Comments on: JACKPOT JUSTICE

By: Ed

Ed — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 02:34:15 +0000

Yes, and if you weren't retarded you'd understand that the discussion is about the difference between "NOT GUILTY" and "innocent."

By: Kiki

Kiki — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 01:17:39 +0000

You people are all fucked up. The last I heard, in this country "Not Guilty" means —– NOT GUILTY. (Except in the case of OJ of course.)

By: I didn’t start this blog to be an unofficial ombudsman for Gin and Tacos, but fuck it. « ÐºÑ€Ð¾Ð²ÑŒ Ð¸ Ñ‡ÐµÑ€Ð½Ð¸Ð»Ð°

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 08:08:49 +0000

[...] didn't start this blog to be an unofficial ombudsman for Gin and Tacos, but fuck it. Ed makes an interesting point here about money's ability to cloud the justice system's outcomes. Are there really still [...]

By: Mike

Mike — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:44:59 +0000

Late, but, arguably Michael Jackson's best song is "Ben", a love song to his pet rat. This factoid should be directly addressed by you.

By: Desargues

Desargues — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 22:32:12 +0000

I stand corrected, John Dryden. In fact, I remember Jay Leno cracking wise once that any celebrity who plans to kill somebody ought to come and do it in California.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 21:37:32 +0000

Desargues; No offense taken. Certainly, I can agree that MJ's music was enormously influential and I would be listening to it myself if I did not find it tainted by the child molestation allegations, but all the coverage of his death and the tributes to him (a la Anna Nicole Smith–geez, what a sorry shadow of itself this country has become) are really just leaving a bad taste in my mouth.

By: J. Dryden

J. Dryden — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 21:29:52 +0000

Desargues: Actually, Robert Blake was acquitted, and the jury deadlocked on dear Phil S. the first time. Just sayin', is all.

jon: Yes. You're right; I'm wrong. A lack of caffeine and an attendant headache led me to snarling excess. Incidentally, the last time I was on a jury, my exact words to my fellows was "Oh, he's most likely guilty, but nothing I heard in there could constitute 'proof.' So according to the rules, we have to let him go." They agreed, and we did.

By: Desargues

Desargues — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 16:48:42 +0000

Kudos for fighting the good cause in Florida, Sarah. My wife's from the South, then her folks transplanted into America's Wang, so I've met a few of the fascist-ass knuckle-draggers you mention. I didn't mean it as a diatribe at you, to be sure. I would only say that, on a list of things to be outraged about, the persistent weirdness of a washed-out entertainer ought to be fairly low down, well behind a lot of other things happening to this country right now.

Same point re: the orgiastic celebration of past entertainers (or of minor shills, like Tim Russert). Enough with it, already; it's getting obscene.

By: ladiesbane

ladiesbane — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 16:12:54 +0000

The idea of "not proven" is a good one, in part because it reminds people that law and justice can be mutually exclusive. Even a rich criminal can hire a bad lawyer. And even the best lawyer can be undermined by an uncooperative client…or one who is just plain nuts.

But MildlyDisturbed is right. If you had a small child (of either sex), would you think an adult neighbor (of either sex) who wanted to have the kid over for slumber parties was A-okay? Anyone who says, "that doesn't mean MJ was a pedophile" is willfully suspending disbelief.

The argument that MJ was mentally retarded is not supported. That he was emotionally retarded (to a prepubescent age) may be supported, but is undermined by his physical age, adult sexual compulsions, his mental age (adult, past the age of reason), and his power. Even if he felt like a little boy inside, he does not get a pass to sleep with or touch "other" little boys, or feed them alcohol, or otherwise take advantage of them.

If one more person says MJ was innocent, or tries to pass off some irrelevant apologia for his behavior, I am going to implode. There are lots of child molesters who have no malice toward children; who are not violent monsters; and who have been hard working citizens, community leaders, and decorated veterans. Friendly folk of high standing, excellent scholarship, and selfless service. They can be rapists, child molesters, domestic abusers, and they world may never know — in part because they don't turn into ugly trailer trash fit for Jerry Springer shows the moment they do what they do, and people can't seem to believe a smiling, well-groomed person could really be THAT bad. I'm sorry to have to ask, but will people please stop defending abusers? I don't care if the motherfucker sang like an angel, supported a million charities, and danced better than Little Egypt. He didn't die soon enough.