[snip]Having worked for Mr. Jackson at his Neverland Ranch,[snip]

That sounds like an interesting story.

Unfortunately there are thounsands of Iranians dying for their freedom right now and just when our president finally seems to notice the goldfish attention span of "mainstreem" America gets diverted to this circus. I'm not saying the passing of MJ isn't worthy of some attention but lets not lose focus and let the Mullahs off the hook just yet. I feel there was a real oppurtunity for something positive to come from all the demonstrations that took place and instead we've moved on to our new flavor of the week. It's tiamamen square all over again. Oh well, sorry Neda but I guess we've got more famous people to mourn now.

Busy in Afghanistan but quick note on Michael Jackson. I worked for him years before the scandals back when all was still seen as good. The job offer came to me from out of the blue while I was in college. Someone heard of my background and offered the job. It was a great job. Working security at Neverland allowed time to do calculus homework while paying the bills. It's understandable that folks get upset that huge news gets drawn to distractions when there are wars and so forth. (Trust me...I am back in a war.) After watching the news before boarding the airplane to Kabul, I devoted three sentences to it Mr. Jackson's passing. (Have written hundreds of stories about the wars.) Context is key. Maybe the best way to avoid making something an event/distracti on is to stop talking about it, and stop complaining that people spend too much time talking about it...

I have to wonder if Bill Fuller ( 'discretion) would have reacted with such ugliness, bias, complete arrogance and utter stupidity had Mike written that he had once worked for SC Gov'n Sanford, a man who spent taxpayer money on trips to screw his mistress,, who broke his marriage vows, betrayed his wife, his constituents, his staff, the GOP and proved to be a hypocrite when it came to his position on family values and the sanctity of marriage.

Michael Jackson was a deeply troubled human being, he had been abused as a child, not sexually, but emotionally & psychologically . He was enigmatic in life, yet he was a charismatic entertainer few could hold a candle too. THRILLER was sheer GENIUS. BEAT IT fused Pop & Funk together and threw in one of Eddie Van Halen's most memorable guitar solos.


Having worked with hundreds of celebrities over the past two yrs: musicians, actors, sports figures - I can safely say that nothing is ever what it seems on the surface. Many fall from grace - mostly through their own undoing - drugs, sex, alcohol. But some fall from grace because Fans, like Fame, are fickle.

Fame is bitch. She demands everything from you.Takes all you have to give. And then walks away.

Jackson was adored and loved my millions of people globally, yet he was one of the loneliest and most fragile persons you would ever meet.

When I met Michael Jackson backstage at a concert, I was surprised at how very quiet and unassuming he was ---and he was much taller than I expected. For some reason that struck me as odd. ( Later I would understand why and I'll explain it below)

30 minutes later, when he walked on stage in front of 60,000 adoring fans, he was ELECTRIFYING. This was the MJ I had heard about!!! 25 minutes into a non stop high energy show - he broke into his moonwalk - and the explosion from his fans was heard round the world.

He loved the stage. He grew up on it. As a young child he had this innate ability to entertain the masses. The stage is where he felt most at peace. It was where he was one with God --as strange as that will sound to many people.

Remember when I said it struck me odd that MJ was taller than I expected. Upon reflection, I now understand why. I- like millions of others- had fallen in love with "little" Michael of the Jackson 5. As he hit his late teens, Jackson lost millions of fans who longed for little Michael. It was this public rejection that traumatized him & I believe it created a need in him to always remain a child.
He relied on fame to protect him from the hurt he had experienced - and when that didn't work - he turned reclusive, and when that didn't work, he turned to prescription drugs - so many different kinds for each ache and pain that manifested from the emotional wounds. The fame that Michael sought to protect him from emotional hurt he had experienced as a child - ended up destroying him in adulthood.


Watching Michael descend into hell was painful for me. I know full well he was enabled to do so by those who simply wanted to use him for their own personal gain.

But none of this justifies his actions behind closed with kids. I do not condone his actions. I never will. He alone is accountable for those actions to himself, the kids and now, to God.

To quote Robert Hillburn, LA Times Music Critic,

"His heart may have finally stopped beating Thursday afternoon, but it had been fatally broken long ago."

I love the factual statements assuming the guilt of Michael Jackson (Snyder and Fuller) - what a pity the hard fought freedoms of America are so quickly tossed aside.

Michael Jackson was a brilliantly talented man-child who was exploited by nearly every adult he came in contact with. That he was more comfortable around children does not surprise me. He was never found guilty of any crime regarding children. Ron Snider's claims are no more valid than saying George Bush was a war criminal. And Ron, you probably don't want to get into it with me as to how long a uniform was worn defending the Constitution.

Gosh, it seemed important to you.

"DonC, I gave up four years of my life to Uncle Sam defending those freedoms, one of which is the freedom of expression. Did you? "

People like you, Ron Snyder, disgust me.

I'm with Scott. Terrible loss.