Could it really be true? Could the mad master of pop and inventor of the famous moonwalk truly have thrown away his Peter Pan ways and molested little boys? Are we to believe Michael Jackson is capable of committing such heinous crimes?
Behind the great music is also a man whose nose shrunk “two sizes too small” and yet he still claims to have undergone no plastic-surgery procedures. Yet, I hope, not only for Michael but also the boys that what they say happened, did not. While the popularity of the situation may not be alluring to some, the ability to have a strong case for a civil lawsuit against Michael most likely is. If Michael is found not guilty this will show that money was likely the parents’ ultimate goal. However, if the boys were mistreated I hope they succeed in locking away Jackson, because on top of the vileness of the crime and the amount of pain it can cause a victim, it’s just wrong to have a place called Neverland where such perversity lurks. However, if these boys and their parents are misleading the courts and media, then I truly hope that they’re called on it and leave the once incredibly talented, now sadly demented Michael Jackson to his fairy-tale land.
The jurors for Jackson’s case were just selected and in a matter of time we will discover the truth in this situation. What we are already able to discern is the trend of lawsuits, whether criminal, as in Jackson’s case, or civil, plaguing our nation. This seems to be a new wave in our generation. We are constantly bombarded with commercials proclaiming a new reason for anyone to sue, ranging from auto accidents to medical fraud to simple illnesses. In fact the newest one, which sinks to a whole new level, deals with mesothelioma, an asbestos-related cancer.
While mesothelioma is a serious matter, the reasoning behind this particular commercial is just tacky. It asks the viewer to call in if they or anyone they know has mesothelioma or is showing symptoms of it, adding that it can be caused merely by being around cement.
An even better commercial includes a “lawyer” standing in front of a screen plastered with dollar signs and he is then tossed a bag with a large dollar sign on it, promising to help settle lawsuits. What the commercials are really doing is persuading people to join a class-action lawsuit with no honest reason. They’re persuading people to sue for something where there is likely no direct culpability, and the only person acting irresponsibly are the attorneys organizing the lawsuit. Of course, there are exceptions to this, but these are the exceptions and not the rule.
Besides massive class-action lawsuits, we now have a new wave of frivolous lawsuits. I’m sure you all remember Stella Liebeck; she was awarded $2.9 million for spilling hot coffee from McDonald’s on herself. There have been thousands of other similarly stupid lawsuits that followed her award. In fact there’s a website dedicated to them, www.simpletoremember.com/what/stellaawards.htm.
What happened to the time when we took responsibility for our own actions? Many doctors have been forced to join giant medical corporations, such as Aurora, because of their inability to maintain a private practice due to the exorbitant rates of malpractice insurance. Why can people no longer accept that sometimes bad things just happen? Is money really going to make that kink in your neck go away, or change the fact that someone you know inhaled cement? These are the questions people must consider before hopping on the bandwagon to Neverland, where children never grow up and take responsibility. Besides, time will tell if that’s anywhere we really want to be.
S. Kyle Pauly ([email protected]) is a pre-med sophomore majoring in biology.