2005-06-14 - 9:37 a.m.
Everyone will remember where they were when they heard it. My wife and I were at a coffee shop, our meal was finished yet we waited to hear the �verdict.� Like a typical primetime television show, the ending was somewhat known by the audience. Although he was found �not guilty� even his most ardent followers (like the lady with the white pigeons; where is PETA at to chastise her for placing those birds into a cage?) must be aware of the gap which exists between �not guilty� and innocent.
Lest we forget that OJ Simpson was also found �not guilty.�
Before I get to Michael Jackson, I would like to talk about the prosecution. In these high-profile hearings it is the burden of the prosecution to prove beyond a reasonable doubt the guilt of the defendant. The prosecution in this case would have been better served to have done their homework. The mother of the key witness to their case was of a character that could be questioned. Did they know this and still press on? If they did they must have known they were on a fool�s errand. The defense knew this and attacked her character vehemently. The thirteen year old boy, who probably was involved in some sad situations with the King of Pop, also had a character which the defense could attack. The prosecution in these cases must have an airtight argument because without that there will be no chance for their winning the case.
Is it right to attack the character of a thirteen year old boy?
No.
There is a precedent here, unfortunately, since in the OJ Simpson case the defense was able to attack the characters of Nicole Simpson and Ron Brown posthumously. You think a seventeen year old girl in Eagle County or a thirteen year old boy in Santa Maria will be spared from the hammerhead sharks solicited to defend these beyond a reasonable doubt guilty defendants?
No.
How does that taste Kobe? You will be forever linked with Michael Jackson and OJ Simpson.
One other thing I want to hit on before I get to the King of Pop is the sad truth that it is okay to kill, rape and molest but don�t you dare mess with money. Martha Stewart messed with money and found herself in the clink. Money can buy a �not guilty� verdict or an out and out dismissal but when you mess with the green stuff you cannot be placed under its protection.
As for Jack-o, well, this is the last get out of jail free card he will get I think but I could be wrong. He is not innocent even though he was found �not guilty.� He needs to keep that thing on his face where a nose should be clean from this point forward. A suggestion I would make to him, if he is listening (of course I am 28, thusly, not very interesting to him): you should always have an adult in the room with you. You should never put yourself alone in a room with anyone under the age of twenty. You have a problem and that problem has caused great grief to a multitude of people and families.
Of course, it takes two to tango so parents, for the love of all that is smart in this weird world, never drop off your kids at Neverland Ranch then drive away.
Never ever ever ever ever ever ever leave your kids alone with the King of Pop. He will probably be selling his amusement park soon so the same rule applies when he in living in a midtown apartment. The King of Pop should be left alone only for the brief time it takes him to go into the bathroom, do his business with thoughts of whatever scampering through his deranged mind, then when he comes back out he should be under constant supervision by an adult. No more time spent on the Internet alone. No more riding in airplanes alone. No more going to the petting zoo in his backyard alone. Do not let him give anyone a can of soda again.
As for his career, well, although he is a free man I can sum up his future prospects in six words:
The King of Pop is no more
