I don't feel any real sense of loss from MJ's death. I thought he was creppy way before any of the molestation accusations were made, but I join Sparky in worrying about what will become of his kids.

I do think he molested kids, because he exhibits all the traits of molesters--no real adult sexual or social life, fetishizing childhood, spending all his money/time to ensure he was surrounded by young boys, etc. The molester I taught with did ALL those things.

Oi!

Which I guess is the worst part -- we'll never really know what happened. And anything that did happen is certainly a crime, and a shame for those hurt by his hand.

I guess what I'm getting at with Jackson's complete divorce from normality is to wonder, with an abusive upbringing himself, and an entire life spent insulated and surrounded by protecters and enablers, did he ever have a chance of being able to tell right from wrong? Especially in this one area. I suspect the life he led is as foreign to us as any kind of normal life was to him.

What bothers me about today's news is that they are reporting his kids are with his mother, and presumably, his father . . . who abused Michael.

Yeah, I hope somebody else ultimately gets custody of them. And I expect they're already stunted in certain ways, even if Michael never did anything but dote on them.

did he ever have a chance of being able to tell right from wrong?

Do you think this would play in court? That he's mentally incompetent to make moral choices? I don't.

You have to be schizophrenic or psychotic to get that benefit of the doubt legally. He made choices that were damaging and harmful to other people. He had a fucked up life, but so did my mom. She didn't fuck my life up. It stopped with her.

Yeah, but Hec, I think the difference then lies in the upbringing. If you'd been raised on the world stage with everyone telling you everything you did was wonderful and surrounded by sycophants who catered to your every whim, you undoubtedly would have turned out much, much different.

He never had a sense of what the world was like for the majority of its inhabitants.

ETA: Do I think it would play in court, however? Probably not. No matter how true it might be.

I do think he molested kids, because he exhibits all the traits of molesters

Which is a common enough opinion, but at least one Psychologist, who was appointed by the court and actually examined Jackson and his accuser, assessed that Jackson didn't fit the profile of a pedophile but was rather a regressed ten year old.

Which has always made sense to me. That along with: The first accuser's Mother never believing it; the first accuser's Father apparently looking for a pay-day; the second accuser,s Mother being a bit of a grifter herself; and the jury acquitting, have me come down on "not a pedophile."

Do you think this would play in court? That he's mentally incompetent to make moral choices? I don't.

I won't say that I do think he was mentally incompetent, but I wonder if he was.

He had a fucked up life, but so did my mom.

REALLY not to belittle anything your mom went through, but Jackson lived a life that few outside of royalty will ever experience.

I'm NOT saying it gives him a free pass. I'm NOT saying we should just forgive him for anything he did. ALL I am saying is that, were I his judge or whatever, I'd have to think about that.

Do you think this would play in court? That he's mentally incompetent to make moral choices? I don't.

I don't think that had anything to do with his defense when he actually DID go to court. And was acauitted.

Do I think it would play in court, however? Probably not. No matter how true it might be.

And ultimately, I'm not sure it would play in court, either. Or with me. But it gets my consideration.

assessed that Jackson didn't fit the profile of a pedophile but was rather a regressed ten year old.

Which has always made sense to me.

Me, too. He tried very hard to re-create the childhood he never had.

I'm not making an assessment of whether or not he sexually abused kids. I have no way of knowing.