I'm certainly not going to write anything here that many others haven't written or aren't writing or won't write, but I'm going to write it anyway.
Yesterday when I heard about Michael Jackson's passing, I wrote on my Facebook account "Michael Jackson dead. Future generations of young boys breath collective sigh of relief. More details as they become available." A little dark, perhaps, but humorous to me.
Later I read a thread from some co-workers, first wondering about the 'fake outpouring of love' for Michael Jackson, and later observing that he was never convicted, we'll never know the truth, a lot of the outpouring is sincere, and more.
Obviously, I can't prove MJ did some of the things of which he was accused. That being said, a presumption of innocence applies to government ... there is no requirement that individuals presume innocence. I'm free to believe whatever good and bad I want in people. In the case of Michael Jackson, I think I have good reasons to believe him guilty of inappropriate contact with young boys. I could be wrong, but at this point it certainly doesn't matter.
That being said, I agree that much if not most of the outpouring of love is sincere. People are generally forgiving, and don't want to speak ill of the dead. Heck, the only reason I made the "sigh of relief" comment on my wall was because it was funny. Dark, but funny.
As I've read and heard from others: we lost Michael Jackson years ago. Hopefully he can find a peace now that he obviously didn't have in life. Regardless of what I or others think of his guilt or innocence regarding accusations, his talent and professional legacy will live on.
People aren't just one dimensional. Michael Jackson had flaws, and he had gifts. We don't have to forget one to appreciate the other.
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