Goodness, aren't we *lucky* to have so many different types of music to celebrate! And if, just occasionally, another genre of music finds its way into Mudcat, well....why not raise our hands in joy, for it may also bring other posters into this place, new blood...and who knows, they may stay and look around, discover some of YOUR music.

Michael Jackson was a Star from the moment he stepped out onto that stage on the Andy Williams show. He remained a Star for the next 44 years of his life, at the top of the tree.

Child molester?

Well, try this.

Hey, did you all know that (insert names of whichever poster you prefer) has been rumoured to be having it off with little kids?

And *that* is all it takes.

Now, you and I may know the poster who is ficticiously named, and we know what they're really like, but Joe Public has no idea, and suddenly, from nowhere a whole 'other' life is built up, stinking mud sticks like glue, held in place by those with twisted souls who love to see others squirm in horror and make money out of it all whilst they're doing it.

Nothing was proved.

Yes, the family concerned received a great deal of money, but let's face it, even that ain't gonna stop loose mouths from talking, if that's what really happened.

I had a friend who was a teacher, a history teacher. He was accused of molesting a young girl in his class. *She* used to phone him up, found out his home number and rang him a great deal, then, I guess when the affection wasn't returned, she made her allegations. He always denied it, but the damage was already done, the doubt became his life. He went downhill from there. A year or so later, after his marriage had broken up, he went out to the little shop in Horrabridge, bought a few bits, then walked up Jordans Lane with his rucksack, saying hello to folks he passed. He got to the top, turned off into the woods, just before the open moors started to come into view...and hanged himself.



NONE of us know what happened in Michael's case.

Tell me, what kind of parents would let their kids stay over at anyone's house they didn't know? You can argue that the parents themselves had ulterior motives and used their children to get money out of Michael Jackson. If that was the case, they sure as hell succeeded.

Tell me again, if Michael's lawyers had let the case go all the way, how do you know that child would have been telling the truth?

I don't know the answers...but then, none of us do.

All I know is that a highly talented man, one who gave pleasure to millions of people, not just a few, but millions, worldwide, has died and I don't think it's right to start spewing out the venom....because, apart from anything else, it makes those who are doing it look so hard and uncaring.

Peter Pan.

Let's go back to Peter, and Neverland, and Tootles losing his marbles, shall we?


J. M. Barrie...a man who had allegations of paedeophilia flung at him.....A man who took on another man's children and loved them as his own..Who looked after them after their mother's death and knew great sadness when some of those children died young...A man who gave birth to the character that Michael Jackson so longed to be....

Peter, the boy who never grew up. The boy who only wanted to play, to play with the Lost Boys, his friends, his loyal friends.

It's no good any of you putting Michael into the way you've lived your lives, because his was so different from your own. You cannot possibly understand what his journey was about, where it led him, what he thought, felt, agonised over, rejoiced over.

Was JM Barrie a paedeophile, or someone who just loved the happy, innocent minds of children, the minds of humans that are untouched by hatreds, wars, racism, evil.....the things that adults put upon them, eventually.

He created one of the most magical children's stories, that's for sure, one that nearly all of us have read to our own children.

What if Neverland really WAS built for children to be happy in?
What if Michael only wanted to see children happy?
What if he only wanted to surround himself with their happiness, catch up with a lifetime of missed childhood himself?

What if he was Good, rather than Bad?

What IF?

Finding Neverland

There are many people who adore children, I'm one of them, but that does NOT make those people paedeophiles, it merely makes us adults with the hearts of children, who love to laugh, to play, to have fun.

Just another way of looking at this whole thing. I don't know if my way is correct, but then...I don't know if your way is either.

Think out of the box, that's all.........try to see the good....