Read on Twitter
Michael Jackson the Humanitarian & The Allegations - A Thread
Ask any random person what they think about Michael Jackson, and many, if not most, of the responses you get will sound similar to "He's an amazing singer", "I love his music",
(1/23)
Ask any random person what they think about Michael Jackson, and many, if not most, of the responses you get will sound similar to "He's an amazing singer", "I love his music",
(1/23)
"It's a shame he passed away", or "He was a gifted entertainer". Inevitably though, you will run into somebody who will bring up the allegations of abuse that were lodged against him. When people start discussing this topic, the biggest question always is
(2/23)
(2/23)
"Why was he always hanging around with kids? He's a grown man and that's just wrong."
And you know what? These people are right. A grown man "hanging around" with kids is certainly cause for suspicion.
(3/23)
And you know what? These people are right. A grown man "hanging around" with kids is certainly cause for suspicion.
(3/23)
However, to be able to answer this question, it's important to step back and take a look at the kind of person Michael Jackson was. The allegations of sexual abuse were, and are, nothing more than unfounded accusations from those looking to make a quick buck
(4/23)
(4/23)
and they do not represent the reality of what was really taking place.
Starting in the 70's, while Michael was still a teen, he would often visit kids in the hospital. As he got older, he started visiting more hospitals and working with more children's charities.
(5/23)
Starting in the 70's, while Michael was still a teen, he would often visit kids in the hospital. As he got older, he started visiting more hospitals and working with more children's charities.
(5/23)
Having been raised a Jehova's Witness, Michael was a deeply spiritual man who took the word of God and The Bible very seriously. We are all familiar with the stories of abuse, and Michael's lack of a childhood.
(6/23)
(6/23)
Because of this, Michael was was drawn to the parts of the Bible that talk about loving kids and protecting them, because they are the future. He believed in this very much, and he's on record in numerous interviews, speaking about this.
(7/23)
(7/23)
All through the 70's and 80's, Michael continued his work with children's hospitals and various other charities. Nobody ever questioned his intentions for working specifically with kids because everyone understood that his motives were pure and genuine.
(8/23)
(8/23)
This is not something he ever tried to hide. He purchased Neverland with the intent of turning it into a fun place for kids and their families- from the terminally ill to the homeless, everybody was invited to come and just be a kid!
(9/23)
(9/23)
You could watch movies and have as many snacks as you wanted, ride as many rides as you wanted, and parents never had to worry because everything was free. Out of the kindness of his own heart, Michael gave these children and their parents hope and peace of mind.
(10/23)
(10/23)
Neverland was a magical place you could visit and you didn't have any worries.
It wasn't until the first allegations of abuse took place in 1993, that people started questioning why Michael was spending so much time with these children.
(11/23)
It wasn't until the first allegations of abuse took place in 1993, that people started questioning why Michael was spending so much time with these children.
(11/23)
In an instant, in a single unfounded accusation, the very people who supported Michael and his work, turned on him, calling him a pedophile. And from the outset, yes, a grown man surrounded by children does seem incredibly suspicious.
(12/23)
(12/23)
However, it's not as though Michael just woke up one day, and as a 30 year-old man decided out of the blue that he wanted to befriend a bunch of kids. Michael lived a life where he couldn't just kick back and have a beer with his buddies in his spare time.
(13/23)
(13/23)
When he wasn't in the studio, touring or shooting music videos, Michael would go around and visit local hospitals. It is claimed he visited more hospitals than performed concerts. So he was constantly surrounded by kids- it was an integral part of the work he was doing.
(14/23)
(14/23)
The only reason why people accuse Michael of abuse to this very day is because of those original allegations in 1993. All people do is read headlines or watch 30 second clips. Few bother bother to look beyond those first few layers and look at what truly lies beneath.
(15/23)
(15/23)
We all know that the media lies to us, so then why do people seem to believe the allegations when they are brought up? It's because people assume that what they are reading is true, since it confirms what they already believe: that he's a pedophile.
(16/23)
(16/23)
This phenomenon is referred to as "confirmation bias".
Despite what you hear, and despite what you are told, Michael was not a pedophile. He never molested any kids. He didn't use families to get to kids. He didn't use Neverland as a trap for kids.
(17/23)
Despite what you hear, and despite what you are told, Michael was not a pedophile. He never molested any kids. He didn't use families to get to kids. He didn't use Neverland as a trap for kids.
(17/23)
He didn't abuse Jordan Chandler. He didn't abuse Jason Francia. He didn't abuse Gavin Arvizo. He didn't abuse Wade Robson. And he didn't abuse James Safechuck. Michael was nothing more than a philanthropist and a humanitarian.
(18/23)
(18/23)
During his lifetime, Michael supported 39 various charities, including USA for Africa, The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, Heal The World, UNCF, Make-A-Wish, NAACP, YMCA, Cure4Lupus, Boys & Girls Clubs, the American Cancer Society and so many more.
(19/23)
(19/23)
Also during his lifetime, Michael helped raise and gave away more than $300 million to the charities he supported. Since his death that number is reported to have skyrocketed even more to over $500 million, with 20% of his estate going to charity.
(20/23)
(20/23)
If you want to learn more about Michael and his humanitarian efforts, I suggest checking out the documentary Humanitarian- The Real Michael Jackson, which you can watch for free on you YouTube ()
(21/23)
(21/23)
I also suggest checking out http://MichaelJacksonsLegacy.org for a listing of the charities he supported, along with Square One, a documentary film by the incredible Danny Wu that goes back and examines the original 1993 allegations.
(22/23)
(22/23)
You can also watch Square One for free on Amazon with your Prime membership ( http://amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0887TPJ6Q), as well as on YouTube ()
(23/23)
(23/23)
