Time To Reach Out And Rectify - MJJC President Statement

Gaz

Owner And Founder
Staff member
Joined
Dec 2, 2002
Messages
1,233
Points
83
Location
London
Country
United-Kingdom
Dear All

I feel it is time to reach out to right some wrongs, explain some things and even apologize. Over my years as the owner of MJJC we have had many ups and downs and I can say there are many things I am very proud of and happy with. But there are also some things I've said or ways in which I reacted to situations that I truly regret. I have taken some leave, time to think, cleansed myself and take stock on everything from where we have been to where we are now in the present. But first and foremost I think its important and I need to apologize to anyone that I have offended and for things I've may have said or done wrong which did not look good for me and more importantly for MJJC's reputation and credibility.

My only defence whether right or wrong is I've never felt the need for power or for people to like me, do as I say or agree with me. Some may perceive this about me but they don't really know me and that's just not who I am. I just felt what I was doing and the actions I was taking was right and only way to ensure our MJJC community was protected and credibility sustained. But boy did I realize its an impossible task to try to please everyone in the fan base and for them all to consider what I was doing was the right thing to do.

For I was placed in a very tough and difficult situation, with the sudden shock loss of Michael, to the reaction from the fans over our loss, from the grieving to the anger, the conspiracy theorists to those who were on the brink of doing something terrible to themselves. Then we had the Michael album and the Casico controversy, the matters of the Estate and Michael's will. All this was causing segregation and division of the community thus causing the destruction of the forums, derailing of threads with fans voicing anger and disgust over all that was happening. MJJC was pretty much the centre of all this chaotic activity. We were literally thrown off our axis from losing Michael and all that was unfolding in the fan base because of it. There seemed to be no way to stop or calm it down. As a fan club owner and president you just can not imagine how difficult it was to try and manage all that. But I still don't think that was reason enough for me to act as I did at times and I do apologize for that. I don't want to make excuses, but please consider on my behalf that I also was going through my own personal crisis and loss of Michael at the same time, not only everything I've worked so hard for and held dear for so many years seemed to be crumbling before my very eyes. Much of the ways in which I reacted was out of panic, frustration, anger, sorrow, and much much more.

Going forward I've looked at the man in the mirror I have learnt so much recently and I know I've reacted wrong on many occasions. I've upset many people out there and because of that they may even hate me and MJJC which I truly regret. Based on the above I can put my hand on my heart and say I never ever wanted this to happen. I now realize why I failed and what I am asking is can you look past this, can we please for the sake of Michael and his fan base move forward? We live in a diplomatic and freedom of speech society and I believe whether we agree or disagree everyone is entitled to have an opinion. I more than ever respect that and with that fact I promise that MJJC will never become embroiled in controversial arguments or in hate or bad mouthing of anyone again over their views. That is not to say we wont ever take a stand on important issues in the fan base when they arise, but we will not be engaging in battles or insults with others and we will represent MJJC with diplomacy and dignity.

It is our mission statement to remain impartial in the forums on the board and allow all members to have their say and opinions in regards to all matters important to them. This includes matters of the Estate, Sony, the Jackson's, Casico songs, believers non believers etc. We allow all members including our staff to each voice their own views and opinions to which MJJC will provide a platform and a place for all these discussions and views on the board. Of course individual opinions of our members or staff do not officially represent MJJC. We officially will remain neutral in the forums. I also want to assure you I/we do not work for the Estate, like wise Sony in any capacity. Those rumours are unfounded and completely false. In fact I pretty much would not want to work in that industry as my profession is in coding and programming.

MJJC is a platform for all MJ fans. If you are a Michael Jackson fan you are welcome. We do have rules of conduct and organization that we must adhere to as without them no fan club or forum can exist, however these rules we make I 1000% promise will never compromise your views and the issue in hand now is to move forward. I feel it is time for all of us to move forward for the sake of Michael's Legacy and to mend the division of his fanbase.

I want us to forgive and forget past transgressions on mine, yours or anyone else's part.


Regards

Gary M Taylor
President/Owner
MJJCommunity - The Michael Jackson Community
 
You're an amazing man Gaz, I respect you do much. Thank you for everything!

I am looking forward to the future of MJJC.
 
:bow: That was a beautiful plea and statement, Gaz :agree:

We all say things we regret... It makes us HUMAN... but it also shows RESPECT and DIGNITY if you can acknowledge and apologize what was harsh and not...

In my humble opinion... I have the utmost RESPECT for you cause even though YOU were going through the 'grieving' process yourself... You were still kind enough to HEAL the people around you, including me :blush:

There are just NOT enough words to ever thank you of how you fought for MJJC to be this beautiful and active...

Another thing I admire is even through the darkest times, you NEVER quit... You picked yourself up and you tried again with new hope and new courage... Just like Michael would do... I think, that's why MJJC is still here 'alive and kicking' :punk:

We're a FAMILY that stick together... That gives a shoulder to lean on... an listening ear when you have a BAD day...
I simply would NOT be here today without MJJC :love:

So, I salute you and we'll ROCK this place...

Daz :tease:
 
Thank you Gaz.

It takes a very big man to look in that mirror and I think you should be proud of all that you have achieved here.

PS
It would take the patience of a saint to deal with some of the people out there! LOL As far as I have seen you haven't done too badly anyway.
 
Well Gaz, I applaud you because it is not very easy to admit you've done wrong in the past, I can't imagine the burden it must be to run a forum and a fan club plus dealing with your own personal issues.. I don't know if I could. I would also like to take this as an opportunity to apologize to whoever has seen me as a "conflicting" user in the past somehow, as I tend to heat up easily when something bothers me, but don't mean any harm. Anyway, you sure took a big step by publishing this statement, thank you very much I hope the rest of the MJJC community acknowledges it and that we can finally take a step into unity as a fan base again. :clapping:
 
i don't want to trivialize this with a song, but i don't think songs are trivial. they are our life blood, like food. They are a gift from God. So I'll use one song phrase right here to describe all of us. 'I'm Only Human'.
 
Gaz you are amazing and MJJC is amazing. I love MJJC and I have SO MUCH respect for you and the staff here. You guys have worked SO hard to hold up Michael's legacy here. Please let me say you have succeeded. I am PROUD to say that I am a member of MJJCommunity. Things happen from time to time in the fan base...people react the way they do at the time...folks need not always get offended by the way others react to those situations. You make me proud to be a member here fella..I have NEVER been offended by anything you have ever said or done in this community because I KNOW that the things that you HAVE said and done are for the best interest of MJJC and Michael's memory and legacy...and I am SO SURE that even HE would would be SO PROUD of the way that you stand up and protect his name and legacy. After all being the President of the Biggest fan forum in the world is NOT an easy job....but I DO know that YOU and your staff ARE the right people for that incredibly DIFFICULT job. Thank you for ALL that you do for Michael ...I love you so much for that. You have a HUGE heart...I see it every single time I log onto MJJC and see the success that MJJC has become and will continue to be in the future. It is obvious that ALL your blood, sweat and tears has gone into this place..and I just hope that others can see that as well. MJJC will ALWAYS have my full love and support. Again...Thank You for such a Beautiful Place to be able to come to continue love and honor Michael.
 
None of us is perfect. Michael's death and the division of the fans through so many different things was difficult, it must have been even more so to be running a fan club through this period. I salute you Gaz for the apology but I didn't think it was necessary, for me anyway. We are always going to come across differing views and opinions but it's how we reply to these things that make a difference. We must learn to be tactful, to listen to the other persons view even if we don't agree with it. Courtesy and respect for each other is a must, if we can just remember that, and maybe think before we type a reply, the problems disappear. Love MJJC.
 
I personally thought you handled much of the "conspiracy" and infighting very well. I hope that you will continue to make room for all fans albeit in appropriately designated areas of the forum.
 
Thank you Gaz and thank you for MJJC and your staff.
 
I think there's a danger of people taking themselves too seriously here.

And I think particularly when words like 'my living room' are bandied around.

Stay humble and let's not establish any kind of hierarchy. At the end of the day 'tis the fans visiting and contributing that make this place what it is.

Egos left at the door would be the best ethos. Many fan forums have come and gone when certain parties forget this.
 
Beautiful speech to begin the new year, and I hope you continue to do what you think and feel is the best action. That is the only way you can be true to yourself & beliefs, which is very important, because you cannot please all fans. Some will love your decisions some will not, but this should never been seen as you not living up to the standards you set for yourself and the forum.
 
MJJC is a platform for all MJ fans. If you are a Michael Jackson fan you are welcome. We do have rules of conduct and organization that we must adhere to as without them no fan club or forum can exist, however these rules we make I 1000% promise will never compromise your views and the issue in hand now is to move forward. I feel it is time for all of us to move forward for the sake of Michael's Legacy and to mend the division of his fanbase.

I want us to forgive and forget past transgressions on mine, yours or anyone else's part.


The Future of MJJC, Michael Jackson Fans World Wide and Michael Jacksons Legacy! It's up to US! :yes:

:fortuneteller:
 
I just have good memories from you and MJJC but thank you for taking time to speak to them who may not share my view.
 
I found this Forum in...2003, I think...

But some things happened in my life and I needed take a long break in Foruns.

Last years I decided go back and the first place that bring me good memories is MJJC.

I don't know about the all thing but I can say that I've been happy for be part of this community, this was the reason that making me feel good for been here.

Therefore, keep doing your good job.

Have a good new year.
 
Thank you Gaz and thank you MJJC for you go on Michael's legacy with respect and dignity and for all that you offer to us, the fans !!! God bless! :flowers:
 
My first reaction (to the thread title only, before reading the content) : "Is he going to close the board or something? Oh no!" It may sound stupid to some of yall, but I was thinking the worst. It's not that I hadn't seen Gaz's official statements like this before. For some reason, I jumped to conclusion and thought this was the beginning of the end message.
So, first of all, I'm relieved and grateful that is not the case ;D

As a fan club owner and president you just can not imagine how difficult it was to try and manage all that. But I still don't think that was reason enough for me to act as I did at times and I do
apologize for that. I don't want to make excuses, but please consider on my behalf that I also was going through my own personal crisis and loss of Michael at the same time, not only everything I've worked so hard for and held dear for so many years seemed to be crumbling before my very eyes. Much of the ways in which I reacted was out of panic, frustration, anger, sorrow, and much much more.
Especially this part stands out to me. I've never run a fan community, but I don't forget to remember it's a huge responsibility to manage everything going on here. And this is not your day job. You surely have a lot of things to deal with in your own personal life but you've taken this on for all these years. For that alone, I should be thankful. You're in charge with a lot on your plate, so you coulda just justified your actions, even the ones that you feel are regrettable, as you said. I can see you didn't just go like, "I gotta do what I gotta do. After all, I ain't done nothing wrong. It was all for the good in the end". It's never easy to deal with many different people, period, let alone people in general. Musta been extra hard when you were going through things yourself. So I salute you for going the extra mile to heal whatever you feel the need to heal.
I never take it for granted.

i don't want to trivialize this with a song, but i don't think songs are trivial. they are our life blood, like food. They are a gift from God. So I'll use one song phrase right here to describe all of us. 'I'm Only Human'.
Preach!
 
:clap: Fantastic post gaz!

I thank god i found this forum after MJNO left as it has given me strength & comfort when i needed it most and also it has given me friends which of whom i will cherish for a lifetime , so thank you gaz & staff of mjjc for creating and working hard for making this forum the best place ever :)
 
My first reaction (to the thread title only, before reading the content) : "Is he going to close the board or something?

Omg if this forum was closing down i wouldve been like
Nooooo_(1).gif
 
No need to apologize Gaz we understand how it must be to run a forum & fan community this massive. You've done us all proud and Michael most of all. But...

...I'm still waiting for an apology after you defaced my profile with all that Chelsea drivel a couple of years ago ;)
 
Dear Gaz, thank you for your kind words and apology. I can't even imagine how you maintained MJJC with everything going one in addition to going through your own grieving the loss of Michael and life as you knew it on MJJC. Every thing changed after June 25, 2009 right? I'm not sure that an apology is necessary; however I understand why you might feel the need to do so. For the last 3.5 years, the fan community has had to deal with the initial shock of the loss of Michael and everything that followed. You had to endure the same but at the same time, maintain the strength of MJJC for the fans. The decisions made have always been in the best interest of Michaels legacy and the fans. I've been out on Facebook and Twitter and I've seen how the fan infighting could escalate. People who were once friends are now not talking. People who were not talking are now working together. It's was unbelievable to watch this unfold. I've seen direct attacks on you and MJJC. So how can anyone understand what you were going through? We all make the best choices we can at the time. It is always good to reflect each day on our interactions with people. All we can do is focus on our mission to protect, defend, preserve and honor Michael's legacy and do so with the same values that Michael held dearly. I see that you strive to do this, which is why there are some conflicts. Unfortunately, it does seem that some fans in the community feel they have a monopoly on protecting Michael's legacy, which is where the disagreements come from. It's also ego and power. (yes I said it). We are ALL here for the same reason, but I do think that some people have forgotten this. We may not always agree on things that go on or what the family or the Estate does, but one thing that links us all together is our love for Michael and what he brought into this world, which is LOVE and Light. You, the staff and MJJC are doing an amazing job to honor Michael's legacy. Thank you for having the courage to post what you did. Taking that step is very honorable, which only tells me that you are a man of integrity, compassion and humility. This is why I am here at MJJC. I may not be here all the time due to work obligations or my volunteer activities, but I still come back because of what you, the staff and MJJC bring to my life, which is family, love and purpose, which is to honor Michael's legacy. With my sincerest gratitude, I thank you and God Bless you.
 
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We are all going in the same school, the school of life but different classes, and we learn as long as we live.
There are things we have done we are pleased with and other things we regret.
When we make decisions we don´t have the answers until later.
Sometimes we realise afterwards we trusted the wrong people.
People get the Nobel prize for theories that long time later turns out to be wrong.

When I joined this forum autumn 2009 there was a fan I didn´t agree with at all about drugs and such things but she did a wonderful job in the supportforum. She had the words I was looking for trying to comfort other fans there.

We can have different opinions about some things but there are other things we can agree about.
We are all here for Michael .
 
I am new here and was not around when these things happened, but I admire this message. Michael was all about love after all! Let's take are of each other.
 
there will be users that were banned over this business that won't be able to read it?
 
floatingcity;3767075 said:
there will be users that were banned over this business that won't be able to read it?
You don´t have to be a member here to be able to read it.
 
Can certain users who were banned now be allowed back onto the forum?
 
Hey Gary,

What a strong and brave post.
I applaud you for it.

I too have to apologize, and I know exactly what you went through.

It's like after 2009, I turned into a completely different person. I was angry at the world, angry at other fans, angry at myself.
I was also confused, sad, hurt, and everything in between. Losing Michael meant losing the 1 thing that had helped me through a childhood of being bullied severely. Michael was my sanctuary, my hero. Losing him meant I was alone.

I went through a heavy depression in 2011, where I came to a point where I couldn't function and needed help. I got help, and fought very hard.
Now, I can truly say I am back to sanity. lol. I still hurt when I think about Michael and all that he meant to me, but I've learned that it's okay to be sad. Just not all the freakin' time. I'm at peace with my childhood, knowing I can't change it but only learn from it.

Sadly, at the end of 2012 when I was doing really well, I had a very traumatic experience when someone committed suicide by jumping off the flat where I live, and I happened to see the man laying right beneath my door (I'm on the 3rd floor) right after he jumped. Though I still have nightmares from time to time, I managed to deal with this experience. It taught me that life is short, and so many things are not worth worrying about. I can not and will not let anything get to me so much that I would want to end life. I love life way too much.

I'm now trying to be the change I want to see in this world (wise words by Ghandi!) and treat people the way I would like to be treated. Some of the people I have fought with in the past, I'm trying to make things right. It's just not worth the fussing and fighting. I hope it works out, if not then at least I know I tried whatever I could to mend it. :)

So, to anyone I might have offended in the past on this forum; I'm sorry. I did not mean to, I wasn't thinking about the consequences of my words. I wish you well, and hope you are happy wherever you are and whatever you're doing. :flowers:

xx
 
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