I absolutely believe that much of this spanking talk have been grossly exaggerated. I have been watching the jacksons and I have been listening to all of the children. NONE of them show simptoms of abuse to me. This is my opinion.
I have worked with children from deprived backgrounds. I have had to report abuse to authorites. I have written up reports of abuse kids and I have sat in on confrences for abuse children. I have also studied child psychology as part of my teaching degree. I can pick out an abused child from a distance, and in my experience the Jackson children do not fall into that category
Yes, they had strict parenting and they had their backside chopped as many of their era did. Unfortunately their is a tendency for the media to overplay anything Jackson and make a big deal out of it. Here in Britain, children were still getting the slipper by their teachers in school until it was completey abolished sometime in the 80's. So Joe Jackson was not the only one whipping his kids.
I have listened to the neighbours talking about the very happy household of the jacksons. Abused children do not have happy households.
Kathrine Jackson and the kids sang songs and harmonised in the house when the kids were small. Abused kids do not get love from parents.
David Guest said the jackson household was the only place where he ever felt loved. An abused household is devoid of love.
MJ said he learned to be strong and to do his best from his dad, who taught him that no star is too high to reach. An abusive father do not teach his children principles.
An adult that was abused by his father would not claim to be just like his father.
I heard Marlon talked about the time when they got a 'SPANKING' from dad. He spoke with a smile and a lot of charm he was not bitter.
An abused child doesn't stop the game he is playing to go seek out his dad to come and join in. When MJ invited his dad to come and join, he spoke with much friendliness and authority in his voice, not someone who was afraid of his dad.
The Jacksons, an American Dream only showed 2 incidents of beating. One with Tito and one with Marlon. All the children were party to that film including Michael. The actor who played Joseph did not do Joseph justice cause he was much taller than joe, thus making him look more intimidating, and he spoke with a hard and loud voice. Joseph has a very quiet, almost mumbling voice, just like Michael.
While I am at it, I would like to add that Janet has said in an interview that she had no spankings and she never witnessed any. Now Janet is only 8 years younger than Michael, so if she didn't get any and didn't see any, then it must have happened before she was born.
Another thing. The idea that joe whipped those boys to perform on stage had to have been before Motown since it was actually Susanne De passe who trained those boys during the Motown days and not Joe jackson. Joe lost control of his boys after he signed them over to Motown,
And another thing. Michael and Marlon spent about a year with Diana Ross during there transition to hollywood.
Katrine has spoken up for Joseph on numerous occasion and denied any abuse.
Lastly. Tell me why would the jackson children sit down and penn a song and make a video about 2300 Jackson street, if the experience was so aweful? Michael sang the bridge to that song. here are some of the words.
Memories of growing up and working hard our childhood passed us by
Mom and dad sacrificed their wants and needs so we could reach the light
Although the times were tough for us we knew they both worked hard
They gave us all their heart could give
And still make room for love
We're all united, and standing strong, and still today we're one big family
2300 Jackson street , we're always home.
unk:
Doesn't sound like them kids were unhappy in Jackson street does it, if they are all writing and singing about the love they had from Mom and
DAD
Some of you fans want to wrap MJ up in cotton wool, you would carry him if he ask you to, but that would not have got him through the trial that he went through.
Michael gave his father credit for that. And that is the reality, that a man of colour has to be ready and strong to meet the shi.t that life throws at him. Living in Gary was not easy. Violence by the mobs or the cops could leave a black man hanging from the trees. Joe took his children from Gary by hook but not crook. I am happy that Joe bust MJ's ass,and that MJ can sit up in his pent house and reflect on how it was rather that from the jail house reflecting on how things might have been.
When that dj friend, Steve Harvey, was walking in the lift with Mj, MJ told him that he had chewing gum on his shows, Steve said, 'what you showing it to me for, clean off you shows in the carpet'. Michael laughed. Steve thought that Mj was so pampered that nobody had ever talked to him like that before, and MJ loved it too. Black people believe that they have to toughen up their kids to prepare them for the oppression that they face everyday. No one can argue that MJ has not had his fair share of oppression and violence, almost unprecedented. but Joe did a good job of preparing him for his position in life.
As I have said before. God did bless joseph and Kathrine Jacksonn so who is it that thinks he knew more than God
Amen.
