I would never, EVER defend a child molester. However, Michael Jackson, like each and every one of us, enjoys the presumption of innocence until proved otherwise. We're lucky we live in a country where this is so.

But in reality, Jackson does not enjoy the same presumption, partly because of the previous claim, which may or may not have been true, partly because, to most of us, he lives a freakish lifestyle, and partly because he is a celebrity. If you have fame or money or both, the claim is enough to take away your livelihood, your freedom and your life. Yesterday, at the news conference announcing this, the law enforcement officials laughed and joked, and then encouraged others to call in and make claims against Jackson. Can you imagine how many call centers that irresponsible request crashed? Free money for whoever claims the loudest, for the attorneys who have to work on this, and then YEARS in the judicial system, sorting it all out.

Lest we forget, women used to be "kept in their place" by this very method. Step out of line and we'll call you a witch. Then they were forced to try to deny it, and the very method by which they were "proved" innocent killed them. If Jackson is able to prove he is innocent, he's already dead, too. He'll never be free of the possiblity of future claims hanging over his head. Already CBS has canceled a special that was to be aired next week. Who knows what this will do to his record sales. WHAT IF the man is innocent.

And before anyone gets all medieval on me, if it is proved beyond a doubt that he did this, then I will be first in line to say he should suffer the full measure of what the law allows in punishment. Children, above all others, deserve our fiercest protection, and we fail them miserably if one child molester goes free.

But we also fail ourselves if we allow our media to spin us against one another without a shred of proof, simply by force of numbers and hours on the air, and, more important, if our legal system gets put to the use of corrupt officials with a personal axe to grind.

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© 2003 m. lucas