They Say Things Happen In Threes

First it was Ed McMahon. Now Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson have died. What a week.

Predictably, most people are coming out of the woodwork to mourn Jackson. It's a shame that McMahon and Fawcett's accomplishments will be overshadowed by a pedophile.

I watched on Fox News yesterday as Al Sharpton grabbed the spotlight, trying to latch onto Jackson's coattails by talking about how close he was to the singer. He tried to imply that Jackson was one of the very first black singers to gain wide acceptance and break the color barrier.

“Michael Jackson made culture accept a person of color, way before Tiger Woods, way before Oprah Winfrey, way before Barack Obama. Michael did with music what they later did in sports and in politics, and in television. And no controversy will erase the historic impact"

I wonder what Nat King Cole, Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke, Diana Ross, Sammy Davis Jr, and thousands of others thought of that statement.

Sharpton also said that lots of people who had criticized Jackson while he was alive were now mourning and praising him, and he implied that they were hypocrites.

"It's amazing...to see how many people are now praising him that wouldn't go near him in the last several years."

Well, Mr. Sharpton, just to make you happy, and just so you know I am no hypocrite - Michael Jackson was a perverted little jerk. This is not changed by the fact he could sing, nor is it changed by the fact that he is dead. Perhaps some people are just trying to be respectful of the dead. I had planned on saying nothing about Jackson - the closest I can get to being respectful of him. But you just couldn't keep from trying to turn this into a condemnation of those who thought him to be a pedophile. So I am answering your comments.

Sharpton said "no controversy will erase the historic impact." I say no amount of record sales will erase the controversy.

Sharpton said Jackson "learned to sing and dance past unfair criticism." I say Jackson kept putting out records while he was abusing young boys.

Sharpton says Jackson had "shortcomings." I say he was a perverted pedophile who belonged in prison.

I'll miss McMahon and Fawcett.