would you take your kids to a michael jackson concert?

[mopaul]

i almost took my kids, back in 85 or so, to an mj concert, they were 14 and 15 at the time, a boy and a girl.

[tk2kewl]

1. in 85? why not. today? no way!

[radwriter0555]

2. No, his music hasn't been allowed in our house for years, and no movies by

Woody Allen either.

Principles.

[Goldmund]

13. What are those principles?

That the justice system is meaningless?

[radwriter0555]

14. That I won't support or endorse child molestors and pedophiles..

not that difficult to discerne.

[Goldmund]

15. Michael Jackson isn't a child molester or a pedophile,

according to our justice system -- which was my point, also not that difficult to discern.

[MoonRiver]

21. I know it's considered sacrilege to say this on DU,

but some people (gasp!) don't agree with the MJ jury's decision. I would NEVER expose a child of mine or anyone else's to that molester freak and/or his music.

[Goldmund]

22. I don't care about sacrileges.

God knows I sin against the dogma of DU often.

But sure, if you prefer pitchfork justice -- that's your call.

[MoonRiver]

26. I don't consider it "pitchfork" justice to keep my kids away from someone

I think might hurt them. I call that good old common sense.

[Goldmund]

28. We're not talking about keeping your kids away from MJ

We're talking about buying his records. I realize that parental instincts aren't cold and rational, so I won't blame you for keeping them away from MJ who is knocking and scratching on your door as we speak.

This sub-thread is about the poster's assertion that he/she doesn't let her or his kids buy MJ records out of "principle". My point is that the "principle" that is inadvertently being suggested to the kids is that rumor and innuendo take precedence over the legal system, and that an innocent man can be ruined by accusations our justice system has determined to be falsified.

Innocent until proven guilty -- is that not one of our very supreme principles? Is that principle not worth teaching?

Of course it is, liberals believe that wholeheartedly; unless, of course, the accusation is related to a current cultural hysteria, in which case they will forget all principles and establish mob rule. And then the same people who (rightly) protest Guantanamo Bay and PATRIOT Act and would, again rightly, react very predictably if one of the "terrorist" defendants were found not guilty in the court of law and yet Freeptards continued to treat him just as if he were found guilty -- those same people behave in the exact same way when it comes to MJ. Why? Because child molestation is the current cultural hysteria, and a rational approach to any topic related to it is hopeless. Of course, child molestation is a real danger and is a serious social problem. And so is terrorism. But while we are quick to condemn the right wing's hysteria over terrorism, because of its destructive and unfruitful effects, we exhibit the exact equivalent when it comes to child molestation. We propagate that same culture of fear, only applied to a different topic.

This MJ saga is a prime example of that.

[Goldmund]

3. If they failed all of their classes I would

Grounding wouldn't be enough of a punishment in that case -- no less than exposure to some of the worst music ever made would suffice.

[donheld]

4. Yes i would

God, they'd be many feet from Michael. What the hell could he do to them. Maybe teach them a dance move or two.

[coloradodem2005]

5. Hell, this guy looks like he is in no condition to perform.

[obnoxiousdrunk]

6. Would you take

your 13 year old daughter to an R.Kelly concert ?

[ihaveaquestion]

7. Sure, why not? But, they're 25 and 21 and I don't think it's their thing.

[boohootwo]

8. Hell no.

[ComerPerro]

9. Probably not now, but thats because I don't think hed be worth seeing

not because of the allegations and trial.

[Walt Starr]

10. My wife said something to me some time ago that applies

One must sperate the artist from the art.

Most artists are assholes, weirdos, geeks, freaks, or some combination thereof.

I despise the political positions taken by Mel Gibson, but I still recognize his performance in Signs was brilliant.

[marions ghost]

16. Is this really the 21st Century and is this a Liberal-ish place?

"Most artists are assholes, weirdos, geeks, freaks, or some combination thereof." (Walt Starr)

:nuke: :wtf: :nuke: :wtf: :nuke:

I'm going to use a nicer name for the category I'm putting you in--"neaderthal." I take it you were a big Jesse Helms supporter.

[progressivebydesign]

17. Yeah, I'm an artist and I have a family of musicians and artists.

Never realized, until Walt pointed it out, that we were "..assholes, weirdos, geeks, freaks, or some combination thereof."

[Goldmund]

20. I'm a musician

and I'm an asshole, a weirdo, a geek and a freak.

[marions ghost]

27. It's one thing to hear

uneducated and uninformed people saying this kind of thing about artists (I can almost forgive that) but it's REALLY depressing when it comes from an intelligent person, which I think most posters here at DU are.

So writers, artists, musicians, performers, actors -- they are all...assholes?

;( Half my family and friends would qualify.

[Tomee450]

11. Yes.

Michael Jackson has been accused, not convicted of anything. Just because you may think he is perverted does not mean he is. I not only would take my children to his concerts, I'd buy his albums also. I detest this business of judging people guilty on accusations and without evidence. How would you like to be treated that way. Those people in the McMartin case had their lives ruined based on the testimony of children, later proven to be false. Another woman who accused her father of abuse, later regretted saying it. She had been coached. I believe in treating people they way I would want to be treated. Just because someone is accused does not mean he has to be guilty.

Why should Michael Jackson be treated worse than anyone else. Was Elvis a role model? I believe his relationship started with Priscilla when she was a minor. He claims he never slept with her until they married but she was living with hm. He was also a drug addict. By the time he died he looked awful, a result of his drug abuse. Yet people continued going to see him though his addiction was well known and he is still revered. Why the double standard?

[mopaul]

12. for the record, i'm totally ashamed of myself

[mopaul]

19. i'm no elvis fan either

he gets no pass, he was as you said, a washed up weirdo rock star, like mike.

[Bethany Rockafella]

18. Yes, if they wanted to attend.

[Johonny]

23. No

unless I wanted to punish them. Honestly do kids today WANT to go see Jackson perform? I mean wouldn't you get the same response out of them by dragging them to a Grand Funk Railroad reunion.

[maxsolomon]

24. why bother? he's jumped the shark

why can't anyone else say it? after "off the wall", when MJ SHOULD have come out of the closet, but didn't because of his internalized self-persecution brought on by his family's religious sect, its been downhill artistically.

thriller SUCKED! quincy jones is NOT a genius for producing it. i hated that record when it came out, and you couldn't have paid me to go see him back then, 20 YEARS AGO!

now that he's 47, he's far past his prime, as is typical of most pop artists. seeing his hideously decomposed visage now is POINTLESS, unless you live for schadenfreude.

[mopaul]

25. basically children's music....i wonder why?

overproduced, forced and formulaic, and oh, so self important. 70 foot statue down the thames anyone?

[whosinpower]

29. If they wanted to attend

And we were able to go - sure I'd take em. I'd go too.

[Vinca]

30. I don't have kids, but if I did . . . no way.

Not because he's a . . . alleged to be . . . you know, but because his music has seriously sucked the past few years. "Thriller" was probably the greatest CD ever made (and I've never been a Jackson fan), but you can't schlep crap to the masses and expect to stay on top.