Militant said:

Thanks so much for this. I loved it. Mike was just the best. I can watch it over and over and still have tears in my eyes.

Check this one out.Starting ag 0:26 I just couldn´t love him more.





[Edited 3/30/10 23:31pm]

Militant said:

thank you Militant for posting this,I felt so sad when i saw this

Jackson and Franklin to be honoured
Wednesday, 31 March 2010

Michael Jackson and Aretha Franklin are to be inducted into the Apollo Theatre's Hall of Fame in New York.

The late King of Pop and the Queen of Soul will be honoured at the historic Harlem theatre on June 14.

Jackson first performed at the Apollo at its Amateur Night with his brothers in the late 1960s.

They won, and their career as the Jackson Five was launched.

Aretha Franklin is scheduled to attend the ceremony.

Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony will also be honoured with the theatre's arts and humanitarian award.

Past inductees include Quincy Jones, Patti LaBelle and Ella Fitzgerald.

The theatre is celebrating its 75th anniversary.

Read more: http://www.belfasttelegra...z0jmNaB7NB
[Edited 3/31/10 11:15am]

This is so beautiful, but shall I smile or cry?


A rare video.

[Edited 3/31/10 13:13pm]

bboy87 said:

Who's that with MJ and Bubbles? Can't see the face real good.

Timmy84 said:

I can't see it either

Not wincy clones or the pitbull Joe.

Timmy84 said:

possibly Roger Troutman's brother?

Roger and Michael worked on Smooth Criminal in '85

bboy87 said:

Hmm... Tony Troutman?

Timmy84 said:

/\ I guess you mean Terry, and I don't think that's him.

Militant said:

I guess. lol

http://earlofarihutchinso...on-as.html

Bury the Never Ending Myth of Jackson as Child Molester

by Earl Ofari Hutchinson


Political Analyst and Social Issues Commentator
Posted: July 8, 2009 08:11 PM

Websites, blogs and chatrooms pulsed with garish cracks about it. Legions of commentators and news reporters snuck it in every chance they got. More than a few of Michael Jackson's fervent admirers and supporters made a dismissive reference to it. Even President Barack Obama in a cautious acknowledgment of Jackson's towering contributions to American music and artistry still made reference to the "tragedy" in Jackson's life which was a subtle nod to it. And New York Congressman Pete King skipped the niceties and flatly said it.

The "it" is the never ending myth of Jackson the child molester. It still hangs as a damning indictment that feeds the gossip mills and gives an arsenal of ammunition to Jackson detractors. This is not a small point. In the coming weeks, there will be a push to bestow official commemorative monuments, honors on and a national stamp for Jackson. The taint of scandal could doom these efforts to permanently memorialize Jackson.

The child molester myth doesn't rest on Jackson's trial and clean acquittal on multiple child abuse charges in a Santa Maria courthouse in June 2005. Only the most rabid Jackson loathers still finger point to that to taint Jackson. The myth of Jackson as child abuser rests squarely on the charge by a 13 year old boy a decade before the trial and the multi-million dollar settlement out of court. The settlement, then and now, feeds the suspicion that Jackson must have done something unsavory and probably criminal, or else why settle?

Sixteen years later, though, the facts remain unchanged. The charge that Jackson molested the boy was brought by the boy's father. In interviews the boy repeatedly denied the charges. This changed only after he was administered sodium amytal, an invasive, mind altering drug that medical experts have frowned on and courts have disregarded in witness testimony.

Prosecutors, police departments and investigators in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara spent millions of dollars, convened two grand juries and probed nearly 200 witnesses that included 30 children, who knew Jackson to try to substantiate the charge. Not a single corroborating witness was found. Nonetheless, a motley group of disgruntled Jackson's former housekeepers, attendants and bodyguards still peddled the story to any media outlet willing to shell out the cash that Jackson had engaged in child sexual wrongdoing. Not one of the charges was confirmed. Typical was this exchange between one of Jackson's attorneys and one of the accusing bodyguards under oath:

"So you don't know anything about Mr. Jackson and [the boy], do you?" "All I know is from the sworn documents that other people have sworn to."

"But other than what someone else may have said, you have no firsthand knowledge about Mr. Jackson and [the boy], do you?"

"That's correct."

"Have you spoken to a child who has ever told you that Mr. Jackson did anything improper with the child?"

"No."

"Where did you get your impressions about Jackson's behavior?"

"Just what I've been hearing in the media and what I've experienced with my own eyes."

"Okay. That's the point. You experienced nothing with your own eyes, did you?"

"That's right, nothing."

When asked at the time about the charges against Jackson, child behavior experts and psychiatrists nearly all agreed that he did not fit the profile of a pedophile. They agreed that the disorder is progressive and there are generally not one but a trail of victims.

The myth of Jackson as child molester never hinged on evidence or testimony to substantiate it, but solely on the settlement. Why then did Jackson agree to it?

No charge stirs more disgust, revulsion, and pricks more emotional hot buttons than the charge of child molestation. The accusation stamps the Scarlet letter of doubt, suspicion, shame and guilt on the accused. The accused can never fully expunge it. There is simply no defense against it. Under the hyper intense media glare and spotlight that Jackson remained under, the allegation no mater how bogus would have been endless fodder for the public gossip mill. This would have wreaked irreparable damage on Jackson's ever shifting musical career and personal life.

A trial in Los Angeles in the racially charged backdrop of the Rodney King beating, the L.A. riots, and pulsating racial tensions in the mid-1990s would have been risky business. A trial in staid, upscale, and majority white, Santa Barbara County would have been even more risky.

Jackson and his attorneys knew that when it came to the charge of child molestation the presumption of innocence, or even actual innocence, is tossed out the window. Though Jackson did nothing wrong, a trial would have left him, his reputation and his career in shambles. The settlement was the only pragmatic, logical and legal way to end the sordid issue.

The settlement under extreme duress must not sully his name and place as an honored American icon. The myth of Jackson as child molester must finally be buried.

Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst. His weekly radio show, "The Hutchinson Report" can be heard on weekly in Los Angeles on KTYM Radio 1460 AM and nationally on blogtalkradio.com

I heard there are some MJ fans that are putting together a fly over banner that reads "Justice for Michael Jackson" and want it flown over the LA court house during the trial of Dr Murray.

Whilst I appreciate their passion I think sadly it is misplaced. They are unfortunately turning into the people they hated when Michael was on trial. People who were quick to judge and quick to label someone as guilty without hearing the whole story. I'm not saying Murray isn't at fault, but I think these kind of actions just end up doing a disservice to Michael.

Your thoughts?

Swa

Swa said:

Michael gave us 45 years of his life, and so many millions of people have loved him for that amount of time.. To some he was a friend, a mentor, a human being.

His death is so hard to grasp, and so senseless! And to some this is what they need to do to deal with their loss.

I'd love to donate to the people who are paying for the banners.
Is there a website setup for donations for it?

The world needs to remember that doctors, like Murray must be held
accountable and should not be able to practice. This deserves more
than a slap on the wrist.

I coincidentally have a photo of myself JUST LIKE this one. I was 5 years old, had on that exact outfit (well, close, but not identical, lol), and was sitting "Native American style" in front of our fireplace. I hadn't even seen this picture of Mike before, and the only difference was I had some cool color face-paint on, ha ha.

bboy87 said:

too little too late , what is she trying to do other then sell her book ? if she wnats people to know the truth write blogs or something. or go on tv . she is right he probally didnt recover and didnt get a fair treatment but we the fans know it and its just too late.

motownlover said:

She has a new television on Discovery called True Crime and Michael and the trial is one of the episodes

it's awkward.....a tv special about the trial and it's actually on Michael's side

bboy87 said:

And more awkward (and downright upsetting) is it's done after the man passed on.

Timmy84 said:

Remember back when people didn't believe

that he was innocent
that he had vitiligo
that he actually had REAL ailments and treated them with LEGAL medication
that he didn't own child porn (big girls, yeah ....but child porn? NO)

bboy87 said:

Oh yeah, memory's freshed on that shit. Now suddenly "OH he wasn't a creep". They get the person when that person leaves this planet but dare claim he was a liar to his face. lol

Timmy84 said:

Oh I still kinda see people call him a creep and a jerk but I honestly don't see how with all the tv specials, all the accounts of people who knew him, all the factual books out there, that outlook is even valid

bboy87 said:

Very true. I don't see it either.

bboy87 said:

Pff. Can't stand it.

Timmy84 said:

There´s this stupid programs in which they like to show what they like to believe is "interesting, insightful reports" and it´s on a local commercial TV. I hate everything this tv channel does, cause it´s just so plain stupid that I can´t stand even watching their tabloidish main "news". I remember during the trial they did a report on it and portrayed him as a man who is basically over physically, mentally, not to be trusted, freakish, weird, showed the most predictable footage for me of him dangling Blanket and walking in pyjamas to court and ended it with several years old footage MIke walking with clutches to finish their report and portray him as a total wreck. And when introducing the report, they had a picture of Mike´s (not very good impersonator) with boys in the background. And they refered to him only as the "self-proclaimed" King of Pop and din´t forget to make stupid comments on his plastic surgery and "alleged vitiligo that Mike claims to have, but it´s so obvious he´s lying." They even showed a footage of some "doctors" who claimed that he must have had tons of plastic surgery to look white. Back then, many fans send them emails of complaints.
Last week, they had a report on the trial with Murray being on MJ´s site. They even showed that ridiculous video statement that Murray did thanking his supporters, but they translated it as "I didn´t kill MJ...!", being kinda symptathtic to MJ, by portraying Murray in the bad light and even though I hope Murray will be punished, I was furious at them manipulating even his message cause I knew they did it just for ratings once Mj became so popular after his death, they tried to make it positive. But they also didn´t forget to portray him as some kind of freak (again showing that balcony incident), saying MJ took probably 50 - 60 pills in order to function etc.This type of BS was made to be kinda sympatethic towards Mike, but I still HATED them. I felt that their fake sympathy was also a bit too late. A friend of mine who is not a fan and was watching it thought that I must have liked that report cause they demanded punishment for Murray, but it just pissed me off. And what also pissed me off that in this report after his death, they no more refered to him as the "self-proclaimed" King of Pop, but they refered to him only as the King of Pop. F*** them.