Some Thoughts On the Trial of Michael Jackson

Some Thoughts and Suggestions on Closing Statement for the Child Molestation Trial of Michael Jackson

From: © Professor Amechi Okolo.
To: Thomas Mesereau, Michael Jackson’s Defense Attorney

May 31, 2005

I write this to express my full support for Michael Jackson and to wish him God’s protection in this horrible ordeal. I know that it must have been a nightmare for him to go through this trial and I pray for God’s strength and guidance through this most difficult period in his most remarkable life. I am therefore writing this to register my full support for him at this time when he needs the comfort and encouragement of all his supporters, admirers and fans. I write this because I believe that this trial is unfair, contrived and racist, and I believe that God will see him exonerated in the not distant future. You have conducted this trial most ably and I also pray for you.

Now that the trial is concluded and you are preparing for your closing statements, I write this to make some suggestions which I hope might help to clinch the victory. I also feel that it is, perhaps timely for me to put down my thoughts, feelings and observations about Michael on paper at this most difficult period of his life. Let me just confess to you that the day Michael Jackson is pronounced “not guilty” by the jury will be one of the happiest days in my life because it will be one more affirmation of justice which the world desperately needs at this most excruciating epoch. I do not know Michael Jackson personally, and I have never met him in person, but I have followed his career ever since I came to this country in 1971 and enrolled at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana; and I am convinced and can avow that he is the greatest entertainer who has ever worked the face of this earth. I have watched him for entertainment purposes and studied him as an academician and a social scientist and I can say with all seriousness that he is a genius and a rare gem. Moreover, besides being clearly the greatest entertainer the world has ever known, nobody even comes closer to taking his place whenever he physically leaves the scene.

The major problem America has with Michael Jackson is his race – the fact that he is black, exceptionally successful and politically active. America being a fundamentally racist system is ever mortified by the prospects of a black or colored being the “greatest” in any positive life endeavor. More importantly, the uniqueness of Michael is that he achieved his phenomenal and unprecedented rise not just without the props and support of the American mass media but in spite of their very hostile and historically openly antagonistic representation. The fact is that America’s media have rarely presented Michael in a positive way. They usually use the most negative and insinuating words to refer to or describe him. For example, the standard media reference to him in America is, “Michael Jackson, the self-styled King of Pop.” This is even supposed to be a generous presentation of him. Now compare this to their usual favorable reference to Elvis as, “the King.” Hence, according to America’s media, while Michael is self-styled and self-imposing – an imposter; Elvis was or is people-crowned, God-ordained and God-anointed. The simple question is, can anyone, please tell when and who crowned Elvis the king or when Michael crowned himself the king? This is racism par excellence. The truth is that Michael never crowned himself a king nor did anyone ever crown Elvis a king. In truth, US does not even have royalty. The title, king is, therefore simply media creation. They had evaluated the two giant entertainers as worthy of the exalted title and hence started using the title “king” to distinguish them from others. But the fundamental racism of the system forced them to taint Michael’s with the phrase, “self-styled” so that he will not be on par with Elvis’. With time most Americans accepted and/or even began to enjoy the distinction without caring and/or understanding its underlying racist implications. This is just a tip of the racism and negative press reporting about Michael that saturates America’s media as national entertainment.

So, for America’s power-establishment, Michael must be brought down as quickly and as violently as possible because he has gone against America’s fundamental grain by climbing and remaining at the apex of not just America but global entertainers – a status that in America is left only for the whites. Hence, Michael’s “sins” are multiple. He is a black and a male in America. He achieved phenomenal successes in the system instead of being in jail as many of his likes. Furthermore, to add more insults to already grievous offenses, Michael aggravated his sins when he achieved his status in spite of and in opposition to America’s mass media. Hence, this indictment and the trail is due to a confluence of conspiratorial negative and racist forces that have historically felt offended by Michael’s “recalcitrance” due to his uncompromising march to the acme of global entertainment in spite of them. Tom Sneddon, the District Attorney, is therefore simply the tool for implementing this racist policy because of Neverland’s physical location in his area of jurisdiction. So while Tom Sneddon is the point man in the efforts to pull Michael down, the conspiracy is clearly far larger than one person. It is systemic and institutional. Michael Jackson’s problems with America, and particularly this child molestation indictment and trial must therefore be seen and studied as part of institutional racism that we study and teach as academicians and social science professors in universities and colleges across the nation.

Thus, the circumstances of this trial need to be recast and rehearsed for records and for memory. This trial has shown that Michael Jackson is clearly innocent of the many charges against him. Long before Mr. Jackson was brought to this specific trial, the American media has persistently created and painted an image of Mr. Jackson as a weird pedophilia – a pathological devious nymph who lures children to Neverland to molest them and gratify his sexual pleasures. Yet, in spite of their very rigorous efforts, the prosecution has failed to prove any of their points. They have failed to prove that Mr. Jackson is a congenital, historical pedophilia. More importantly, they failed to prove that Mr. Jackson molested this particular child. Congenital means ingrained in someone’s character, firmly established as part of someone’s character, beliefs and behaviors – something that is genetic.

Yes, Mr. Jackson has at times acted in ways that may seem odd or weird to some people or even to members of the jury -- and me, but this trial is not about someone being weird, odd or strange, which is not a crime in our current system of jurisprudence. Michael is on trial here for specific child sexual molestation charges which the prosecution did not prove. And when the case is not proven, he must be acquitted. Members of the jury, please remember that when the prosecution fails to prove their case, you must acquit. This is our law and it applies with equal force to Mr. Jackson as well as to each and every one of us. Therefore, you cannot convict Mr. Jackson for his “weird” behaviors or for behaviors which America’s media and comedy houses gleefully dub him Wacko, Jacko to garner their largest attentions and loudest ovations. The American media from gossip centers to tabloids to mainstream all compete among themselves and pull their largest attentions, sell their largest number of circulations and draw their loudest ovations by their invention and mindless repeat of their various salacious “Wacko, Jacko” stories. I remember, long before this trial seeing Michael on television complain about how the media refers to him as “Wacko, Jacko”. I remember watching a man who was deeply hurt and injured as he complained and pleaded that they stop calling or referring to him as “Wacko, Jacko” He declared then, “I am not Wacko, I am not Jacko. I am Michael Jackson, and it hurts me to hear you refer to me that way.” The English dictionary defines Wacko as, “an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody regarded as unconventional, unpredictable or unusual.” The point is that the American media revels in its creation of unsavory, distasteful, unpalatable and immoral images of Mr. Jackson. They garner their audience and boost their sales with their constant negative portrayals of Mr. Jackson. Just as America media is addicted to sex, crime and violence as their most lucrative strategy to increase audience and boost sales irrespective of how it damages our youth as long as their bottom line is uplifted, the media is nonchalant about the feelings or personal damages to Mr. Jackson as long as their profits are going up. This is what I call prostitution journalism in America – i.e. journalism that only cares for profits and not positive service to society.

However, besides, some minor and rare complaints by Mr. Jackson, he has largely ignored the orchestrated and institutional media assaults against him and continues to live his legendary and phenomenal productive life with admirable dignity, calm and equanimity and as graciously and as selflessly as possible. Mr. Jackson is clearly unique among many in this day and age. There is no doubt or dispute about that. He has had nose change and other cosmetic surgeries which some people are not comfortable with. In fact some people feel deeply offended by his physical changes and transformations – and they are entitled to their views. The important question, however is whether his actions are criminal or evil intended and my answer is a resounding no. More importantly, the prosecution has failed to prove any evil or criminal acts or intention against Mr. Jackson in this case. In this age of celebrity attention-grabbing, Mr. Jackson has maintained his cool and distance from television and media glares. He does not attend talk-shows nor grant interviews like most other celebrities. Therefore, since he does not go to the media to promote himself or his projects as most others do, the media, talk-show hosts, talking-heads, tabloids, etc., trample and stampede upon themselves as they try and rush to cover him. I think that part of the intense media hatred of Mr. Jackson is their revulsion at being “forced” to cover him to increase their ratings instead of the other way round when celebrities actively seek the media to promote themselves and/or their projects. Mr. Jackson does not need America’s media for publicity as other celebrities. Rather it is America’s media that needs him for their own sustenance. This is irony but it is true. Mere mention of Michael Jackson or the hint that he will be at or participate in any event guarantees overflowing audience and high television rating and superlative dollar values for the television station and the papers. Nobody has that kind of magnetism or crowd draw-power as Michael has. Most people would watch or read anything about Michael whether they like him, are his fans or not – and for a black that could generate intense inner hatred and jealousy from the media, the racist system and some public.

Michael Jackson is the single most recognizable living face and name on the earth today. From Africa to Latin America to Asia, India, China, Japan, Russia, to Europe –France, Germany, United Kingdom. From east to west United States, Canada – in fact, in all corners of the globe – in all the continents of the globe, Michael is known, recognized, loved and adored. This is a phenomenal and unprecedented achievement that has never happened before. No body in recorded history has ever achieved this kind of global fame, let alone in the person’s lifetime – and Michael did that without the help of officialdom and in spite of institutional, sustained, negative media coverage about him.

For example, the media coverage of the trial is both a circus and a testimony to the national and global interests and impacts of Michael Jackson. Apart from the throngs of media reporters that are stationed around the courthouse, the makeup of enthusiastic and chanting Michael Jackson fans that crowd the trial venue every day waiting to catch a glimpse and, perhaps a wave from their idol as he daily comes and leaves the court with their various placards that proclaim his innocence is fascinating, indicative and informative. It is not just their large and their swelling numbers that must be heartwarming to Mr. Jackson and his loved ones, or the various encouraging, reassuring and confirming messages of their placards, but the racial, ethnic, national, age and gender mix of the fans and their dedication to the man. Nobody has or has had the kind of fans that Michael has – not in numbers, not in dedication and certainly not in mix and diversity. Michael is thus, the first and only celebrity who truly transcends race and ethnicity. He breaches the gap and the great divide between black, white, Asians, Japanese, Chinese, Indians, etc in morphology, attitude and behavior. Thus his surgical transformations could be understood as parts of his eternal strive towards global unity and oneness just as he verbalized in his hit song, “I don’t care if you are black or white” and also mechanically/artistically performed.

One of the most interesting things about Michael is the world’s very enthusiastic embrace of his uniracial morphological and behavioral transformations. Thus he has very huge and highly dedicated fans from all races and all nationalities. People just deal with him as one huge phenomenon – not as black or any particular race. Even though Michael was born black and has done some major cosmetic surgeries that may look to some that he is trying to deny or hide his blackness. Yet blacks are mostly not offended by his looks while most whites and other races do not care because his fans are only interested in his talents, actions and behaviors. Hence his fans at the trial represent true mosaic of humanity. While Michael knows that people can be racist as he once accused Matola, the Sony boss, he is just deeply interested in people. Michael just loves people of all races, and thank God, they love him back with equal zeal – and that is great healthy news – for people of all races, irrespective of age and gender to agree on one thing. Hence, in this respect, Michael has done more to advance the course of human unity and happiness more than any single living human being today.

Yet, while Michael genuinely loves people of all races, gender and age, all children and especially the afflicted ones are his specialties. He has a special calling and affinity with them such that may actually be difficult for ordinary mortals like us to appreciate or even understand. My point is that while Michael understands that there are different races in the world, he thinks that such differences are unimportant and inconsequential, hence he actively operates to undermine such artificial differences to the enthusiastic and warmth embrace of the world as evidenced by the excitement, passion and sheer global enormity and dedication of his followers. It is, therefore important to understand that it is the same gene that made Michael to ignore the great racial divide, which many people think are very important and life-defining and to actively work to subvert and destroy it that conditioned him not to recognize the age divide which many also think are very important, fixed and life-defining. Thus, just as Michael rigorously refuses to be pigeonholed in looks, action or behavior as “black or white” as regular folks, he has also rigorously refused to let age limit his choice of friends as most people do. Thus Michael has many personal friends of all ages and races. Hence, among his known very close friends are Liz Taylor, a much older white lady and Diana Ross, a much older black lady. The point is that Michael has always had friends that are outside our “acceptable” range because he does not want to be constrained by race, gender or age. So Michael’s surgical transformations, his behaviors and his friendships with much older women and much younger boys can all be explained as his historical efforts not to explode out of accepted orthodoxy. They have nothing to do with sexual orientation or preferences but just his understanding of a world that should not be defined or constrained by race, gender or age.

On this, I need to add that it was Lisa Marie Presely, the ex-wife of Michael Jackson who came close to satisfactorily explaining his many cosmetic surgeries during the rare interview they gave during their marriage. The reporters kept asking their usual many questions about Michael’s cosmetic surgeries to which he actually had no satisfactory response until his wife cut in and said, “Look Michael is an artist. He creates and recreates many things in his own way. His surgery is also a way of creating, recreating or expressing himself.” Lisa’s response was the most intelligent explanation I ever heard from Michael or anyone else about his obvious cosmetic transformations. Michael himself had always denied or minimized the extent of the surgeries. Many others make fun or use it for their comedy shows while Lisa provided the most sensible philosophic response I ever heard – hence to me, that explanation, which is completely satisfying to me, was the most important contribution of Lisa Marie to her marriage with Michael Jackson.



Bush war on Iraq and WMD
This trial must also be understood within the larger context of the current war against Iraq which is the prevailing fixation of the orthodoxy at this time. Bush’s vicious and criminal warfare against Iraq and Mr. Jackson’s racist indictment and rigorous trial are interconnected, inextricably linked together; and must be so understood and analyzed. First, it is not by accident that Mr. Jackson was indicted just after his announcement, and a couple of other celebrities including Madonna, that they would undertake national and global tours against the war. Nobody would convince me that the potential huge negative impacts of vigorous national and global anti-war activities – concerts, speeches, donations, etc. – by Mr. Jackson and other celebrities, which they had announced could not have been noticed and planned for by the enormously brilliant Karl Rove – the famed administration strategist and Bush’s brain. Tom Sneddon was therefore, clearly working for the Bush administration when he indicted Michael Jackson just as he geared up to join the growing storm of anti-war protesters. The only unknown answer is whether the move was deliberate, conscious and planned in cohort with the Bush federal forces, which would make it a conspiratorial move against Mr. Jackson or whether the indictment at the time was just a mere coincidence. I do not know the answer to that and I do not want to speculate, but whether it was conscious or unconscious, the incontrovertible fact is that the indictment tied Mr. Jackson down and has diverted his enormous energies and resources away from anti-war activities to the more urgent issues of his personal survival. There is, therefore no doubt that one person or organization who gained most from the current imbroglio of Mr. Jackson is President Bush and his administration.

Furthermore, I am not talking of only the diversion and tying down of Mr. Jackson’s energies and resources but a fair amount of national and global media resources and energies are also inexorably tied down and diverted from anti-war movements and coverage to covering the salacious details of Mr. Jackson’s trial. This is because most people are fascinated with Michael Jackson and would rather watch him or anything about him than anything else and this includes even those who openly profess to hate him. The truth is that even his avowed haters do not resist the urge or temptation to turn the television or read the tabloid or even the “respectable” newspapers about him. Records show that television houses garner skyrocketing rates when they show “specials” about Michael Jackson – and this includes CBS, 60 Minutes, ABC’s 20/20 and many other “respectable” media. Michael Jackson clearly breaches the gap or the divide between tabloid and mainstream media. Oprah Show is clearly the most respectable and popular, the most watched show around today, yet it was a super-special event for Oprah and her millions fans when Mr. Jackson granted her a rare interview some years ago. Oprah flew to Neverland Ranch and took two full days to show her global audience the many details of Mr. Jackson’s fascinating life and the Ranch. Clearly, Oprah has very large followings of her own, but that rare interview on Michael Jackson shot her ratings to the roof and till today ranks as her most popular show. The point I am making is that Mr. Jackson is very huge. He is very, very huge in anything he does or that touches him or any cause that he promotes or uses his name. Mr. Jackson means huge money for businesses, large and small. He immediately becomes the main attraction for any event he attends. When he played at the super bowl, the rating skyrocketed even for super bowl which is already the most popular annual event in America. In fact some journalists and reporters like Nancy Grace and others have made their names from virulent anti-Jackson reporting. Ironically, Nancy Grace confesses to being a huge fan of Michael Jackson even as she makes her living today as the most virulent anti-Jackson CNN analyst.

The truth however, is that Mr. Jackson did not get to his phenomenal height and unprecedented popularity without also attracting substantial numbers of determined opponents. In fact, I am willing to argue that it is not theoretically and practically possible for anyone to get as big as Mr. Jackson without also some strong opponents. That is just nature. So while I deeply regret the present fate and predicament of Mr. Jackson, it is also clearly understandable to me that they are the inevitable outcomes and price of unparalleled life-achievements and fame especially for Mr. Jackson who has a predilection for popular causes and the common man. He has shown through his various actions -- charity organizations, contributions and other activities that he is “addicted” to and has unlimited energy and love for the afflicted, the children, the poor, the sick and the down trodden or for whom Franz Fanon called the, “Wretched of the Earth.” Some other celebrities had avoided Mr. Jackson’s fate by being apolitical like Frank Sinatra – just playing good, fun music which entertains and make people feel good, or they might combine their fun program/activities with active pro-establishment pro-government positions and activities like Bob Hope. This meant that Bob Hope was not just a damn good comedian, but a pro-government pro-military comedian-entertainer – a status that insulated him from any possible personal aggressors. Some titles of Michael’s song will confirm what I am saying – We are the World; Heal the World; They Don’t Care About Us; Scream, etc.

Thus, Mr. Jackson who is black and did not have the “official” cover of Bob Hope or the neutrality of Frank Sinatra to protect him became open to the vulturistic tendencies of the various contending forces that are swamping to prey on him. Besides, Michael did not protect himself like Oprah who is pro-government, pro-Bush, pro-establishment orthodoxy and “Oreo” in operation and appeal. On this level, the current trial of Michael Jackson must therefore also be seen as part of what I call President Bush’s WMD – Weapon of Mass Deception – a theory that is fully developed in my upcoming book titled, Bush War on Iraq: Weapon of Mass Deception (WMD) and America’s Theory and Practice of Colonialism in the Modern Age.

Briefly, my Bush and WMD theory says that his war on Iraq, which was pre-planned by Bush’s key Cabinet members long before he seized power in the White House is part of Bush’s strategy to keep us tied down and to divert our attention away from talking about the stolen state power in 2000 election. So the war instantly made the fledgling Bush a popular war-time president and made it politically incorrect to refer to him as the Pretender to the throne – which is what he really is. Please, read books by Vincent Bugliosi, Alan Dershovitz, Greg Palast and many others to see the outrageous and criminal ways W. Bush used to pervert our system and culture to get to the White House in 2000. Now having gotten to the White House through clearly outrageous and unsavory ways, Bush needed weapons of mass deception (WMD) to tie down and distract people from continued discussion of the events so he started the wars – in Afghanistan and later , Iraq. Read David Ray Griffin, The New Pearl Harbor: Disturbing Questions about the Bush Administration and 9/11 to understand the smokescreens of 9/11 and Bush wars. And when Iraq was not a cake walk as Bush forces had predicted and presented to us, but rather became chaotic and presented major difficulties for him, he needed other WMDs from Iraq itself. So the trial of Mr. Jackson is part and parcel of the plethora of WMDs that have been used and/or invented to tie us down, prevent, and/or divert us from discussion and knowledge of the pogrom, carnages, atrocities, tortures, misery, plunder, roguery and all the multiplying sufferings of Iraqis and Americans due to Bush’s criminal genocidal warfare in Iraq.

Why the prosecution failed to prove its case

I have spent sometime talking about the general situation of Mr. Jackson because I believe that it is important to understand the general context of the trail. Now, let me show specifically why the prosecutions did not prove its case here.

If Mr. Jackson is a pedophilia as Tom Sneddon had presented him in his unusually high profile press conference in November 2003, this case would have been clear cut and a slam dunk for him. He would have shown and demonstrated a clear history of child molestation by the defendant. After all, Mr. Jackson has had a clear history of many close associations and friendships with children, so we cannot say that the question of opportunity was not there. Besides, the prosecution and the judge invited, enticed and allowed any child who was Michael’s friend to come and testify against him. It was an open invitation for anyone who has any slightest grudge against Michael to come and spill before the camera with the state’s maximal protection; and Tom Sneddon even sent his people out scouting for witnesses to buttress their case. So the DA, with the help and complicity of the judge, had hoped to inundate the public with Michael’s sex extravaganza with children. The media, tabloids, main stream, etc. were all ready and geared up for the tantalizing and salacious and spicy details. Even Tom Sneddon’s press conference to announce Michael’s arrest and indictment was quite unusual. I have never seen a District Attorney announce the arrest and booking of a suspect with such fanfare, excitement and glee as Ton Sneddon showed in November 2003 even before the grand jury indictment. He sent over ninety armed cops to search Neverland Ranch – a number that would suggest a military invasion of a hostile territory. Moreover, the bail of three million dollars, which he set for Michael was clearly excessive especially for someone who has a very popular abode (Neverland Ranch) in the neighborhood. They also seized his passport. In fact I do not recall anyone else with such exorbitant bail nor is it usual to seize passports of suspects or even indicted suspects. Why the unusual highhandedness with Michael, we were never told. Even Robert Blake who was charged with the murder of his wife was given only one million dollar bail. The point is that there has been hyper-racism in many things connected with the trial including the exclusion of all blacks from the jury – and people said nothing – except Rev. Jesse Jackson. The judge even allowed presentations and appearances from previous cases where Michael him to show pattern of malfeasance by Mr. Jackson according to them. Yet, the judge did not allow similar presentation of previous pattern of fraudulent financial escapades by the mother of the accuser to show and buttress the main defense position that the charge is a financial shakedown by a woman who had done similar things before.

Yet there is not a single one of his many former child friends and former accusers who came out with clear history or narrations detailing the specifics of their various molestations by Mr. Jackson. The much trumpeted prosecution’s pattern showed only one thing which we all already know – that Mr. Jackson likes children, that he prefers the company of children, that he derives his best joy and creativity when he is with children and behaving like children. Also we leant that he spends good money on them, that he buys them expensive gifts – Rolex watches, electronic toys, etc. We also learnt that Neverland Ranch was designed essentially for children so that he can live in Peter Pan world. He has even said on television that, “without children he would be gone.” So what is new? We already know all those things about him. The truth is that as weird as such behaviors might be or seem to some, they are not criminal actions which is why the millions of parents who already know this are still happy to take their children to meet him – the Great One.

I watch one comedian rake his biggest laugh when he said that whether Michael Jackson is guilty or not of the crimes against him is not important. This popular comedian even admitted that he has no specific knowledge of Michael’s guilt here, but that he should be found guilty because, “it has been shown that he dates children and buys them expensive gifts, Rolex watches, etc, at 45 years old.” And American roared with laughter and approbations. This is the tragedy of America – that we are often too eager to throw away and discard our much vouched principles – I wonder what has happened to our core principle that one is adjudged innocent until proven guilty or may be it does not apply to Michael Jackson. This is the logic that the jury must reject. If the case is not proven, as in this case, the jury must acquit. It is not a criminal offense to “date” or hang out with children.

It must also be known that Mr. Jackson has particular affinity for children who are afflicted. The case of Ryan was the first time I noticed such qualities in him. Ryan who was afflicted with HIV at a tender age became Mr. Jackson’s chum. Michael lavished attention and resources on him until his most unfortunate premature death when Michael composed and released a very loving song for Ryan. I particularly remember when Michael went to Ryan’s funeral and strove very hard not to be seen or heard because he did not want to draw attention and focus away from his dead friend. That was typical Michael. Quiet, very polite, unassuming.

The truth is that while Michael loves all children and eagerly opens up himself and his resources to them as clearly demonstrated by his lifestyle, he has special extra-affinity for the afflicted ones among them. Thus Michael’s unique and profound weakness is his known inability to say no to an afflicted child. This particular accuser is the case in point. He was very sick, afflicted with terminal cancer and given just months to live. Records show that the boy or his family had called other celebrities looking for solace and help. At least, Jay Leno testified that he got the calls and did not respond because he did not want to be bothered or suspected that it was a fraud and set-up for which I do not blame him. It was Michael who never rejects a needy child that responded and plunged himself and his massive resources into saving the child. Today, we have a healthy child who credited Michael for saving his life and for which Michael must be happy and grateful to God for giving him the resources, talents and the disposition to love and help heal children of the world. We should remember Michael’s Heal the World Foundation, his We Are the World song and projects.

It is ironical that it is this same family (mother and child duo) helped the most by Michael that are trying very hard to tear him down. But I am confident that as the jury has heard the full case now, they will know the real Michael and find that this charge of child molestation is baseless and ridiculous as Macaulay Culkin, his most famous child friend testified for the prosecution. It must be noted that Mr. Culkin was touted by the prosecution and the media as one of the child friends of Michael whom he molested and who would boost their case. Mr. Culkin came and testified for the prosecution that he was a very good friend of Michael at an early age, had visited his Neverland Ranch many times and yes, in fact had slept in his bed many times but that there was nothing sexual that ever happened – and that he feels that the current charge of molesting this boy is “ridiculous.” I thank Macaulay Culkin and the world must thank him. I have watched his Home Alone many times. I even have the DVD. It is a great movie and he is a great actor. We wish him greater bounties and more God’s blessings in his life endeavors. He is clearly a good man. Blessed are the Culkins and all those who receive the blessings of friends and acknowledge them at their worst hours of great travail instead of becoming the Brutus that delivers the decisive fatal stab.

Also Debbie Rowe, Michael ex-wife and mother of his children, was also called by the prosecution as part of their team to destroy Mr. Jackson – something I thing is wrong and unethical to ‘force” someone’s spouse to testify against him or her in a criminal proceeding. This is morally and legally wrong because the concept of marriage assumes and connotes unity, oneness and indivisibility which is why spouses cannot testify against the other in criminal cases. The principle applies whether it is current or ex-spouse because the information being sought was gotten when they were one and therefore cannot be used against the other later. The same principle applies in the case of an attorney who is barred from using the information gained in the process of defending a client to testify against him or her in a later criminal proceeding. But somehow, this prosecution and judge found a way to get around this inviolate and sacrosanct principle and law and got Debbie Rowe to testify against Mr. Jackson. However, unfortunately for the prosecution, Debbie turned against them and told them exactly what they did not want to hear. The prosecution brought Debbie after they had dined her at a luxurious restaurant where they coached her on what to say, and then leaked out information that Debbie had even turned against Michael and would be coming to testify against him in the molestation trial. In fact, there were riveting media speculations that Debbie would not only testify against Michael but was preparing to sew him herself to take custody of the children due to Michael’s prohibitive actions and tendencies. So it was with great anticipation and trepidation that Debbie’s testimony was awaited as she appeared to testify in court. Unfortunately for the prosecution, she told the court that Michael did not molest anybody, that the problem with Michael is that “he is a very kind person”, that Michael is an angel and that they should leave “my Michael” alone. These were incredible professions, confessions and protestations from someone who was called by prosecution to help boost and clinch their case Michael. I wonder how many persons could get such accolades from their ex-spouses or even from current spouses especially when the guy is in a terrible fix like Michael and the state, with their enticements, want some other rhythms. The truth is that most currently married people would be celebrating if their spouses called them “angel” or talk so glowingly about them. In fact, some currently married spouses actually think and call their spouses, monsters” let alone when talking about their ex-spouses. Debbie Rowe’s statements are therefore exemplary, and more than any other evidence presented in that courtroom, confirm that Michael is truly exceptional.

The intriguing question, however is why did the prosecution get it so wrong about Debbie and Macaulay Culkin? How did they not know or even bothered to investigate the true feelings of Debbie about his ex-husband. The truth is that the press has built and sustained this image of Michael as a weird horrible pedophiliac monster and has never bothered to check with any other person because they were so sure that they were right. The prosecution was flatly guilty of its own historical stereotyping of Michael Jackson. To me therefore, Debbie and Culkin are truly the real heroes of this trial because they represent the common experience and feelings of ordinary Americans who have had long-time intimate relationship and dealings with Michael Jackson which I am sure the jury will now confirm.

The Ultimate Exculpatory Evidence for Michael
There are so many more good things to say about “my Michael” whom I have never met in person, that I could write this indefinitely because he is truly a fascinating character, but let me close by stating one more reason why Michael could not have sexually molested this child as alleged. Again, let us go through the whole accusations carefully. This will help us see how it defies simple ordinary reasoning and commonsense logic that such molestations would have occurred. Now, we are told that the molestations occurred after Michael had appeared in the now, infamous Bashir video where Michael appeared with the boy holding hand together during which Michael also stated that he had shared his bed with boys in a purely non-sexual way. As shocking as the statement might be, I remember watching it with awe and hope he never does it again. I however want to state here that there is nothing criminal in the act unless there were sexual activities. Personally, I will not invite a child to sleep in my bed because it is simply nauseating, but it is not criminal to do so. And this was what Michael was trying to explain in the video but we are too daft to understand him especially in the world that is so sexually oriented and cannot conceive of people having innocent non-sexual relationship. When I was growing up in Nigeria, there was something we called platonic relationship, i.e. relationships with the opposite sex that involved no sexual intentions and actions. There were many such relationships then in my generation in Nigeria. Dictionary defines platonic relationship as, “not involving sexual relations -- involving friendship, affection, or love without sexual relations between people who might be expected to be sexually attracted to each other.”

The American society is not comfortable with platonic relationship. We assign sexuality to many relationships which is unfortunate because people can just be good friends without being sexual. My point, is that sleeping in bed with a child in not a crime even in America unless sexual activities occurred. As a social scientist, I will say that it is against the norm of the society but it is not a crime and the jury must bear this in mind as they deliberate. The jury must not convict Michael for going against the norm. Michael has gone against the norm in America. Sure he has, but he has not committed a crime. He must therefore be acquitted.

Finally, it is important to note that even the information which Michael volunteered that boys have slept in his bed is perhaps the most important fundamental exculpatory evidence in his arsenal of defense. If boys have historically slept in his bed as he told us, and there are enough evidence and witnesses to that, yet not one single one of them claimed and detailed molestation by him, does that not confirm that Michael was just having innocent platonic relationships with the boys, which I emphasize again, is not a crime.

Along, the same logic, if Michael has been quite close with the current accuser, including sleeping in his bed, as all testified, and never molested him before their joint media appearance, why would Michael suddenly start molesting him after their joint video appearance. It not only defies logic and commonsense but defies fundamental biology. I am a social scientist, but I will like to know why and how a dormant pedophiliac gene in Michael suddenly took over and gripped him into the abominable act. The truth is that if Michael is a pedophiliac, the genes would have manifested themselves clearly and unequivocally many times in the inner chambers of his bedroom all these many years. More importantly he would have been molesting this current child long before their joint video appearance.

It is for all the above reasons that I most strongly urge the jury to acquit Michael so that he can go back and continue the many great works he has been doing. I learnt from Jesse Jackson that Michael plans to build a children’s team pack like Neverland Ranch in Africa. I wish him good luck and God’s Guidance in all his future endeavors. But Michael, please do the millions of us who love you dearly a favor – Do not let children in your private places and bedroom next time. This trial has been traumatic not just for you but for all of us who love you. For me you are “Michael, the Great, King of Pop”. This is how history will remember you and there is nothing anybody can do about it. God Bless and Thank you.


© Amechi Okolo, PhD.
May 31, 2005