To the Editor,
When I read your article, I knew I would write this letter, but I wanted to wait to watch Jackson's refute on Fox just to make sure any facts I relay are accurate. I did not want to pull a Bashir, or a "you" and jump to invalid conclusions.
First of all, you mocked Michael Jackson's idolization of Peter Pan. If you did not have a childhood, you would be somewhat of an unusual person also. People deal with situations differently and Michael's way is to give himself the childhood he never had. His maturity level is not where a forty-four-year-old man is expected to be, but who cares? He is attempting to enjoy life. This may be hard for people to comprehend, but there is nothing immoral about it. It is probably a great trait to be so full of youth at an older age. Furthermore, his lifestyle cannot be afforded by many people. If everyone had the money that he had, they would enjoy living life like a child also.
Additionally, Jackson befriends many children. While he has MANY adult friends, he finds that children are trusting and not deceitful. There is nothing sexual about it, and it was proven in 1993 that there never was. Society seems to try to force people to befriend those that are of the same age group, but Jackson defies this by befriending those he feels he gets along with and has fun with. This may be irregular, but not "wrong".
Based on what was on TV, and what people have said, Jackson is probably a sensational father. Allegedly, his ex-wife, Debbie Rowe is the one who wishes their faces be covered, making them less vulnerable to journalistic attacks or kidnappings. I do not blame her. I also do not blame Michael if he is lying about plastic surgeries he has had. If he wishes to attempt to fix his physical abnormalities, such as his nose, that doesn't affect anyone! If he is lying, he is forced to for the same reason why he keeps his children's faces covered, and why he befriends children: deceitful adults, journalists, and reporters, just like yourself, attack and mock people because they are "abnormal". People like to make uniqueness seem newsworthy. His uniqueness has made him the most successful star, probably only second to Elvis. No one has a right to judge him because everyone does things that are considered irregular. There is no reason to subject oneself to unhappiness because what they want is "different". Jackson may still be unhappy, but that's because of people like you, who attack him and make him the center of unwarranted attention. It is articles like yours that made Michael Jackson a recluse. Michael actually said it best: ".why do you go through so much to get the story you need, so you can bury me, You've got the people confused, you tell the stories you choose, You try to get me to lose the man I really am".
Anthony DeFreitas
