Michael Jackson is free.
I’m in awe. My jaw just dropped because if his prior victims could have testified, there’s no doubt in my mind he would be in jail. They couldn’t. The other accusers (some we know about some we don’t) took settlements and were sworn never to speak of their abuse. No one can slight them though. It is easy to point at some 20 something guy and tell him he has a duty to testify. The fact of the matter is when these adults where children, they along with their parents made a decision to take a settlement and not pursue the charges they planed to bring on Jackson. Now as adults, they could be prosecuted themselves for testifying against Jackson.
Who can blame them for their decisions? Look at the current trial and imagine being a child and going up in front of all those people to talk about something horrible that happened to you. YOU have to prove the person who abused you as guilty, instead of the other way around. In the end it will always be your word against theirs. What kind of message does this send to children who are watching this and trying to decide if they should tell someone about some adult who sexually abused them? If for some reason you stumble across this blog and are wondering if you should take a chance and tell an adult, please do. Find someone you trust (which is hard when you have been abused) and tell them what has happened. This isn’t your burden to carry alone and you did nothing wrong. There are adults out there who can and will help you. If the abuse is in your family, tell a teacher or school counselor. It isn’t easy, but it is far easier than carrying this secret around the rest of your life.
I’m in awe. My jaw just dropped because if his prior victims could have testified, there’s no doubt in my mind he would be in jail. They couldn’t. The other accusers (some we know about some we don’t) took settlements and were sworn never to speak of their abuse. No one can slight them though. It is easy to point at some 20 something guy and tell him he has a duty to testify. The fact of the matter is when these adults where children, they along with their parents made a decision to take a settlement and not pursue the charges they planed to bring on Jackson. Now as adults, they could be prosecuted themselves for testifying against Jackson.
Who can blame them for their decisions? Look at the current trial and imagine being a child and going up in front of all those people to talk about something horrible that happened to you. YOU have to prove the person who abused you as guilty, instead of the other way around. In the end it will always be your word against theirs. What kind of message does this send to children who are watching this and trying to decide if they should tell someone about some adult who sexually abused them? If for some reason you stumble across this blog and are wondering if you should take a chance and tell an adult, please do. Find someone you trust (which is hard when you have been abused) and tell them what has happened. This isn’t your burden to carry alone and you did nothing wrong. There are adults out there who can and will help you. If the abuse is in your family, tell a teacher or school counselor. It isn’t easy, but it is far easier than carrying this secret around the rest of your life.
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