Radiofree West Hartford -- The Crow's Nest by Tom Evers

THE CROW'S NEST

Enough about Michael Jackson!

By Tom Evers

December 05, 2003

Someone please tell me - because it seems I've become more easily confused these days. Have we just embarked on the traditional Christmas season or are we fast approaching Halloween? It seems that every time I turn on the television set - instead of seeing images of old St. Nick -- I see images of that frightening ghoul - Michael Jackson. Not to be upstaged by the Neverland King himself are his blindly loyal band of merry freaks, who have been quick to publicly come to his defense. In one corner, we have people like his brother Jermaine, who was quick to comment, "Michael isn't eccentric." And we've come to expect the usual cast of Hollywood supporters including his long time buddy Elizabeth Taylor who will stop at nothing to defend Mr. Jackson and his odd behavior.

Even though some folks have pointed out the obvious - which is that Jackson might be being taken for a ride, and raked over the coals by a clever family short on cash; Jackson appears to be an easy target for a large-scale payoff. There's a reason that millionaires like Jackson and his Hollywood-type friends flee to Neverland type compounds and rarely make public appearances - in a sue happy society, all they have to do is sneeze and someone would sue them for giving them the flu. But in this case, Jackson's own behavior, in which children appear at the center of his disturbing antics, should be cause for alarm on both Hollywood Boulevard and Main Street USA.

And let's face it - Michael Jackson's behavior is intolerable.

A few months ago, most of us were horrified by the television documentary anchored by the BBC's Martin Bashir that detailed the life and deviant behavior of Michael Jackson. We were told that his own children where borne by miscellaneous women and given to him as "gifts". When questioned about this Jackson said that a mother's presence wasn't necessary - the children didn't miss their mothers. We watched Jackson parade his children around in masked outfits and hooded nets as if they were attending a costume party; Jackson more concerned with his fan base than his children. We observed Michael's lack of patience as he tried play father for the camera. And we all got sick to our stomachs watching this real-life quagmire. And we all felt sad for the children, who were nothing to Jackson, nothing more than pieces of his collection.

If the absurdity of these scenes wasn't enough - there was more to come. Jackson admitted to arranging visits for young adolescent children at his Neverland Ranch, who were given to sleep in his bed. He claimed modestly that this was charming and a loving thing to do. What did he say? Most of us jumped out of our chairs in disgust! Was this a sick, perverted joke? My first question was "are the police watching this?" A national audience was witnessing pure madness.

Then just weeks ago as if right on cue, breaking news tells us that Jackson is under investigation for molestation of two children believed to be ages 10 and 12. We learn that Jackson is even accused of offering the boys wine, and perhaps even video-taping his activities. We hear stories about what evidence the police may or may not have. What Jackson actually did is all speculation, and I don't aim to convict Jackson here for any specific legal charge. But Michael Jackson is both a sick-minded and dirty 45-year-old man. His self-admitted activities -- including tucking in little boys, and sleeping in bed with them in beyond reproach. Adults do not sleep with children.

Quite honestly, I hope that Jackson didn't molest those children for their sake. I hope in the end we only find that a money-hungry family sought ways to siphon money from a wealthy, mentally disturbed moron in permanent face paint. I hope we see Neverland shut down for good, and Jackson institutionalized for his insanity. Now if we do find that Jackson is guilty of these atrocities, then let there be no holding back - let superstar Jackson get the punishment that O.J. Simpson escaped: life in jail or worse. And yes, we'll most likely hear from the Jesse Jacksons, the Al Sharptons, and all of the rest of the race baiting hate mongers. And we'll deal with that when the times comes.

So fast-forward to the present and here we are in the land of the absurd. It's Christmastime and video trucks are parked outside of Neverland, images of the Jackson mug shot are all over the news, and Greta Van Susteren is laying out the legal framework of both prosecutor and defense. I'd rather they stop airing images of Shocko. I'd rather they keep the airwaves clear of this distasteful character - especially around this time of year. We've had our fill of Jackson and his antics. It's time to stop giving Jackson that which his endless ego craves - attention of any kind.

And deep down, we must accept the reality that evil designs don't only lurk in the hearts of Al-Queda men; we need to be on the look out for the Michael Jackson's of this world and work to keep our children safe from the harm they bring.