through a family friend in 1984. 

However, I feel Michael Jackson (MJ) was a *serial* child molester / pedophile, or whatever term you want to use.  

Non-molesters don’t have young boys over to sleep in their beds & then pay out millions to keep it quiet. Michael Jackson befriended young boys, sometimes from disadvantaged backgrounds, and then took them to his ranch, banning their parents.

This is a HUGE red flag.  If MJ loved children so much, why didn’t he befriend them at Disneyland? Take them to public places, have their parents along, or just even go hang out at these children’s homes?

Giving MJ the benefit of the doubt, and assuming he was victimized by these families out to destroy him and get money from him, which is what MJ claimed, he should have never had put himself in a situation like this again after the first allegation. But he did, and he chose to do this- still taking the boys to his private ranch.  

It is interesting how so many other celebrities like Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Madonna, Meg Ryan, Mia Farrow, etc., can have big hearts for children and work with them, and yet none of them have been “victimized” claiming they have been falsely accused of molestation for money.  No child can describe Brad Pitt’s genitalia like one of  Michael Jackson’s alleged abuser could. I don’t consider Michael Jackson bigger than “Brangelina”, and there have been no claims of inappropriate sleep overs from the Jolie-Pitt house.  So I don’t buy into the money claim.  

The FACTS are MJ was arrested once and accused twice of child molestation.  He settled out of court once, and found not guilty once. Both times the details have been sealed, and millions of dollars were paid out.  If he had nothing to hide, why not let the facts get out there to clear his name? Celebrities get accused of false things all the time, but very few of them get arrested, and hide the details-twice.

The case would never have gone to trial without sufficient evidence in the 2005 case, where Michael and the boy were discovered sleeping in bed together. How many other celebrities are having sleep overs with minor children in their houses with doors locked, and parents banned?

How many just normal parents have sleepovers like this with their children’s friends?    I can imagine the outrage if a Boy Scout leader was found sleeping in his tent with boy scouts on on an overnight camping trip.  Parents and the public would be outraged-as we should be.  But since this is MJ and he could do the moon-walk, these facts are pushed to the background-suddenly a 40 year old man who has 13 year old boys sleep with him in bed, doesn’t matter.   

I view this like OJ Simpson. He never got convicted and was found not guilty either of killing his wife and Ron Goldman, but he had a lot of money, and was able to create doubt. Even if he could run with a football.  Are there any people out there ten plus years later that don’t think OJ had something to do with the murders of his wife and her friend?  Even though the jury said he didn’t?   

I don’t care what talent in life you have- if you put yourself in compromising positions when you are under a spotlight, especially with minor children, you create suspicion on yourself.  You have to be even more careful.     If they ever release the evidence and the facts of the cases about these boys and Michel Jackson comes to light that he was completely innocent, I will be the first to apologize for doubting Mr. Jackson’s innocence.  

Michael Jackson’s family has my sympathy- no family should have to lose a loved one, but I am more sorry for the families of MJ’s victims and the position these young boys were put in by an ADULT man who should have known better not to have young boys locked in his bedroom sleeping in the same bed with him. Some things in life, you just don’t get to do- and this is one of them.   

I don’t care if you can throw a football, raise money for children in Africa, run with a football, dance, sing, or are the greatest entertainer in the world.  Putting yourself in compromising positions over and over again with young children, that raises a question of inappropriate behavior with them is wrong.  No matter who you are.   

There is no free pass for taking advantage and molesting children. Don’t take them in your bed to sleep with them.  Don’t lock the door to the bedroom, and don’t ban the parents.  Seems pretty simple to me.  We all make mistakes, and no one is perfect. How could MJ NOT have known or had not been advised to do this-  but he chose to do it anyway.   

The world lost a great entertainer, but his victims have lost their innocence too.  They will never get that back.  Victimizing the most vulnerable in our society is unforgivable, and I for one, can’t help but feel somewhat relieved that there is one less person putting innocent children in compromising situations.

Note: for more information, read The Smoking Gun: The Case Against Michael Jackson: http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/010605jackson.html

**NOTE: If you don’t share my opinion with me fine-feel free to leave your thoughts.  I don’t allow swearing or profanity on my blog and if you leave profanity in your comments I will delete the comment and block your IP. Let’s discuss but also be civil. Thank you.**

October 19, 2009-

Thank you for all the respectful comments and discussion.  It is very evident from the comments that people feel passionately about MJ’s innocence or guilt, depending on what they personally believe.  Many readers provided evidence for both sides, and these added greatly to the discussion.  My intention on this post was to never debate the legal matters and dig up every document ever produced on the case.  It was my opinion, as a mother, on how I felt about MJ’s behavior with children.  It seems more and more people are becoming very hostile, rude, and disrespectful when offering their opinion, and since I have less and less time to monitor the comments closely, I have decided to close the comments on this post.  I thank everyone again for the civil discussion.

Heather