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Nov 26, 2003 OK, so now we are all supposed to be outraged about Michael Jackson and what he is doing with young boys at Neverland. Umm, in case you haven’t noticed recently, Michael Jackson has turned himself into a class A freak, butchering his appearance with excessive plastic surgery, sequestering himself in his make- believe little mini theme park and dangling his children over German hotel balcony rails…all in front of obsessive news cameras that are just salivating at the latest example of his ever increasing weirdness. The man has had virtually his entire life documented, and now, that he is fading into post pop-stardom-hood, he continues to manage to capture our attention whether we want him to or not. We cannot pass through our days without seeing something related to the ‘Great Gloved One’ and thus we cannot escape him, nor him…us. So fine, it is a sad fact of our 21st century existence that we must be forced to roll in the filth and smarm of our celebrities. They are our creations and we have anointed them as objects of our enduring obsession. Now here is my question, here we have Michael Jackson: Life member of the American Celebrity Machine and recognized Freak-a-zoid that anyone who lives and breaths in the world has heard of in some form or another. Here is Michael Jackson and he calls your house and asks little Jimmy to come over to Neverland for a sleepover. My question , then, is whose fault is it if something untoward happens on that sleepover? Michael Jackson’s or you, Mr. or Mrs. Jimmy’s Parents who allowed him to go in the first place? Where is your responsibility for the alleged crimes committed against your child? I mean, aren’t parents supposed to be the ones that are mature enough to recognize possible dangers that may be facing their children? Is it possible, that in today’s media saturated world, that any parent with full use of their fingers and toes is not aware that sending their own child off to stay over night at the home of a bonified freak with previous child molestation allegations against them, just might not be the ticket to winning the “Parent of the Year Award?” The problem here is one of ultimate responsibility. Parents are supposed to be responsible for raising and protecting their children. That’s their job. Now certainly, parents are human and subject to making errors in judgment. That is understandable and excusable. But whose fault is it when a child is told by their parent to go run into a burning building so that that child can retrieve the child’s favorite teddy bear? When that child gets tragically burned, is the fault of the house builder who didn’t provide enough warnings about the dangers of that house when it is on fire? Is it the fault of the teddy bear manufacturer who did not enclose detailed instructions on when to, and when NOT to, retrieve that teddy bear in the event that that teddy bear is caught in a burning house? Is it the fault of the fireman who didn’t know that the parent had sent that child into the house in the first place? Well…no. We all know whose fault it is and it is time that the finger gets pointed at the real culprits in this case. The problem is not whether Michael Jackson should be allowed to maintain custody of his children, or whether Michael Jackson’s Neverland should be raided and razed by the CPS…no, the question is whether the parents of Michael Jackson’s alleged victim should be held to task for being the clueless, irresponsible parent that they have exhibited themselves to be. It’s time that we took a deeper look at the headlines that captivate us and dig beneath the sound bites and fleeting video clips. We all know who and what Michael Jackson is, we can’t escape it. Let’s grow up and take some responsibility for ourselves now. The real culprit here is an irresponsible, star-struck parent who saw an opportunity to let their child bask in the glare of celebrity. Certainly, that glare is alluring and compelling…but it is not stupefying. If your child is precious to you, as I am certain every child is, then you have to acknowledge your part in sending that child into a potentially dangerous and devastating situation. I really don’t care if Michael Jackson is or is not a pedaphile. He has exhibited too many outward signs of deep emotional and, possibly psychological disturbance on a very public stage. Any parent who claims to be unaware of these disturbances must be called into question regarding their ability to parent and protect their own children. Gloria Allred’s finger should be pointed back at the parent of the victim. Ms. Allred needs to be calling for the removal of that child from that irresponsible parent’s care. And we, as mature, responsible adults, should be turning away from out TV sets and hugging our own children. ------------ Email Scott Jones: rosenquill@rocketmail.com Comment on this column in the forum. Tell a friend about this site! ------------ |
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