Michael Jackson is a sick freak. Though I'm not a psychologist, I feel knowledgable enough in the field to suggest he is mentally ill and in need of serious treatment.
Is he guilty of child molestation? I don't know. Since he hasn't been proven such in a court of law, I must presume he is not. However, I think there is a deeper issue at stake here. (In the interest of fairness and full disclosure, I admit that much of the point I am about to make was a point I first heard made by radio talk show host Glenn Beck.)
I love children. There's something about kids that makes me really optimistic about the world. Cynicism and childhood rarely mix. But when I'm standing in line at a bank and someone's 3-year-old kid walks up with an adorable look on his face that says "pick me up, pick me up" I can't. In fact, I have to pretend I'm oblivious to the fact that there is a cute kid looking at me. At the most, I can maybe say to the mother, "cute kid" but even that would probably be met with a stare.
You see, nowadays it's considered weird for a normal male to like children. Because of Mr. Jackson and people like him, there is an aura of automatic suspicion that surrounds any guy who tries to interact with children that he does not know, no matter how harmless the intent. We are no longer allowed to celebrate the joy of knowing children.
Suppose I made lots and lots of money and wanted to build an amusement park where the children of the world could come and laugh, play, and otherwise "be kids," free of charge. I'd do this because I like kids and it would be a great tax write-off. The problem is, if I did this, I'd immediately be branded a sicko. It's too suspicious for a guy to love children.
By this point you're probably thinking, so what? What's the big loss? To which I answer, not much. Our society's not going to go to Hell in a handbasket just because we aren't allowed to like kids anymore. But we can always mourn for the loss of one more of the simple pleasures of life.
Posted by Frisco (Member # 3765) on :
Dangerous. Posted by MaureenJanay (Member # 2935) on :
forget it I have no idea what I was talking about
[ December 11, 2003, 02:15 PM: Message edited by: MaureenJanay ]
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
And I thought that this was going to be another thread railing about the failure to include The Scouring of the Shire in even the EE of ROTK.
Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :
I play Santa. I am a clown. I do other events with children. I am very aware that every move I make. Every place I put my hand may be examined in detail by parents and over cautious adults. I am in the midst of adopting. My wife and I have to fill out tons of forms. One has us stumped. It asks, "Why do you want to adopt." The answer I want to put is "Because I love kids." I fear to put that down in case I will be labeled as a child molester. I've spent time grilling myself, "why do you like working with kids so much? Sicko?"
Yet I don't blame Micheal Jackson for this. He is not guilty of this crime. It is the other abusers and stealers of innocence, and those media jackals who shove these stories in our face who have turned childhood into Paranoialand.
Posted by Ryuko (Member # 5125) on :
I'm not sure that I would have thought that about Michael Jackson until he was accused of it.
Posted by Traveler (Member # 3615) on :
I think it is fine to 'love children'...however, one should know that sleeping in the same bed with them is crossing the line. That is just common sense.
Posted by Jenny Gardener (Member # 903) on :
Is it? I honestly never thought of it as a sexual thing. I sleep with my own daughter on a regular basis. We read stories, snuggle, and fall asleep. I slept with my baby sister all through high school and college. I've slept with cousins and neices and nephews, and friends' kids. Never thought anything of it besides cuddling up with someone I cared about. I don't understand why sleep and warmth have to be all mixed up with sex.
Used to be, strangers and travelers shared beds in the inns. Wasn't sex. Just economical and warmer.
What happened to our perspectives? Do one or two perverts a whole pervert nation make?
Posted by Shigosei (Member # 3831) on :
The problem is that we seem to have trouble differentiating between sexual love and non-sexual affection. People are no longer allowed to so much as touch a child they are not related to because parents are so afraid of molesters. And with pedophiles in the news so often, I think that it's easy to question our own motives, as Dan mentioned, and wonder if there's something wrong with us for liking children. But I'm pretty sure that pedophilia isn't as widespread as it's made out to be. Most people would be horrified at the thought of violating a child's innocence.
Posted by Frisco (Member # 3765) on :
See, now dangling a baby over a balcony is definitely not sexual, but we insist on giving him crap for that.
I, personally, believe in instilling a healthy fear of heights into any infant. I've seen too many cartoons where kids crawl out second story windows and crawl along a clothesline connecting it to another building to take that sort of think lightly.
Posted by Jenny Gardener (Member # 903) on :
Frisco
Posted by Tresopax (Member # 1063) on :
There's really a bigger problem here: We are paranoid, especially about our kids - more so than we used to be, and more so than we should be.
Posted by Shigosei (Member # 3831) on :
But is there good reason to be paranoid? After all, the world seems much more dangerous now than it did 50 years ago. Then again, that could be a result of media sensationalism rather than an actual increase in danger...
Posted by Jenny Gardener (Member # 903) on :
Yes and No. There ARE people out there who would hurt our children. And there are many who would simply delight in them. I think the best path to take is to be WITH our children as they interact with others. Don't discourage friendliness, but be watchful. And educate your children on the bad people who are out there. My daughter and I have used storybook characters to talk about the dangers of people who could be bad. Like the beggar-woman in Snow White. Sometimes people who want to give you things are doing it so that you'll THINK they are nice and then they will hurt you. So be careful, and check with your mom. And it doesn't hurt to be polite. And if you're with your mom, you can be friendly.
Posted by luthe (Member # 1601) on :
I have seen one to many storied of a man having his entire life runined, being run out of town on a rail, because of an accusation of molestation / rape or a child, the most recent at least was a lie, the kid was pissed that she had failed a some class. to want to have anything at all to do with children.
The problem stems from the protrayal of men as rampant, brainless sexual beast willing to stop and have a go with anything that stands still for a second. Sadly I do not think that there is anything that we can do change this.
Posted by Ralphie (Member # 1565) on :
quote: I've seen too many cartoons where kids crawl out second story windows and crawl along a clothesline connecting it to another building to take that sort of think lightly.
Lafftastic.
Posted by Chris Bridges (Member # 1138) on :
Jenny - exactly. Jackson's mistake was not in loving children publicly, but in being around them in intimate situations without supervision, parental or otherwise. He should have maintained the same levels of responsibility as a scout leader.
Me, I wonder if child abuse has skyrocketed or awareness of child abuse has skyrocketed. I hate the fact that innocent people are accused and ruined. I also hate the fact that children are abused by people they trust. The only answer is to keep an open mind and investigate before you judge.
Posted by Storm Saxon (Member # 3101) on :
Brian, I am right with you on the theme of your post, though I don't think Jackson is a 'sicko'.
![[Laugh]](graemlins/laugh.gif)
Frisco