Peter King
Tue, July 7, 2009 There are certainly many people in this world who feel the need to have the entire population agree with them. I have convinced myself at times too, but I try not to be rigid and stupid. There is always more to learn. The death of Michael Jackson has had a strange effect on me too.
But on to Rep. Peter King who seems to use a wash of sexual language to get to his point(s). I agree with the media comments, but they deliver what sells. There are many people who never get the honor and focus they deserve, to include the multiple lives lost, as King asserts, in Afghanistan. The media focus on Michael Jackson’s death has, for Rep. King, taken something from their honor.
King’s “reason” for producing the wobbly you tube video was the fact that he was marching in a parade pondering lives lost in the line of duty and felt the need to tell the world to stop focusing on Michael Jackson, that there are more important things to expend energy on. King’s psycholinguistics are suspect. The use of words like “pervert,” “low-life,” “pedophile,” “child molester,” and “orgy,” is overdetermined and packs the punch. Where are the passionate and show-stopping strands of descriptors for the heroes he so desperately wants in the media right now, today, immediately?
The overlay of slime salaciously delivered has the most meaning and much like King’s complaint, overides the supposed content of his message.
A congressman should know better than to also overide the very justice system he supposedly stands behind by virtue of his position in it. Then again, true justice evades us.
Peter King Defends His Attack On Michael Jackson and Media
Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) says he never imagined the short Web video he made bashing the media for its round-the-clock coverage of Michael Jackson’s death would go viral the way it has.
The congressman said in a telephone interview this afternoon that when he typically sets up a news conference, “maybe one radio station shows up.” Of the frenzied reaction over his Jackson video, he said, “I didn’t get expect it would get this response…My God.”
In the video, which King posted on YouTube, the tough-talking, blue-collar Long Island pol calls Jackson a “pervert,” a “child molester” and a “pedophile” and says the media has “disgraced itself” with its relentless coverage of the pop superstar’s passing.
King’s video, which as of this afternoon had more than 22,600 views and had generated a spate of news stories, has infuriated die-hard Jackson fans. They have mobilized online to dethrone King, so to speak.
King tells the Sleuth that just as his stance has won him detractors, he also has plenty of supporters. “A professional wrestler from Long Island who weighs 500 pounds has offered to be my bodyguard,” King told the Sleuth, chuckling.
The wrestler is known as Boss Hog Calhoun, the grandson of legendary wrestler Haystack Calhoun.
King says he has gotten so much attention for his Jackson video that he has had to turn down TV appearances, which, as anyone familiar with the camera-loving Long Island congressman knows, is very rare.
King was asked to debate Al Sharpton on CNN this afternoon but said no. “It could get out of control,” King told us, adding, as if to show he has a touch of sensitivity, “Someone did die here. And the funeral is tomorrow.”
Never mind that Jackson was acquitted in 2005 of charges he molested a 13-year-old boy. “He still admitted sleeping with young boys,” King said. The congressman also mentioned the “holding the kid over the ledge” incident in which Jackson famously dangled his infant son over a hotel balcony in Berlin in 2002.
“He’s a guy who put young children at risk,” said King, who describes himself as “50-50” on whether he’ll seek his party’s nomination to challenge Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) in 2010.
“Let’s knock out the psychobabble,” King said in his video about Jackson. “This guy was a pervert, he was a child molester, he was a pedophile. And to be giving this much coverage to him day in and day out, what does it say about us as a country? I just think we’re too politically correct.”
In his interview with the Sleuth, King called the media’s coverage of Jackson’s death “an orgy. That’s what it is.”
By Mary Ann Akers | July 6, 2009; 6:39 PM ET
michael jackson, pedophile, peter king in OPINION 
Reader Comments (29)
i also have felt effected by the death of Michael (more so by Farrah Fawcett), I agree with you on King and will keep my opinions of his video to myself, ..yes, it's all about what sells. What is it they say?? 'Inquiring minds want to know.'
This is off topic as far as the actual content of this post, but IDK, since hearing Joseph say this it has stuck with me in a rather disturbing way.. makes me feel like vomiting...
"Michael spoke candidly about what he described as a childhood robbed of innocence and marred by abuse. He remembered frequently crying from loneliness and even vomiting from terror at the sight of his father. Other Jackson children had also reported abuse. Marlon Jackson recalled one disturbing incident in which Joseph held Michael upside down by one leg and beat him viciously. Further tales of callous abuse emerged in 2003 when Joseph himself sat down for an interview with BBC reporter Louis Theroux. Joseph admitted to whipping his children with a belt, and expressed disgust at the idea of homosexuality. When Theroux mentioned Michael's interview with Oprah and his tales of vomiting upon seeing his father, Joseph responded "he regurgitates all the way to the bank. That's right."
this world can be so wrong
yeah
I had a shitty childhood but I don't rape young children.
neither do I, you have proof that he actually did???
neither do a lot of people. I do not believe the majority. I believe he was a gifted, innocent, unprotected, naive treasure and so misunderstood that we decided on who he was and what he did.
my personal thoughts are this, and i share these after much inner debate... i'm not going into my past, but i will be honest.. from what i have been through i find myself leaning towards guilty when doubt is raised.. when Michael was going through his trial, my personal experiences overruled my ability to fully consider and understand the situation and circumstances.. sadly, it has been through Michaels' death that i have learned more about him.. i think most of us have sat with different feelings, thoughts, etc, after this death of such an amazing human being.. Michael was very childlike, the peter pan 'syndrome'... i get this.. we are all brought up differently and sometimes, the ways that we are, what we miss in the process, we try to achieve, gain that back, go after what was lost.. as an adult.. i get it.. i think that adults that hold this childlike persona are special people, i believe that we view the world differently.. yea, we are special beings, innocent.. i love this quality in others.. i think, too, that people as this relate to children differently than other adults can and vice versa, that innocence, that naivety.. i can see Michael laying in bed, complete with his laptop, watching his fave donald duck cartoons, and falling asleep, innocently.. i do not believe that man would cause harm to anyone.. he loved, he loved so deeply.. he would say, 'i love you more'.. i get that, i get the more, i get it.. i honestly am not sure that everyone can.. it is felt on a level that not all could ever begin to understand, and hey, that is okay.. we are all individuals, we are each different.. this is how it must be, this is what creates balance... i am not a religious soul, seems the more i live though the more i gain some new understanding of something so much greater than myself.. with that said, i pray for Michael in hopes that now he can find a peace, a peace that he so deserves.. and i pray for his three beautiful children, may they live happy and loving lives.. Michael has passed, but he will always be there for those children.. all my love and more.
A very brave and thought provoking response Joanne. My feelings are the same.
I must admit that I have not watched any of the news coverage of Michael's death. Michael was huge and I feel he was deserving of the media coverage; it just didn't affect me in a way it did others...or like the passing of Natalie Wood or Princess Di. For whatever reason, those affected me deeply. I don't know what Michael is or is not guilty of; all I know personally is that he lost me along the way. I'm 49, I grew up with The Jackson Five and Michael. He sang at my wedding in the mid 80's; well, not live of course! I danced (poorly) to many of his albums. I agree that he is an amazingly gifted individual; and I too hope he has now found peace. Innocent, unprotected; that's a stretch for me, but I don't dispute Lucy's opinion because that's how she feels. I feel that he made choices and behaved in ways that brought on the hype and the doubt. That is not to say that he should be called such things as “pervert,” “low-life,” “pedophile,” “child molester,” because there is no proof. As Jack Canfield says, the majority of people grew up in some type of dysfunction; e.g., my mother was an alcoholic/drug user, my father molested me, my parents divorced when I was six, etc., etc. (examples, not my story), He calls that "so what" most of us have that script. Michael did indeed have a difficult childhood, and it appears a difficult adulthood too. He was a force in the entertainment industry, and will be missed by many.
sexually abused by a cousin beginning at age two, violently abused and raped by a mothers husband for years, beginning at age five.. propped in a tub as private parts were burned with scaulding hot water, beaten, raped, and a rifle shoved up inside me as I was threatened it would be fired.. the gun positioned intentionally in a place where it was in my view as i lay in my bed every night.. locked in a wooden box in the cellar at night, many times, with a few holes drilled in the top, naked, cold, terrified.. tissue below the eyes forever damaged as a result of being beaten in the face with a hammer.. and on and on, so fuckin' much more.. what the hell is wrong with you, get dressed and get to school.. spending the first day attempting to recover from what happened the night before and the second half scared shitless to have to go home at the end of the day.. the mind wondrously works to block it out, to protect itself.. twenty years old you start remembering.. you go to a local hospital and say, i think i had surgery here when i was ten and they give you the record, you were right. the memory correct, surgery to repair damage done by that sick excuse of a man. the memories come at you stronger and stronger, the flashbacks begin and suddenly, almost out of what seems nowhere, you are reliving it all again, you can't control what is happening.. this is what towels are made for, right Luc?? if you are lucky you come through this and you do your best to live a happy life, to be successful, BUT the effects of all you endured, at the choice of another, those effects, they are always there.. so you do your best to move forward, to appear 'normal' to others and to yourself even,you try not to let them see all your insecurities and fears.. and on and on.. BUT hey, Canfield says, 'so what.' so what, so what!!! yeah, just like shit happens, huh???????????? i find that just unfuckingbelievable!!! so what?? my god! that's just fucking ignorance. Peace to all.. gnite...
Joanne, your story goes way beyond "so what", and no one would argue that, including Canfield.
alcoholic father who used to physically and emotionally abuse his wife in his children's presence; hiding under the bed in the furthest corner so you might be one of the lucky kids that he didn't find when he got home; dad's alcholic friend who exposed himself to us; an extra marital affair; a mother who did nothing to stop this behavior; children running to the neighbors house to call the police; children being physically, emotionally, and one sexually abused; children told that you cannot go to college because you will go to work to support the household; a loveless marriage of parents; escaping at 19 ... mine is a "so what" story not unlike many others. I can't hold onto this past stuff to shape my future. Yours is certainly different, and I did not mean to offend you or anyone else. I'm not saying that individuals like you and Michael Jackson did/do not suffer tremendously; but in my opinion, he exhibited some very odd and very public behaviors, which was his own choice as an adult regardless of his upbringing.
He did exhibit odd behaviors and hell, I am not Michael Jacksons defender here, but I believe that his choices were a result of his upbringing. Our upbringing molds the people we grow up to be. If we are brought up in unhealthy situations, physically and mentally, then how as adults are we suppose to make healthy choices and decisions? Some of us, regardless of other effects, are capable of being aware to make proper decisions, breaking the mold so to say, and others just are not. What I am trying to say, though not doing it very well, as an adult, the choices one makes is a result of their upbringing, whether right or wrong. It is how we are brought up that makes us who we are. I love my Mother with all my heart and I may regret putting this out there later.. she made a lot of bad choices in her life. They effected me, my sister, herself and many others.. her life ending early as a result of her bad choices.. I took care of her in the end, I loved her with all I had, no matter what, no matter what. As an adult I came to understand the reasons why she did all that she did, looking at her past and her upbringing it became understood.. it wasn't okay, but it was what it was.. she did the best that she could under her circumstances. Maybe if she had lived longer she would have had the opportunity to figure it out for herself or to allow herself to accept help. For me, I need to look at the whole picture. Just because one becomes an adult, it does not erase that persons experiences, upbringing,all of these things have made them who they are and effects their capabilities of healthy decision making.
And Chris, no worries.. you know I love you!
I just have to add that NO ONES experiences are a 'so what'.. EVERYTHING that happens to someone matters and everyone matters! I feel like I want to rally to stop people from buying his books.. Jack Canfield you are an ASS!! and aren't his Chicken Soups like all touchy feely, but yet the man has no frickin' heart!!!!
I just received an email in regards to my posts and I want to say something. First I want to say, do not feel sorry for me, I do not need or want for people to. My past has made me who I am today and honestly, I wouldn't want to be anyone else. I guess I found the 'so what' bothersome because as I said, it all and we all matter. Sometimes things touch me, hit me in a spot so deep that I must express myself.
Yesterday I walked feeling rather hollow and weepy, but I knew it would pass, emotions are powerful. I want to say to people out there that it is important to work toward redirecting your focus. Anyone having lived through this type of stuff, you are strong, you are a survivor! Work to not let what happened cripple you and take more of you and your time here on earth. This is not easy to achieve, I understand that, but it can be done.
To the one whom sent me the email and whomever else may be out there.. I understand triggers. I apologize if I was the creator of some for you. I would never want to cause harm to anyone. I have to say that as I was writing it I was aware that this could happen. My wish though, my hope, my prayer, is that rather than allowing your past to control your now, that you see that you can move forward, and that you can have a happy and successful life. Don't let them win! And if you are unable to do that right now, it is okay.. be gentle with yourself, keep working at it.
Peace to all.. stay strong! Much love...
Jack Canfield said those words in "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne. I have the CD and I listen to it OFTEN. It touched a chord for me when I heard him say it in the context that is was meant (and I agree with it for my personal circumstances). Ironically, his point was...
"rather than allowing your past to control your now, that you see that you can move forward, and that you can have a happy and successful life."
Joanne, I don't feel sorry or pity for you, but I do feel empathy. Stay strong my friend. Maybe I'll see you in a "secret" garden!!
Well if I had a child I would not let them stay over night with jacko. When jacko says that he does sleep with little boys and that it's ok to sleep in a bed with a little boy he is a rapist.
Who believed that holy men would rape little boys 10 years ago. There was no proof then either.
Talented men can be a rapist.
I have slept in beds with many people without being raped. Sleeping does not equate raping.
It's sounds like there is so something so much greater than Michael Jackson behind your anger and what may even be pain, Peter. I hope that things work out for you in your life. Much peace...
WARNING: Drinking blime after prolonged exposure to sunshine can cause serious grammatical errors! No fatalities have been reported.
Anyways, from time to time I have found myself wondering how Peter is doing. I don't even know you, but I hope that your life is good! Much peace..
And I ask you all again would you as a parent allow your child to sleep with this grown man or any other man for that matter? Would you let your child sleep with his school teacher or bus driver?
My anger is that just like Woody Allen, who raped his child and later married her, you get a free pass if you have money and/or if you are talented. Doesn't that anger you that children can be raped by rich men and no one is pissed? If fact people will worship the rapest after his death.
Society is rather odd, isn't it??? I wholeheartedly agree Peter.
Is that their attraction? Do people want to be more Peter Pan like?
Well to be Peter Pan like in this world you need a lot of money otherwise you get locked up or live in the streets begging. Nobody to my knowledge hires Peter Pan types except in show business.
Also I think there are many faces hiding sexual;ly deviant people.
MJ's Peter Pan face maybe real or not, who knows. I guess I'm just not attracted to it.
I did finally get the home for a fair price.
Peter
"Somewhat nuts," is a great way to describe certain Peter Pan types. I had the misfortune of knowing this guy who really latched on to The LIttle Prince which should have been one of my first clues. Once the truth came out or was discovered there was no reasoning, as logical as he insisted he was.
I would add that there is another place PP types flourish... the priesthood...
I would have agreed with you until I was in a group of 50 people who all took the Jung-Myers-Briggs test. The test divided us into four group types. After the test we were separated into our groups. All four groups were told to do the same task in about 5 minutes. I was in the type A group, that is the go getters with lots of energy and very little patience. Our group finished the task in 2 minutes. The data gather group however were still not finished even after 10 minutes. The moderator asked that group to complete the task now but they still couldn't. He then asked them to say loudly the single word "NO". They mumbled something. He asked them two more times with very similar results. The moderator then looked to our group and only raised his hand and we ALL yelled "NO" loudly. No hesitation. And we loved doing it.
Yes we can all be catogorized.
I feel, too, that you can't say that all 'nutty' people, all 'peter pan' people don't do this and don't have that.. we are all individual regardless of how one may define us. Perhaps in a different task the data gather group would have kicked your butts! Maybe their strengths just lie in other areas.
So we can be categorized, we can do anything, but is it 100% accurate? I believe not and if I may add.. if one thinks that it is, well then I define them 'closed minded!' Could we say that categorizing is a form of prejudice? I believe it is.
And that's just me 'thinking out loud!' Peace to all!!!! ; )