Michael Jackson Trial

[attyfan]

What do you think?

[donnylutz]

I obviously don't know if he's guilty or not and can only make assumptions, which I hate doing.

I will say this however....

Any 30 or so year old, who allows young children who aren't theres to sleep in bed with them......that should raise some eyebrows.

Donnylutz :)
:CH

[Jayjen36]

Yeah. I haven't been watching any of the coverage of the trial or anything. Whether he's found guilty or not I still don't think he should be allowed around kids. That just doesn't make any sense to me. I love kids, I might let my nephew sleep with me if he were scared or had a nightmare or something, but kids I wasn't closely related to???

I don't really think that he has anyone to blame but himself. Even if he isn't guilty, he himself has fostered this "child in a man's body" thing. And it is bizarre and unsettling. I still don't know why some people found that "charming?" or something.:rolleyes Frankly to me what is more bizarre and unsettling is how many parents actually allowed their kids to sleep with this grown man! What could they possibly have been thinking? The second he mentioned it I would have dragged my own kids and the rest of them out of that place as fast as I could get them out.

And I still think that if his family really cared about this guy they'd have put him away for his own good years ago.

[RA5CViggie]

Whether Michael is innocent or guilty, I hope that he gets some psychological help because it is clear that he has issues even aside from children.

That said, before the trial started, I was sure of his guilt. Now I am not so sure. Even if Michael is guilty, the prosecution has not done a good job of proving its case thus far. The most real evidence they have shown is a couple of books and the testimonies of some rather questionable witnessess.

If I were a juror, letting boys sleep in his bed would not be enough proof for me to convict, especially with the boys saying that nothing bad happened. Truthfully, I'd be more concerned if he were sleeping with little girls. Not to say that I think Michael should keep letting children sleep in his bed. I don't. Even if nothing ever happened, you can see that it has been nothing but bad news for Michael.

[Grace]

I think it's sad that Michael has turned out the way he has. Of course his parents are not going to put him away - they love their messed up child, of which they have contributed to he being messed up.

I've said it time and time again to anyone who's even asked me about the case, that I honestly think Michael still thinks of himself as a child. The man has become reclusive, afraid of the world that exists out there. I mean, come on, a man who builds his own amusement park in the backyard of his home and has somewhat of a "farm" with exotic animals who deems his home "Never Neverland". This is why I find sleepovers with young boys at his age not odd at all. In his messed up mind, he's just having fun, thinking he's a boy. Watching the BBC interview aired a couple of years ago proved to me he acted exactly like a little kid, just pointing at certain things in a store, purchasing vases that were worth $40,000 like they were candy. And the man has money, but not *that* much money to waste on just decor -- and lots of it.

I don't know what happened to him, but he needs help, he should have gotten psychological counseling ever since he got his second nose surgery after "Thriller". Whenever his name gets brought up, I always wonder what would have happened had his first nose surgery been a success - would he have become addicted to plastic surgery? How would he look? There were so many things that contributed to his result of being such a troubled/messed up person, but I wonder if there would have been a way to save him. As the years go by, it is obvious to me he just gets worse both mentally and physically (well, face wise).

Most of our scars are in the inside and people can't see them, but Michael's scars can be clearly seen... scary.

[EigthAv]

Any 30 or so year old, who allows young children who aren't theres to sleep in bed with them......that should raise some eyebrows.<!--EZCODE BR START--><!--EZCODE BR END-->Donny,if it were a 30+ year olde woman and girls,rather than boys,would you have a problem with it? My youngest daughter slept with me from time to time until she was 7 years olde and I never molested her.I think I was 10,the last time I slept with my Grandmother and know for fact,way beyond all doubts,she never molested me.Nowadays,I'm afraid to even let my own little great nieces and nephews hug me too tight.Afraid someone might "get the wrong idea". It breaks my heart sometimes.If Jackson did molest the boy he is charged with molesting,I hope he gets convicted.If he didn't,I hope he won't become an innocent victim of wrongful conviction.By todays standards,Captain Kangaroo and Mr.Rogers would never have happened.When and if it ever becomes a crime to love children,we are all in for a World of hurt.I love my favourite figure skaters,including those who are under 18.Is that a crime? A sin? Does it make me a pedo-whacko? I love Chipper Jones and Condi Rice too,so am I am gay and with a Secretary of State fetish on the side? What about adults who sleep with their dogs and/or cats? Are they all into beastiality? I don't know if Michael is guilty or not.I only hope justice will be served,either way. Personally,I don't sleep with children,pets or even a teddy bear.If I did,I would like to think the sleeping alone isn't a crime.

[Jayjen36]

Personally,I don't sleep with children,pets or even a teddy bear.If I did,I would like to think the sleeping alone isn't a crime.

I agree with you in that giving a child a hug or allowing a child to sleep with you who might be lonely or frightened shouldn't be considered a crime. The problem is that child predators use those needs in children to gain the trust of they and their parents and then take advantage of that trust. Most people when seeing a crying child who's lost would want to give the child a hug calm them down and help them to find their mom or dad. These days it's probably better to find a police officer to take care of the child until their parent can be found, particularly if you are male.

I think that this caution that has to be taken when dealing with children is one of the most horrible things about child predators. The very things that kids need, the love and attention of the adults around them, are the things that child molesters take advantage of. And because of that those are the things that are being with held from them. And in this time of war and over-worked parents and violence everywhere they really need to know that the grown-ups around them love and care about them.

I really really hate this crime for the obvious reasons of course but also because I think that they have taken something very important from all of us. I can remember when I was a kid that if I got home school and my parents weren't there I could go stay with a neighbor, or I could spend time with the people next door who had just gotten some puppies. You can't do those things anymore. You can't count on a neighbor that you don't know taking care of your children in an emergency because you can't trust the neighbor and the neighbor can't risk being accused of having a strange child in their home. It is remarkably sad that we can no longer help each other with our children. Something vital has been stolen from us.

[EigthAv]

I don't think the jury is going to convict Jackson.There are just too many holes in the prosecution's case. Neverland will change.I doubt parents will be so eager to take their children to Jackson's world in the future.This whole thing of kids being encouraged to call Michael "father" is creepy.:eek

[babyoscar]

I almost never visit this part of the forum. But I just saw this today. This goes back to what Vocalise said before...

In a biography of Katherine Hepburn that A. Scott Berg wrote, he mentioned that KH thought Michael Jackson was incredibly interesting. She commented how MJ never knew how to do everyday stuff. One time MJ spent a night at KH's home, she had to teach him how to fold up his blankets and made his bed in the morning, because he never learned how. By the way A. Scott Berg was really close to KH, so I am pretty sure a lot of stuff he said was true.

On another occassion, MJ called up KH and wanted her to do something for him. It ended up being wanting her to introduce him to another famous actor. KH said she wouldn't do it. Because she didn't think it was right. I think KH just did not want MJ to "use" her to get to certain people.

Anyway, I have heard so much about the case since it is on trial near where I live. There is news coverage everyday.

[IzzyS]

I think he's guilty. It makes me sick, in fact, to think about what he's done. I don't know that they'll get a conviction because of the credibility problems with the accuser and his family, but I do think he is guilty, at least of the molestation charges.

I think Jackson has Narcissistic Personality Disorder. The characteristics of that disorder fit him perfectly. It's essentially impossible to treat. Mix in pedophilia with that and you've got someone with serious problems.

If they don't get him this time, he'll do it again. And again. Because I believe that he truly thinks that what he does is okie dokey. As a therapist I deal with victims of sexual abuse a lot, and it's absolutely sickening what it does to a person. I would like to think Jackson has learned his lesson, but I honestly don't think he ever will.

[ladybugs]

By now we all know the outcome of the trial. I was disappointed. I felt he was guilty and really wanted to see what he would look and be like without his makeup and with his hair cut.

It was an unbelievable outcome! When I saw MJ holding the boy's hand in the Martin Bashier tape and I looked at MJ's face, he looked like he was intent and nervous about something - something really perverse! It was a yicky look!

IzzyS - I read that you are a therapist? Is this correct? Well, can I ask you you're opinion on this? Right before the verdict came in, I was waiting at a bus stop to get my kids and I was trying to make conversation with a neighbor. I said, "I don't know if you've been watching the MJ trial, but they reached a verdict and I can't wait to go home and see it!" Then I said, "I think he is guilty. Also, he is so eccentric!" which to me just about everyone on the planet realizes that. This neighbor didn't quite give me a direct answer as to whether he was following the trial or not. Regardless, the point is that I was just offering my opinion and this is what he said to me, "Oh, well I'm eccentric and I have pornographic stuff!"

So I am asking you, what do you make of that? It was almost as if this neighbor was trying to push my buttons, for what? And it was like he was putting me on the defensive. Needless to say, he was rather annoying and rude. Imagine if my husband said that comment to his wife!

[RA5CViggie]

Believe it or not, some people don't think that being "eccentric" automatically means being a molester or an abuser, and some people aren't so hung up on (pseudo) "family values" that they think owning Playboy and Barely Legal is evil. It sounds to me that you are just upset that he didn't give you the reply you were fishing for -- that Michael is definitely guilty and should rot in jail for life.

[EigthAv]

I don't think the jury is going to convict Jackson.There are just too many holes in the prosecution's case.<!--EZCODE BR START--><!--EZCODE BR END-->My prediction came true.Big deal. To the wounded parents??? Get real and get a life.Stop depending on superstars and/or taking their handouts.Make proper and good parenting your #1 priority.If Eddie Murphy and yours truly had a little girl's fantasy ranch would you bring your precious angels to us and tell them it's cool to trust us in every way,call us father and sleep with us??? Don't worry,I can't speak for Eddie,but I wouldn't ask you to. If Jackson was guilty and got away with it,I'm not nearly as concerned about that as I am "us in general". It's one thing to spend your life idolizing your favourite stars.Don't use your children as pawns.My younger daughters ex-dentist was diss-barred in Alabama for alleged carnal knowledge and fondeling of young teen girls.I had to have a yes,frank conversation with my girl to make sure she wasn't one of "the girls" and afraid to talk about it.She said he was a bit affectionate,but never touched her "like that".The only girls who could have sent the dude to prison sided with him.There was no smoking gun.You'll never see this on tee vee or hear about it on the radio,because he was "only a good dentist",not a pop/rock icon. The publicity of this case and the fact he won will probably boost Jackson record sales and if he chooses to do so,increase his likelihood of doing very well on a concert tour.The dentist,last I heard,is living in another state and still practicing dentistry.This isn't a Disney movie or a bedtime fairy story,so there are no "morals of the story" or an obviously happy ending.Teach your children well and keep your eyes wide open! If it has teeth,it can bite.:eek