Thursday, August 25, 2005

Guilt and Innocence

Ok, we all know that I tried to stay as far away from the Michael Jackson case as possible. I didn’t watch a single moment of the trial on TV, and I turned the station off of the news as soon as the daily - let’s be honest, sometimes it was hourly - updates began. Not because I didn’t want to face the fact that he could be guilty (I don’t like the freak that much), but because I would never have to make a decision regarding his guilt. And unless it’s my responsibility as a juror to decide someone’s guilt, I prefer to leave it up to the people who are unlucky enough to be in that situation. I didn’t watch a moment of the OJ Simpson trial (ok, I admit – I was in High School, so wasn’t at home while the coverage was on – but you get the point), and I kept the recent Richard Scrushy trial at the far end of my radar, even though I live in the city where the entire scandal and trial took place.

I still don’t know if Michael Jackson’s guilty or not. But the mother of the child he allegedly molested (the mother who was responsible for the trial) has now had 5 felony accounts of welfare fraud brought against her. (Read here). She had received $150,000 from JC Penney as a settlement (no trial) in a civil (not criminal) case where security guards allegedly beat up the family.

trying to get money for something that was never proven?

But I really don’t want to make any conclusions about her guilt or innocence either. Again, thank the gods that’s not my responsibility. I think it’s interesting for one main reason: This story was posted on CNN’s website Tuesday night. I listen to about 4 hours of news on the public radio station per day, in addition to watching/listening to another hour’s worth of the news on TV (granted, the first 15 minutes probably doesn’t count – at least one of my eyes is usually still shut at that early time of the day – but, as my husband will tell you, there’s nothing wrong with my ears – even on less that half a cup of coffee). And I haven’t heard anything about this, nor have my two co-workers who were apparently so wrapped in the story they actually skipped some lunches to go find a TV and watch the coverage. I’m willing to bet that the story that “everyone” talked about this year (The Michaels Jackson trial – either keep up with me or drink more caffeine) will hardly be revisited by this new story on the child’s mother. Instead, people will remember that the celebrity got off the hook again.

Hmmm… I really meant this to be a short post. Me and my soapboxes….and as my best friend will tell you, I have plenty of them.

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