There is more than one issue that I would like to address either today or soon, and I believe that the best way to do so is in more than one blog. There may (in fact, there very likely will) be more issues that will come up in the future and it just makes sense to have separate blogs. That said, much of what I will likely write about in the future will reference this blog.
My aim with this is to try to explain what exactly is going on in the courtroom right now/went on in the courtroom in the last couple of weeks. I am not a law expert, however I have spent time researching and understanding and I know that there are some people who are perhaps not sure because they haven't had as much time to dedicate to researching or whatever.
Basically, what is going o is the following:
We have the prosecution and we have the defense.
The prosecution includes the district attorney(s) whos aim it is to prove the case that is in front of them.
The defense, which in this case is Dr. Murray, is trying, obviously, to challenge the prosecutions case enough that a judge or jury will not consider these charges to have been proven beyond a reasonable doubt and that therefore Murray should not be considered guilty of this crime.
It is important to remember that the burden of proof is on the prosecution. They are the ones who have to prove something. Not Murray. If Murray and his team did nothing and the prosecution did not present enough evidence to make a jury believe that Murray pretty much definitely did what he is being accused of, Murray would not be found guilty. Of course, that is not what the defense intends to do... they intend to challenge the charges and, as has been reported, their alleged plan is to say that Michael injected himself with the propofol.... if they can put enough doubt in the jurors minds or make them believe that this was a likely possibility and that therefore Michael's death was not "enough" Murrays fault... once again, Murray will be found not guilty.
The charges are involuntary manslaughter.
The definition of involuntary manslaughter in California is as follows:
Call 24/7 | 888.327.4652
California's Involuntary Manslaughter Law
1. The Legal Definition of Involuntary
Manslaughter in California
Involuntary manslaughter differs from Penal Code 187 PC murder in that it involves an unintentional death.
2
California Penal Code 192(b) PC defines "involuntary manslaughter" as an unlawful killing that takes place
1. during the commission of an unlawful act (not amounting to a felony), or
2. during the commission of a lawful act which involves a high risk of death or great bodily harm that is committed without due caution or circumspection.3
Involuntary manslaughter does not apply to acts that you commit while driving a car (those are covered by California's vehicular manslaughter laws, discussed under Section 4. Related Offenses).4
Basically.... that it was not planned and also not intentional.
There is an understanding that is going around due to all of this that the prosecution are therefore the "good guys" whereas the defense are the "bad guys". That is not entirely true.
The prosecution has a case in front of them. Their goal is to win this case. The prosecution is not here for MICHAEL. Because the charges are involuntary manslaughter, that is their goal. To have Murray found guilty of involuntary manslaughter. They are not interested in anything else - unless of course something or someone else was introduced directly into charges.
As someone who loves Michael, I am not content with accepting anything anyone says as a prosecution witness as the gospel. I, for one, believe there is FAR more to this than Murray and his "involuntary manslaughter" charges.
Do I want Murray to walk? Absolutely not. Do I think that it has been made clear that Murray lied? Yes. However, and I will not apologize for this, I would prefer the TRUTH, the actual 100% FACT FILLED truth to be out there than to sit here silently, accept the situation for what it is, and not blindly support anyone that stands up there for the prosecution. It is not as black and white as that they are the good guys and the defense are the bad guys. It just isn't. Is Murray a "bad guy"? Um, it certainly seems like it to me. Does that mean that he is the only "bad guy"? Does that mean that any witness for the prosecution is going to tell the truth and be looking out for Michael? NO. So, should I be silent if I feel someone is lying because they are standing up for the prosecution? No. Not if I feel that they are lying about Michael and the way that Michael died. NONE of this means I support Murray or I want Murray to walk. Of course not. And my attempting to "discredit" ANYONE that I feel is lying does not at all MEAN that I want Murray to walk. But, I stand by the fact that I believe that there is WAY more to this all than Murray and I will not sit there and accept every word shoved down our throats just because the person saying it is allegedly attempting to help the prosecution find Murray guilty. I am sorry. It is just not that simple.
I want Murray held accountable for anything that he did just as much as everyone else does. I LOVE Michael and there is NEVER going to be enough justice in the world for taking away this beautiful man. For hurting him, for killing him. For orphaning his children, leaving his parents without their son, his siblings without their brother, his friends without their friend and, yes, all of us without him as well. This world needed him. And now he is gone. So, no. Once again, I cannot blindly sit here and accept anything that I believe is a lie when it comes to Michael or how Michael died. I don't care which side they are supposedly testifying for. I love Michael more than that. I know we ALL love Michael and I am not suggesting that I love him more than anyone else, I am simply explaining my feelings. By the way. I care more than just swallowing what I believe is the truth so that Murray will get his ten minutes in jail. Once again, to be clear, that does NOT MEAN that I support the defense - of course I don't. That does not mean I do not want Murray held accountable - of course I do. It means that I care too much to not make it clear when I believe that someone is lying.
I am nobody at the end of the day. Just a fan trying to reach out to anyone else that might care and share what I think, what I know or what I feel. I am sorry if I am being misunderstood. I know I am not the only one. But, there is no better way that I can explain it. And I hope you will all keep that in mind as the pretrial and then (hopefully) the trial and whatever else may happen along the way happens and I continue to express what I believe.
There is simply TOO MUCH that is going on, with more and more getting released every day, that is NOT adding up. This is NOT an involuntary manslaughter situation and I know how many of us feel the same way - that this does not add up. These facts do not add up. And it is simply not a case that is as simple as certain people would like us to believe. The truth matters.
I will link back to this blog when I feel it is needed and I thank you for reading it and for hopefully ta least attempting to understand what I am saying.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Friday, January 7, 2011
thoughts of a minion.
I've tried. You know? I've tried. I've tried so hard to ignore the tweets, Facebook messages, emails (where people got my email address from, I don't know.) that have been sent to me over the past few days. I've tried to ignore the tweets that I have seen. I've tried to ignore the idiotic immature blog posts, pictures and lord knows what else.
Then, I tried in a different way. I tried responding to the individuals that kept throwing the same questions at me over and over again. I tried taking the high road and remembering my own advice. I've tried and I've tried and I've tried and now I am sick to death of trying because it is getting me nowhere other than being exceedingly PISSED OFF.
So, I'm gonna do this again, and I'm gonna do it now. I'm gonna not give a crap what people decide to say or think about me, if anything at all because of it, because I am so tired of the same thing. I am so tired of seeing blog posts and tweets and rude emails about Karen Faye.
I do not want to go against what I said in my last blog and that is not my intention. However, there is a difference, I think, between standing up for something/someone you believe in and in being rude, mean, harassing people... forgetting why we are here. I think I am doing the first one. That is my intention anyway.
You know... there are some people that I don't like much. People from Michael's "circle". Only... unless you know me well, you probably don't know who they are or what I feel and why... because with rare exception, I don't sit there and talk about them all the time. I don't even know where most of them are, let alone if they are still posting on Facebook or Twitter and what they are saying. But, there seems to be some weird kind of magnetism that comes with Karen. Some kind of draw where people who supposedly "don't like her" feel this strange need to talk about her. All. The. Time. It's WEIRD. They don't "care" about her and what she does, but everytime she tweets, there's a new comment about it. And sometimes, they do not even NEED new information, they'll just go back and talk about the old stuff a million times! She can't take a BREATH without someone talking about it! It's really really weird...
This isn't the first time I've blogged about Karen, obviously, but its' the first time in awhile, so let's get through some basics quickly.
1. "Minions". It's a joke. When Karen calls us her "minions", she does not actually mean that we are truly minions. Nor are we actual flying monkeys. What she is referring to, or what WE might be referring is how HILARIOUS some of these insults have gotten. You see, awhile back, some brilliant person, I truly do not recall who it was, decided that all of the people that Karen had either developed friendships with or even the people that Karen didn't really know but who would stand up for her, or at the very least, not jump on the "I hate Karen Faye" train were "minions". That we (and this is a direct quote taken from a blog) "blindly support Faye" and that we would run around doing everything she told us to do which included (though was not limited to:) sending people harassing emails, CALLING people and harassing them, tweeting certain things, photoshopping pictures and just generally lying. (Of course, she never asked anyone to do ANY of those things.) You see... but that is so incredibly ridiculous that we ALL, including Karen, find it hysterical. Hence the joking around about it all the time. I'm sorry that that annoys some people that your incredibly brilliant insult has become something that we can get some laughter out of, but it is what it is. So, thank you, to those of you who have expressed concern for us brainless minions... but we're actually doing okay. ;)
2. I am SO tired of Karen being called a liar. I understand that for some reason utterly unknown to me, the policy is to believe everyone else on the planet before we believe Karen, but that's just not gonna fly with me anymore. I mean, are people really saying that Karen is a PROVEN LIAR because Kenny Ortega said that he does not recall having a certain conversation with Karen? That makes her a PROVEN LIAR? Why is that proof? Is it because Kenny would NEVER lie? (Kenny used to tell us that everything was fine and there were no problems. These days, there was a week where Michael was missing from rehearsals which gave Kenny "anxiety", a day where Michael was so unwell that Kenny found it "scary" as well as a meeting that included Kenny, Dr. Murray and a couple of other people held at Michael's house regarding "concern". Is that FINE?). Or is it that people don't lie under oath? (Allow me to take you back to 2005 if you will.)
In all of these MONTHS that everyone has been on Karen's ass calling her a liar, not ONE PERSON has ever been able to answer this simple question:
What would Karen have to gain by lying about any single thing that she ever said?
And now there are a million OTHER things that Karen is being faulted for! A short list for you all to see, each point followed by a reason why it is utterly ridiculous:
-Karen is sitting on Twitter instead of testifying at court.
Karen has not, as of yet, been called to testify at this pretrial. You do not just prance into a courtroom and announce that you are there and ready to testify.
-Karen was one of the people who ran MJJSource and I still never got my calendar, therefore she stole my money.
If I send you a calendar, will you be quiet? Honestly. ONCE again, this issue has been addressed a thousand times and I truly believe the ones still using it as any kind of serious problem are desperately searching and clinging to something to hate on Karen for.
-Karen is a reason for fan division.
Cry me a freakin' river. Fan division was caused by FANS plain and simple. FANS, or really, PEOPLE in general, should be able to agree or disagree on any specific things, situations or people without having a huge division caused. That Karen is such a controversial subject that is seemingly SO important to everyone that there is actually some fan division because of it is the fault of the FANS. Grow up and accept responsibility. We can blame NO ONE for division amongst us other than ourselves. And Karen is FAR from the only person that fans disagree on by the way.
-Karen sometimes says something and then says something different.
That's what happens when you have human beings that evolve, grow and change. They change their minds or opinions on things. Please stop putting out quotes from 2007 and then one from 2010 and trying to show how that makes Karen a liar. It makes Karen a human being able to change her mind, grow and accept that she might have been wrong about something or someone. Hardly a crime.
-Karen blah blah blah pictures blah blah Forrest Lawn blah blah Facebook blah TMZ.
But, seriously? I mean, seriously? I also find it hilarious that a FAN has shared that Karen has offered the Jackson family no apology for sharing the photos. Fans who pretend to know everything about the family and what goes on behind closed doors frighten me. Unless this particular fan has spoken to each and every Jackson family member and knows for sure what they are talking about, I would suggest that this fan stops ruining their own credibility.
Karen has been accused of lying, of having an agenda, of being an evil person with evil intentions who never cared about Michael and certainly does not do so now. I do not know why those who supposedly dislike Karen so much are not tired of talking about her all the time, but I am tired of hearing about it already. I am tired of reading the nasty tweets that get retweeted like people are so proud of themselves for their petty and disturbing behavior and I am tired of getting emails because people who do not get told both sides of a story (or sometimes even one true side) are confused. (To be clear, I do not mind that people are asking... I mind that they are being put in this position.)
You can call me whatever you want at this point. You can talk about how what I have to say does not matter, you can talk about how blind or stupid I am, you can talk about how Karen put me up to this (she didn't and never has.), you can talk about how no one cares what I think.... go for it. But I will say this and I will say it very clearly so there is no room for any misinterpretations:
I have known Karen on some level since September of 2009. I have gotten to know her on a more personal level since then. I spent time with her in person in August of 2010. I have spoken to her IN PERSON, spent time with her IN PERSON and had MANY private conversations with her. I trust her fully and despite how many times the same people call me stupid for it or attempt to make not only me but many of us believe otherwise, I know that Karen is an honest and good person. Karen loved Michael deeply and she still does. I have seen Karen's words get twisted a number of times for over a year now. I have seen proof with my own eyes that she is not or does not do many of the things that people say she is/does. I have heard people talk about their bad experiences with her and yet not one person has been able to offer any specifics other than that STUPID MJJSource website (actually, the website wasn't stupid. The way everyone goes on and on about it now is) which anyone who cared enough to pay attention to already understands the circumstances behind it. If knowing all of the above and supporting someone who has continually put herself out there and continued to share despite the crap that they keep getting from people and publicly defending someone who I feel 100% is being unfairly accused, targeted, lied about, harassed, etc... if all of that makes me a "minion", then it is no wonder that I wear my "minion badge" with pride. Let people talk about how stupid or pathetic I am for it... that's cool. Because while they are doing that and coming up with more "clever" lies or insults, I know and am comfortable with where I am standing and with who and what I support.
Oh and by the way... Karen is my friend and I love her but this is not even fully about that anymore. This is also about right vs wrong and what is being done here is wrong. I do not enjoy writing blogs constantly pointing this out but I will continue to do so as long as people continue to have their twisted obsessive comments out there. I do not KNOW why people are so invested in lying about her or creating stories. I do not know why people are constantly twisting her words around or just creating new ones. I honestly don't know. I know that she has said some things that people do not like because they would prefer to believe their own delusions, but short of that, I do not know why there is so much obsession and the same crap happening over and over again. Maybe, instead of wasting your time reading the same stupid lies over and over again, if you need something to do, spend some time trying to figure out why this is happening.. and hey, if you come up with anything, let me know! ;)
ETA: Since people seem so oddly obsessed with pictures of Karen lately as well, here are a few to look at. Note how many years these were taken over... I dunno, for someone that is so evil and all, Michael sure kept her around for a long time!
<3
www.twitter.com/neverletyoupart
Then, I tried in a different way. I tried responding to the individuals that kept throwing the same questions at me over and over again. I tried taking the high road and remembering my own advice. I've tried and I've tried and I've tried and now I am sick to death of trying because it is getting me nowhere other than being exceedingly PISSED OFF.
So, I'm gonna do this again, and I'm gonna do it now. I'm gonna not give a crap what people decide to say or think about me, if anything at all because of it, because I am so tired of the same thing. I am so tired of seeing blog posts and tweets and rude emails about Karen Faye.
I do not want to go against what I said in my last blog and that is not my intention. However, there is a difference, I think, between standing up for something/someone you believe in and in being rude, mean, harassing people... forgetting why we are here. I think I am doing the first one. That is my intention anyway.
You know... there are some people that I don't like much. People from Michael's "circle". Only... unless you know me well, you probably don't know who they are or what I feel and why... because with rare exception, I don't sit there and talk about them all the time. I don't even know where most of them are, let alone if they are still posting on Facebook or Twitter and what they are saying. But, there seems to be some weird kind of magnetism that comes with Karen. Some kind of draw where people who supposedly "don't like her" feel this strange need to talk about her. All. The. Time. It's WEIRD. They don't "care" about her and what she does, but everytime she tweets, there's a new comment about it. And sometimes, they do not even NEED new information, they'll just go back and talk about the old stuff a million times! She can't take a BREATH without someone talking about it! It's really really weird...
This isn't the first time I've blogged about Karen, obviously, but its' the first time in awhile, so let's get through some basics quickly.
1. "Minions". It's a joke. When Karen calls us her "minions", she does not actually mean that we are truly minions. Nor are we actual flying monkeys. What she is referring to, or what WE might be referring is how HILARIOUS some of these insults have gotten. You see, awhile back, some brilliant person, I truly do not recall who it was, decided that all of the people that Karen had either developed friendships with or even the people that Karen didn't really know but who would stand up for her, or at the very least, not jump on the "I hate Karen Faye" train were "minions". That we (and this is a direct quote taken from a blog) "blindly support Faye" and that we would run around doing everything she told us to do which included (though was not limited to:) sending people harassing emails, CALLING people and harassing them, tweeting certain things, photoshopping pictures and just generally lying. (Of course, she never asked anyone to do ANY of those things.) You see... but that is so incredibly ridiculous that we ALL, including Karen, find it hysterical. Hence the joking around about it all the time. I'm sorry that that annoys some people that your incredibly brilliant insult has become something that we can get some laughter out of, but it is what it is. So, thank you, to those of you who have expressed concern for us brainless minions... but we're actually doing okay. ;)
2. I am SO tired of Karen being called a liar. I understand that for some reason utterly unknown to me, the policy is to believe everyone else on the planet before we believe Karen, but that's just not gonna fly with me anymore. I mean, are people really saying that Karen is a PROVEN LIAR because Kenny Ortega said that he does not recall having a certain conversation with Karen? That makes her a PROVEN LIAR? Why is that proof? Is it because Kenny would NEVER lie? (Kenny used to tell us that everything was fine and there were no problems. These days, there was a week where Michael was missing from rehearsals which gave Kenny "anxiety", a day where Michael was so unwell that Kenny found it "scary" as well as a meeting that included Kenny, Dr. Murray and a couple of other people held at Michael's house regarding "concern". Is that FINE?). Or is it that people don't lie under oath? (Allow me to take you back to 2005 if you will.)
In all of these MONTHS that everyone has been on Karen's ass calling her a liar, not ONE PERSON has ever been able to answer this simple question:
What would Karen have to gain by lying about any single thing that she ever said?
And now there are a million OTHER things that Karen is being faulted for! A short list for you all to see, each point followed by a reason why it is utterly ridiculous:
-Karen is sitting on Twitter instead of testifying at court.
Karen has not, as of yet, been called to testify at this pretrial. You do not just prance into a courtroom and announce that you are there and ready to testify.
-Karen was one of the people who ran MJJSource and I still never got my calendar, therefore she stole my money.
If I send you a calendar, will you be quiet? Honestly. ONCE again, this issue has been addressed a thousand times and I truly believe the ones still using it as any kind of serious problem are desperately searching and clinging to something to hate on Karen for.
-Karen is a reason for fan division.
Cry me a freakin' river. Fan division was caused by FANS plain and simple. FANS, or really, PEOPLE in general, should be able to agree or disagree on any specific things, situations or people without having a huge division caused. That Karen is such a controversial subject that is seemingly SO important to everyone that there is actually some fan division because of it is the fault of the FANS. Grow up and accept responsibility. We can blame NO ONE for division amongst us other than ourselves. And Karen is FAR from the only person that fans disagree on by the way.
-Karen sometimes says something and then says something different.
That's what happens when you have human beings that evolve, grow and change. They change their minds or opinions on things. Please stop putting out quotes from 2007 and then one from 2010 and trying to show how that makes Karen a liar. It makes Karen a human being able to change her mind, grow and accept that she might have been wrong about something or someone. Hardly a crime.
-Karen blah blah blah pictures blah blah Forrest Lawn blah blah Facebook blah TMZ.
But, seriously? I mean, seriously? I also find it hilarious that a FAN has shared that Karen has offered the Jackson family no apology for sharing the photos. Fans who pretend to know everything about the family and what goes on behind closed doors frighten me. Unless this particular fan has spoken to each and every Jackson family member and knows for sure what they are talking about, I would suggest that this fan stops ruining their own credibility.
Karen has been accused of lying, of having an agenda, of being an evil person with evil intentions who never cared about Michael and certainly does not do so now. I do not know why those who supposedly dislike Karen so much are not tired of talking about her all the time, but I am tired of hearing about it already. I am tired of reading the nasty tweets that get retweeted like people are so proud of themselves for their petty and disturbing behavior and I am tired of getting emails because people who do not get told both sides of a story (or sometimes even one true side) are confused. (To be clear, I do not mind that people are asking... I mind that they are being put in this position.)
You can call me whatever you want at this point. You can talk about how what I have to say does not matter, you can talk about how blind or stupid I am, you can talk about how Karen put me up to this (she didn't and never has.), you can talk about how no one cares what I think.... go for it. But I will say this and I will say it very clearly so there is no room for any misinterpretations:
I have known Karen on some level since September of 2009. I have gotten to know her on a more personal level since then. I spent time with her in person in August of 2010. I have spoken to her IN PERSON, spent time with her IN PERSON and had MANY private conversations with her. I trust her fully and despite how many times the same people call me stupid for it or attempt to make not only me but many of us believe otherwise, I know that Karen is an honest and good person. Karen loved Michael deeply and she still does. I have seen Karen's words get twisted a number of times for over a year now. I have seen proof with my own eyes that she is not or does not do many of the things that people say she is/does. I have heard people talk about their bad experiences with her and yet not one person has been able to offer any specifics other than that STUPID MJJSource website (actually, the website wasn't stupid. The way everyone goes on and on about it now is) which anyone who cared enough to pay attention to already understands the circumstances behind it. If knowing all of the above and supporting someone who has continually put herself out there and continued to share despite the crap that they keep getting from people and publicly defending someone who I feel 100% is being unfairly accused, targeted, lied about, harassed, etc... if all of that makes me a "minion", then it is no wonder that I wear my "minion badge" with pride. Let people talk about how stupid or pathetic I am for it... that's cool. Because while they are doing that and coming up with more "clever" lies or insults, I know and am comfortable with where I am standing and with who and what I support.
Oh and by the way... Karen is my friend and I love her but this is not even fully about that anymore. This is also about right vs wrong and what is being done here is wrong. I do not enjoy writing blogs constantly pointing this out but I will continue to do so as long as people continue to have their twisted obsessive comments out there. I do not KNOW why people are so invested in lying about her or creating stories. I do not know why people are constantly twisting her words around or just creating new ones. I honestly don't know. I know that she has said some things that people do not like because they would prefer to believe their own delusions, but short of that, I do not know why there is so much obsession and the same crap happening over and over again. Maybe, instead of wasting your time reading the same stupid lies over and over again, if you need something to do, spend some time trying to figure out why this is happening.. and hey, if you come up with anything, let me know! ;)
ETA: Since people seem so oddly obsessed with pictures of Karen lately as well, here are a few to look at. Note how many years these were taken over... I dunno, for someone that is so evil and all, Michael sure kept her around for a long time!
<3
www.twitter.com/neverletyoupart
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
dear Michael fans:
While I am certainly clear that it is not my place to tell anyone what to do, I feel the need to post something after the pure insanity of today.
While I understand that emotions have been running high all day (mine were too.) and that this has all been very upsetting for everyone, I think that we ALL need to keep things in perspective. This was DAY ONE of the PRELIMINARY TRIAL. If we are already acting this way, I am scared to think of how it is going to be when (assuming it does) the actual trial starts or even a few more days into the preliminary trial.
We all loved Michael. We all miss him and we are all not only upset that he is gone, but incredibly angry. That being said, once again, we need to get it in check.
1. We need to not assume that everything said in that courtroom is the truth. People lie. They lie under oath too. (2005 anyone?). People especially lie when they have motives or things to cover up. Just because it's SAID that doesn't make it true. Unless we were there (and I do not mean in court, I mean THERE at the time.) we do not know anything as a fact unless there is evidence behind it. We are all entitled to believe whatever we want, but it is very dangerous to take everything said under oath as 100% true.
2. Even if we do believe something is true, there is something called controlling yourself. If you believe that someone is lying, that's fine. Go ahead and believe it. But things like threats, name calling, verbal abuse and hatred are not okay and are not the way that I think Michael would want his fans acting. We all get upset and lose control once in awhile, I understand that. But, it is times like these where we HAVE to think before we speak. Some of the things that I have seen spewed out today were absolutely beyond disgusting. I didn't know Michael personally, but I can say with a whole lot of confidence that he would NEVER want his name associated with that kind of behavior.
3. The things that we do, as Michael fans, reflects on Michael whether we like it or not. There is constantly talk about "Michael's crazy fans". Perhaps we shouldn't be giving people a reason to say those things.
4. Understand what you are saying before you say it. People cannot just show up at court and testify unless they are called to do so. Things are not always as black and white as people would have you believe. Etc, etc, etc.....
5. Remember why we're here and why we care. This is not about anyone but Michael. I don't particularly think it matters who you support and who you don't support. Anyone who truly loves Michael wants the same thing in the end and that is truth and some form of justice. We need to not lose sight of what is going on here. While fans are screaming at each other and other people on Twitter, there is a trial going on involving Michael's DEATH. Keep it in check.
This is going to be a LONG ROAD and it is not going to get any easier. There are going to be lies, there is going to be character assasination. There are going to plenty of things that are going to make us all upset and angry and hurt. It does no one, and certainly not Michael, any good to be screaming, yelling, accusing, lying and hurting each other. Things might just be a little easier if we can all keep all of this in mind.
While I understand that emotions have been running high all day (mine were too.) and that this has all been very upsetting for everyone, I think that we ALL need to keep things in perspective. This was DAY ONE of the PRELIMINARY TRIAL. If we are already acting this way, I am scared to think of how it is going to be when (assuming it does) the actual trial starts or even a few more days into the preliminary trial.
We all loved Michael. We all miss him and we are all not only upset that he is gone, but incredibly angry. That being said, once again, we need to get it in check.
1. We need to not assume that everything said in that courtroom is the truth. People lie. They lie under oath too. (2005 anyone?). People especially lie when they have motives or things to cover up. Just because it's SAID that doesn't make it true. Unless we were there (and I do not mean in court, I mean THERE at the time.) we do not know anything as a fact unless there is evidence behind it. We are all entitled to believe whatever we want, but it is very dangerous to take everything said under oath as 100% true.
2. Even if we do believe something is true, there is something called controlling yourself. If you believe that someone is lying, that's fine. Go ahead and believe it. But things like threats, name calling, verbal abuse and hatred are not okay and are not the way that I think Michael would want his fans acting. We all get upset and lose control once in awhile, I understand that. But, it is times like these where we HAVE to think before we speak. Some of the things that I have seen spewed out today were absolutely beyond disgusting. I didn't know Michael personally, but I can say with a whole lot of confidence that he would NEVER want his name associated with that kind of behavior.
3. The things that we do, as Michael fans, reflects on Michael whether we like it or not. There is constantly talk about "Michael's crazy fans". Perhaps we shouldn't be giving people a reason to say those things.
4. Understand what you are saying before you say it. People cannot just show up at court and testify unless they are called to do so. Things are not always as black and white as people would have you believe. Etc, etc, etc.....
5. Remember why we're here and why we care. This is not about anyone but Michael. I don't particularly think it matters who you support and who you don't support. Anyone who truly loves Michael wants the same thing in the end and that is truth and some form of justice. We need to not lose sight of what is going on here. While fans are screaming at each other and other people on Twitter, there is a trial going on involving Michael's DEATH. Keep it in check.
This is going to be a LONG ROAD and it is not going to get any easier. There are going to be lies, there is going to be character assasination. There are going to plenty of things that are going to make us all upset and angry and hurt. It does no one, and certainly not Michael, any good to be screaming, yelling, accusing, lying and hurting each other. Things might just be a little easier if we can all keep all of this in mind.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
on La Toya
You know, ever since La Toya started tweeting and such more, there have been a lot of comments. A lot of old anger and feelings coming back. I've gotten LITERALLY nine DM's going "Um, La Toya? REALLY?".
It made me wonder - do people not know her story? Or do they not believe her? What's the deal?
I do not have the time right now to write a proper blog on La Toya, but I want to share some links with people to read up on in case they want to maybe understand. I have never said what she said was good or "right" and trust me, way back in the 90's, I would not have said she was my favourite person, that's for sure. But, please educate yourself on her story and what she was going through and why she said what she did and did what she did. If you don't care or don't believe her, well, okay, nobody can force anyone to believe anything. But at least, open your heart/mind. Learn.
I believe her. I think La Toya is actually an incredibly strong person who is quite an inspiration.
Okay. So, links.
1. La Toya's 20/20 Interview from 2005. Try to ignore, if you can, the obnoxious background voices. Listen to her, look into her eyes, and decide for yourself what to believe. But, at the very least, hear her.
2. Wikipedia. Not always the most reliable, check the sources and don't take every single word on there as legit, but it gives the basic background story:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Toya_Jackson
3. Transcripts from La Toya's interview with Larry King:
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0303/04/lkl.00.html
4. Information on La Toya's gender-based violence suit that she filed.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_n9_v90/ai_18480043/
5. Look:
Who are we to sit here and insult her and judge her when Michael and her had clearly come to an understanding?
There will always be things that we do not fully understand. Situations are far more complex than just what we ourselves see. You do not have to like La Toya. But, at least educate yourselves on the story that she shares.
♥
It made me wonder - do people not know her story? Or do they not believe her? What's the deal?
I do not have the time right now to write a proper blog on La Toya, but I want to share some links with people to read up on in case they want to maybe understand. I have never said what she said was good or "right" and trust me, way back in the 90's, I would not have said she was my favourite person, that's for sure. But, please educate yourself on her story and what she was going through and why she said what she did and did what she did. If you don't care or don't believe her, well, okay, nobody can force anyone to believe anything. But at least, open your heart/mind. Learn.
I believe her. I think La Toya is actually an incredibly strong person who is quite an inspiration.
Okay. So, links.
1. La Toya's 20/20 Interview from 2005. Try to ignore, if you can, the obnoxious background voices. Listen to her, look into her eyes, and decide for yourself what to believe. But, at the very least, hear her.
2. Wikipedia. Not always the most reliable, check the sources and don't take every single word on there as legit, but it gives the basic background story:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Toya_Jackson
3. Transcripts from La Toya's interview with Larry King:
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0303/04/lkl.00.html
4. Information on La Toya's gender-based violence suit that she filed.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_n9_v90/ai_18480043/
5. Look:
Who are we to sit here and insult her and judge her when Michael and her had clearly come to an understanding?
There will always be things that we do not fully understand. Situations are far more complex than just what we ourselves see. You do not have to like La Toya. But, at least educate yourselves on the story that she shares.
♥
Sunday, September 19, 2010
quick clarification
I asked you guys to ask if you needed clarification on anything and you did..kind of. So, clarification.
In my blog posted on March 20 2010, I mentioned that I had "never seen that list of names before in my life". That blog entry was NOT referring to the same list that I copied and pasted for Karen. Please read carefully.
"So, X writes a letter, of sorts, to X's supporters. These blog writers received this letter and decide to post it in their blog - with some editing. Following this, they post a list of names which they claim is "Karen Faye's updated hit list" which she wrote and "shared with her followers" who in turn "attack the people on the list"."
Note: UPDATED hit list.
I then say:
"Now, let's move on to this "hit list" that is causing so many problems, shall we?
First thing I want to make clear:
I HAVE NEVER SEEN THAT LIST BEFORE IN MY LIFE.
Okay? Was that clear enough? Never. Not once. So, there goes that rumor that she posted it publicly for all of her "followers" to see and attack the people. 'Cause I didn't see it. Did you?
I do not know where that list of names came from and frankly I'm not that interested. There isn't even any proof that Karen wrote the list (and even if she did, it could be as simple as a list of the people who were blocked from her account or something.) and CERTAINLY no proof that she posted it anywhere. (Because she didn't.).
As for the "this is an updated list" comment... that doesn't make much sense to me either. If it's a new and updated "people that wronged me" list that Karen created.. why are half the people that were on the original "list" (which I will get to in a second) not on there? Hm.
These "hit list" accusations are getting ridiculous now. There is not and has never been a HIT LIST. I understand some people do not like that Karen posted that original list on her FB page. That is neither here nor there at this point - whether you like that she posted it or not, it was not a HIT LIST. ALL she did was post a list of members of a Facebook page. Why did she post it? In my opinion, which I still stand by, she was simply calling people out. You can have a different opinion, that's fine. That still doesn't make it a hit list. So stop with that, please.
As for this "new list"... the funniest thing is... THEY, who complained about Karen posting names, have now POSTED A LIST OF NAMES. FULL names! And, again, seeing as how I for one have never seen such a list before, it was new to me. So, now they have done exactly what they accused Karen of doing when they said she made a "hit list". THEY have posted these names in public. AND they made it look like their "source" did it too - they didn't, btw. That was all the blog writers doing."
So. I clearly state that the original list of names WAS posted on Karen's page. Which it was, no one is denying that. And I said I had never seen the UPDATED list of names before, which I had not.
I never claimed to not see the original list of names. In fact, when Karen posted it, I even commented on the post clarifying that she was not insisting that people deleted those people (which she wasn't.). Karen then responded saying "thank you Steph", which people later used to try to "prove" that I wrote the list because Karen was thanking me for it. (She wasn't. She was thanking me for clarifying that point.). There are SCREENCAPS of that conversation out there. It would make no sense for me to claim I had never seen that original list of names, nor would I ever want to.
Of course I did not come out and say "Hey guys, I'm the one who gave the names to Karen!". Why would I do that? Have you SEEN the kind of abuse that people get around here? And it was even worse back then. I NEVER confirmed publicly that I gave Karen that list of names until I posted this blog today. KAREN never confirmed publicly that I gave her that list of names, even though people said she posted it on KFK (no, she did not.). The reason that people "knew" I wrote the list was that someone(s) were trusted that clearly shouldn't have been. I do not blame anyone but the person who shared it for that. Later, if other people shared it too, that's another story, but still not relevant. The point is:
I never said I did not see the original list of names. I said I hadn't seen the "updated" list. Which I hadn't.
Feel free to read the blog for yourself:
http://mjsloveismagical.blogspot.com/2010_03_01_archive.html
www.twitter.com/neverletyoupart
In my blog posted on March 20 2010, I mentioned that I had "never seen that list of names before in my life". That blog entry was NOT referring to the same list that I copied and pasted for Karen. Please read carefully.
"So, X writes a letter, of sorts, to X's supporters. These blog writers received this letter and decide to post it in their blog - with some editing. Following this, they post a list of names which they claim is "Karen Faye's updated hit list" which she wrote and "shared with her followers" who in turn "attack the people on the list"."
Note: UPDATED hit list.
I then say:
"Now, let's move on to this "hit list" that is causing so many problems, shall we?
First thing I want to make clear:
I HAVE NEVER SEEN THAT LIST BEFORE IN MY LIFE.
Okay? Was that clear enough? Never. Not once. So, there goes that rumor that she posted it publicly for all of her "followers" to see and attack the people. 'Cause I didn't see it. Did you?
I do not know where that list of names came from and frankly I'm not that interested. There isn't even any proof that Karen wrote the list (and even if she did, it could be as simple as a list of the people who were blocked from her account or something.) and CERTAINLY no proof that she posted it anywhere. (Because she didn't.).
As for the "this is an updated list" comment... that doesn't make much sense to me either. If it's a new and updated "people that wronged me" list that Karen created.. why are half the people that were on the original "list" (which I will get to in a second) not on there? Hm.
These "hit list" accusations are getting ridiculous now. There is not and has never been a HIT LIST. I understand some people do not like that Karen posted that original list on her FB page. That is neither here nor there at this point - whether you like that she posted it or not, it was not a HIT LIST. ALL she did was post a list of members of a Facebook page. Why did she post it? In my opinion, which I still stand by, she was simply calling people out. You can have a different opinion, that's fine. That still doesn't make it a hit list. So stop with that, please.
As for this "new list"... the funniest thing is... THEY, who complained about Karen posting names, have now POSTED A LIST OF NAMES. FULL names! And, again, seeing as how I for one have never seen such a list before, it was new to me. So, now they have done exactly what they accused Karen of doing when they said she made a "hit list". THEY have posted these names in public. AND they made it look like their "source" did it too - they didn't, btw. That was all the blog writers doing."
So. I clearly state that the original list of names WAS posted on Karen's page. Which it was, no one is denying that. And I said I had never seen the UPDATED list of names before, which I had not.
I never claimed to not see the original list of names. In fact, when Karen posted it, I even commented on the post clarifying that she was not insisting that people deleted those people (which she wasn't.). Karen then responded saying "thank you Steph", which people later used to try to "prove" that I wrote the list because Karen was thanking me for it. (She wasn't. She was thanking me for clarifying that point.). There are SCREENCAPS of that conversation out there. It would make no sense for me to claim I had never seen that original list of names, nor would I ever want to.
Of course I did not come out and say "Hey guys, I'm the one who gave the names to Karen!". Why would I do that? Have you SEEN the kind of abuse that people get around here? And it was even worse back then. I NEVER confirmed publicly that I gave Karen that list of names until I posted this blog today. KAREN never confirmed publicly that I gave her that list of names, even though people said she posted it on KFK (no, she did not.). The reason that people "knew" I wrote the list was that someone(s) were trusted that clearly shouldn't have been. I do not blame anyone but the person who shared it for that. Later, if other people shared it too, that's another story, but still not relevant. The point is:
I never said I did not see the original list of names. I said I hadn't seen the "updated" list. Which I hadn't.
Feel free to read the blog for yourself:
http://mjsloveismagical.blogspot.com/2010_03_01_archive.html
www.twitter.com/neverletyoupart
can a heart reveal the proof, like a mirror reveals the truth..
And here we are again.
I wasn't sure if the blog that I wrote a few days ago was going to be a one time thing or if there was going to be a need for further blogging. But, after what has gone in in the past few days, there is clearly a need for further blogging.
Let me begin by saying that I think it is really sad how many of us have to sit here and refute the nonsense that mainly comes from a small select group of people. But, for some reason, a larger group of people are listening to them and THAT is where the problem comes in. Everyone is, of course, free to listen to and believe whatever and whoever they want, but for everyones sake, I think it would be best for them to have BOTH sides of the story before they make that decision... some truth amongst the lies perhaps. So, let me take you through a few of the things that have been said lately as well as a couple of things that are months old but people continue to harp on, let's get the truth out there once and for all. I'll break it down for you all the best I can. I also ask that you read the whole blog entry before jumping to any conclusions or asking me what the point of something was.
BC's accusation against Karen
So, a few days ago, Bonnie posted another blog. The blog gave the impression that it was to be about Leonard Rowe's book. And there were, in fact, parts of the blog that discussed his book. I didn't read them. I was unable to get that far in reading the blog because the earlier parts disgusted me so much. (As it is, I haven't read Rowe's book and have no opinion on it right now anyway.).
Before discussing Rowe's book, Bonnie decided to dedicate a portion of her blog to, guess who, Karen Faye. Yes, again. In her blog, Bonnie claimed the following:
"In the fall of last year, Karen asked me to spy on Kenneth Ortega and Randy Phillips by setting up a fake facebook page. I had written her back and told her I thought fighting lies with lies was a bad idea and I had to decline, that maybe she could get someone else to do it. I never heard back from her. After that she didn’t talk to me other than to add a comment occasionally to a link that I posted to."
Hmm. Okay. Well.
Besides the fact that I KNOW that this never happened, because it has been confirmed to me BY Karen, I know that her word is not enough for some people, so let's just use logic on this one.
1. Why would Karen ask some random fan who she barely knew (if it was last Fall, how well could she have possibly known Bonnie, since Bonnie only joined Karen's page sometime after Michael died?) to spy on Kenny Ortega and Randy Phillips?
2. Neither Kenny or Randy have Facebook accounts. Kenny has (had? I'm not sure, he stopped tweeting about four seconds after TII's DVD release) a PUBLIC Twitter and Randy, as far as I know, does not communicate on any level directly with fans. So, what would Bonnie opening a fake Facebokk account even accomplish?
3. Let's be real for a second. If Karen wanted to "spy" on Kenny and Randy, don't you think she would have better options than Bonnie? AND if she truly wanted to "spy" on them, again, WHY would she trust that kind of information with someone she BARELY KNEW? Karen's not an idiot, you know, in fact she's actually pretty freakin' smart and I promise you that had she had any desire to "spy" on these people, it would not be through Bonnie.
But, here's something interesting, and I asked Bonnie this myself, but she chose to ignore it...
Bonnie claimed that Karen asked her to open a fake account and she refused. Yet, she has both a Twitter account (where she has addressed Kenny at least once) and a Facebook account under, hm, FAKE NAMES. If Bonnie would like to deny that, I could go back through my FB messages and find the one where she gives me the account info, confirming it was hers. So, what's up there?
http://twitter.com/CKMJJ
She also has a fake Facebook account under the name of Chrissa Kotch. Weird for someone who says she was randomly asked by Karen Faye to create a fake Facebook but refused on the grounds of not wanting to lie, huh?
Bonnie refuses to acknowledge any of this. I left comments on Bonnie's blog the day after it was posted, all of which were immediately deleted. Another funny point considering she insults Karen and Sammy for supposedly deleting the comments of people who don't agree with them.
Bonnie's further (worse) accusation
In a comment to me, which I believe you can still see, because Bonnie deleted my comments but not her own responses, Bonnie told me that: (NOTE: Since the writing of this blog, Bonnie has hidden all comments on her blog.)
Yes, I can see where Karen has accomplished more for her cosmetic line than any justice for Michael.
Wow. Well, what cosmetics line, you may ask? The one I think she first publicly talked about, like, last week. Once. And has not mentioned since. I find it amazing that someone who knows so little can make such bold accusations. Bonnie is, to put it simply, absolutely wrong. Karen has done more for justice for Michael than Bonnie has ANY idea about, trust me on that one. Not a clue. Is she moving forward with her life? Yes, she is and good for her, because she SHOULD. Neither Karen not any other person on the planet (ahem) should spend every waking second on this. It is not healthy and it is not helpful to anyone. Karen is living her life and doing great things with her career. What is it you would have her do, Bonnie? Talk about Michael every moment of every day? Hold rallies every day? And then, if she happens to get an off moment, sit at home and update all the fans, who have been oh SO loving and supportive of her (note sarcasm) of her every move? Well......she's not gonna do that. So, if THAT is your idea of "justice for Michael", I guess Karen fails. But if your idea of justice for Michael is actual JUSTICE for Michael, then I suggest you put your pitchforks down when it comes to Karen, 'cause like I said you have no idea. And, yes. While doing MANY thing for "justice", Karen continues to live a full life with her job, her boyfriend, her family and friends and her super cute dog.
Speaking of "justice for Michael", by the way, do you think you are helping Michael when you go so far out of your way to try to discredit Karen or make her look bad? Can you think this through for a sec? Karen has always been one of the few people willing to stand up and speak the TRUTH, putting herself on the line, no matter what the risk is (FOR Michael and for truth.). Karen may very well be a potential witness in Conrad Murray's upcoming trial (I said potential.). You really wanna put one of the few people who's speaking the truth under attack?
Now, I'm not an idiot either. I know Bonnie's little internet blog is not going to make a huge difference to Karen's reputation. But, what about the media who read fan things going on because they see firsthand how ridiculous drama gets and, for some reason, care? What about those "fans" who are in communication with the media? Michael said it himself, if you hear a lie often enough, people start to believe it. So, the next time you post something about "crazy KF" or whatever it is you're calling her these days, or, Bonnie, the next time you invent a mission that Karen sent you on or post one of your slanderous blogs, perhaps you SHOULD think about the Michael that you love so much and how important it is to have Karen speaking up for him right now. Just a thought.
Karen's employment history with Michael
Bonnie also said in her blog that Karen was fired by Michael in 2005 because of an incident with a website called MJJSource. If anyone ever writes a book about all this drama, they should devote an entire chapter to MJJSource. This website is one of these peoples favourite things to talk about. MJJSource has already been explained a thousand times. It has been explained by Karen. It has been RE-explained by Karen. It was then FURTHER reexplained by myself and other people. But, people wanna keep jumping on MJJSource.
Feel free to go back and read past blogs on MJJSource if you want, I'm not getting into it again.
I will however get into a few points about Karen's supposed "multiple firings".
1. Karen has said that she was fired during the HIStory tour. Karen also explained the reason for this. It's not my place to repeat it, but if you were on her page as Bonnie was, you would know why. I WILL say that MICHAEL did not fire her. So, the statement "Michael never fired Karen" is not false.
2. 2005. After Michael's trial, Michael went off to Bahrain. Should he have taken her with him? I'm just curious. I mean, okay, first of all, Karen worked on contract. So, I would assume that when Michael left the continent, her contract was over. You cannot fire someone whose contract is over. It just doesn't work that way. There was no reason in the world Michael would need his make up artist (and, yes, friend, but friends don't always travel to the middle east with their friends, especially when one friend has just been through the ordeal of his life and perhaps wants to spend some time alone with his children recovering from the physical and emotional toll it took on him and another friend has a life back home including a CHILD....... ) There is no reason in the world he needed her to go with him. And why didn't he use her for the few appearances he made between when he came back and TII? There are a number of answers to that, but not one of them is "because he was mad at her because of the MJJSource thing". You would really have to ask Karen about her specific appearances and why she may or may not have been there, if you haven't already heard her address some of that - which she has.
So, what I'm saying is - Karen was NEVER fired by Michael. Never. Didn't happen.
Bonnie, by the way, was offered a link to an interview with Jennifer Batten in which she states very clearly that Michael NEVER fired Karen and that they remained close until the end, but she refused to bother with it. Instead, she posted links from people like Roger Friedman. So, you know. THAT happened. What does that tell you about Bonnie's non biased blogging?
The infamous hit list, hate list, enemies list.
Whoever writes that book should probably include TWO chapters on what has turned into the strangest big deal ever.
I gotta be honest with you all. I'm sick of hearing about that idiotic list of names. Every time someone wants to make Karen look bad, all they have to do is say "hit list" and people go OH YEAH! And that's that. So, let's clear something up, shall we?
There is NOTHING to that list. I know 100% why it was written, what it was used for, where it came from...you have heard, I am sure, from many people, most of whom don't like me, apparently one of whom "used to be close to me" that I am the one who wrote the list. That's almost true. For the sake of just making this STOP already, I am going to come out and tell you what is exactly true.
The original list that Karen had was, yes, given to her by me. I found the FAKF group. I told Karen about FAKF. And, yes, I COPIED AND PASTED, not wrote, the PUBLIC MEMBERS LIST and sent it to her. Yes, I know, evil evil Steph, bad minion. Think about it for a sec though. Would you not do the exact same thing for your friend? If not, I guess that's on you, but yes, I did that, I stand by it and I would do it again. And, really guys, it was a public members list. It's not like yall were hiding very well anyway.
As for her posting the list, it was absolutely not so that people would get harassed. Karen had links to everyones profiles that were in the group. She didn't post those. She simply posted names because it was enough. It was enough of fake people hanging out on her profile, twisting her words around, copying and pasting, doing what they did. It was just ENOUGH. Okay? I fail to see how people can join a group like that - a PUBLIC GROUP - and then get angry when someone tells people they joined the group, because that is pretty much all that happened.
So, yup. That's all that list was. A copied and pasted members list from a public Facebook group. I know. Serious business, right?
Now, as for any other lists, all I can say is this: Karen didn't share them and Karen didn't spread them. That's about as much as I am willing to say on that. I don't care who tells you she did, I don't care who tells you she gave all these updated lists to her minions that told us to go forth and attack (lord help me), it NEVER happened. Ask them for proof. I promise you they won't have it. Because it doesn't exist.
So, there you go. The big huge bad evil list is a copy and pasted list of names from a public Facebook group. See? Aren't we glad we spent months talking about it and somehow using it to prove what an evil evil person Karen was? (I have a feeling that now I'LL be an evil evil person, but that's okay. Like I said, I'd do it again. If someone had a group about YOUR friend, you'd probably do the same and if not, you may wanna look into that.) ;)
So. Wrong again, Bonnie. And I think you knew that one too.
On spying, harassing and blogging
Allow me to be as clear as I can possibly be on this one. As Karen's "number one minion" or "favourite slave" or whatever other brilliant names I was given, I was never ONCE asked to "spy". I was certainly never asked to harass people. And I was never asked to blog (I'll get into that in a sec).
So. For those of you who seem to think Karen controls the internet, she doesn't. If someone is harassing you and they are someone who you think is a friend of Karen, please don't go running to her and whine about her friend. It makes you look ridiculous, honestly. She has nothing to do with it and frankly much more important things to do with her life than worry about this nonsense. Deal with it like the grown person you are supposed to be and move on. She doesn't tell people to harass people. I promise.
So, why do I blog?
To be honest, it started out as a general truth thing. I was watching people twist Karen's words around, lie about her and lie to her and it was upsetting me. Seeing people believe these twisted versions of events bothered me, not because it was Karen specifically, because it was anyone. And in this case it was someone that was speaking up for Michael and seeing her words being twisted to mean the opposite was not okay - especially not by Michael's "fans".
As of NOW? Yes, now it might be a little bit more personal because Karen is my friend and I care about her but the general principle above still stands. This is not about "stop lying about my friend", this is about "stop lying about someone who has done nothing to deserve it". Someone willing to stand up for justice. Someone doing so much more than you know. And, sure, I have other things to do and it's annoying that I have to do this, but not the actual writing......what's annoying is that I HAVE to keep doing this because the bullshit never stops! Make sense?
It is easy to want to hate someone, to find someone to blame. It is easy to get angry when someone takes what you believe and tells you that that's not 100% accurate. Fans get very protective of Michael too. I understand that. But you all are just on the wrong avenue here. Again, you are certainly not helping Michael out spreading these rumors. THINK IT THROUGH. Before you believe something, before you say something, the next time....think it through.
So, why should I believe you?
It is not lost on me that I am not much better a source than Bonnie is. After all, I could, in theory, be lying to you also. But, here's the thing with that. I love Michael too. And I would not support someone who I believed for a second was hurting him. Karen is not hurting him. Karen has never been one of the people hurting him. Karen loves him, Karen cares about him and Karen stood by him then and stands by him now. There is so much PROOF out there about how people lied and twisted her words around, all you have to do is look for it. Or ask someone. If you have questions, if you want clarification, that's cool! There's a lot of crap out there and especially to those who are new to the community, I totally understand you wanting to ask questions about what's gone on and what's been said or done. You can ask me. You can ask other friends of Karen. You can ask KAREN. After all the crap she has taken, she is STILL accessible to fans via her blog and Twitter. Speak kindly to her, be respectful and you might just learn some things. And the opposite is true too - ask for proof on ONE of these things that these people are claiming, there is NOTHING.
So, that's it. Sorry, it got long again, but when there's a lot of lies, there needs to be a lot of truths, I guess.
I wasn't sure if the blog that I wrote a few days ago was going to be a one time thing or if there was going to be a need for further blogging. But, after what has gone in in the past few days, there is clearly a need for further blogging.
Let me begin by saying that I think it is really sad how many of us have to sit here and refute the nonsense that mainly comes from a small select group of people. But, for some reason, a larger group of people are listening to them and THAT is where the problem comes in. Everyone is, of course, free to listen to and believe whatever and whoever they want, but for everyones sake, I think it would be best for them to have BOTH sides of the story before they make that decision... some truth amongst the lies perhaps. So, let me take you through a few of the things that have been said lately as well as a couple of things that are months old but people continue to harp on, let's get the truth out there once and for all. I'll break it down for you all the best I can. I also ask that you read the whole blog entry before jumping to any conclusions or asking me what the point of something was.
BC's accusation against Karen
So, a few days ago, Bonnie posted another blog. The blog gave the impression that it was to be about Leonard Rowe's book. And there were, in fact, parts of the blog that discussed his book. I didn't read them. I was unable to get that far in reading the blog because the earlier parts disgusted me so much. (As it is, I haven't read Rowe's book and have no opinion on it right now anyway.).
Before discussing Rowe's book, Bonnie decided to dedicate a portion of her blog to, guess who, Karen Faye. Yes, again. In her blog, Bonnie claimed the following:
"In the fall of last year, Karen asked me to spy on Kenneth Ortega and Randy Phillips by setting up a fake facebook page. I had written her back and told her I thought fighting lies with lies was a bad idea and I had to decline, that maybe she could get someone else to do it. I never heard back from her. After that she didn’t talk to me other than to add a comment occasionally to a link that I posted to."
Hmm. Okay. Well.
Besides the fact that I KNOW that this never happened, because it has been confirmed to me BY Karen, I know that her word is not enough for some people, so let's just use logic on this one.
1. Why would Karen ask some random fan who she barely knew (if it was last Fall, how well could she have possibly known Bonnie, since Bonnie only joined Karen's page sometime after Michael died?) to spy on Kenny Ortega and Randy Phillips?
2. Neither Kenny or Randy have Facebook accounts. Kenny has (had? I'm not sure, he stopped tweeting about four seconds after TII's DVD release) a PUBLIC Twitter and Randy, as far as I know, does not communicate on any level directly with fans. So, what would Bonnie opening a fake Facebokk account even accomplish?
3. Let's be real for a second. If Karen wanted to "spy" on Kenny and Randy, don't you think she would have better options than Bonnie? AND if she truly wanted to "spy" on them, again, WHY would she trust that kind of information with someone she BARELY KNEW? Karen's not an idiot, you know, in fact she's actually pretty freakin' smart and I promise you that had she had any desire to "spy" on these people, it would not be through Bonnie.
But, here's something interesting, and I asked Bonnie this myself, but she chose to ignore it...
Bonnie claimed that Karen asked her to open a fake account and she refused. Yet, she has both a Twitter account (where she has addressed Kenny at least once) and a Facebook account under, hm, FAKE NAMES. If Bonnie would like to deny that, I could go back through my FB messages and find the one where she gives me the account info, confirming it was hers. So, what's up there?
http://twitter.com/CKMJJ
She also has a fake Facebook account under the name of Chrissa Kotch. Weird for someone who says she was randomly asked by Karen Faye to create a fake Facebook but refused on the grounds of not wanting to lie, huh?
Bonnie refuses to acknowledge any of this. I left comments on Bonnie's blog the day after it was posted, all of which were immediately deleted. Another funny point considering she insults Karen and Sammy for supposedly deleting the comments of people who don't agree with them.
Bonnie's further (worse) accusation
In a comment to me, which I believe you can still see, because Bonnie deleted my comments but not her own responses, Bonnie told me that: (NOTE: Since the writing of this blog, Bonnie has hidden all comments on her blog.)
Yes, I can see where Karen has accomplished more for her cosmetic line than any justice for Michael.
Wow. Well, what cosmetics line, you may ask? The one I think she first publicly talked about, like, last week. Once. And has not mentioned since. I find it amazing that someone who knows so little can make such bold accusations. Bonnie is, to put it simply, absolutely wrong. Karen has done more for justice for Michael than Bonnie has ANY idea about, trust me on that one. Not a clue. Is she moving forward with her life? Yes, she is and good for her, because she SHOULD. Neither Karen not any other person on the planet (ahem) should spend every waking second on this. It is not healthy and it is not helpful to anyone. Karen is living her life and doing great things with her career. What is it you would have her do, Bonnie? Talk about Michael every moment of every day? Hold rallies every day? And then, if she happens to get an off moment, sit at home and update all the fans, who have been oh SO loving and supportive of her (note sarcasm) of her every move? Well......she's not gonna do that. So, if THAT is your idea of "justice for Michael", I guess Karen fails. But if your idea of justice for Michael is actual JUSTICE for Michael, then I suggest you put your pitchforks down when it comes to Karen, 'cause like I said you have no idea. And, yes. While doing MANY thing for "justice", Karen continues to live a full life with her job, her boyfriend, her family and friends and her super cute dog.
Speaking of "justice for Michael", by the way, do you think you are helping Michael when you go so far out of your way to try to discredit Karen or make her look bad? Can you think this through for a sec? Karen has always been one of the few people willing to stand up and speak the TRUTH, putting herself on the line, no matter what the risk is (FOR Michael and for truth.). Karen may very well be a potential witness in Conrad Murray's upcoming trial (I said potential.). You really wanna put one of the few people who's speaking the truth under attack?
Now, I'm not an idiot either. I know Bonnie's little internet blog is not going to make a huge difference to Karen's reputation. But, what about the media who read fan things going on because they see firsthand how ridiculous drama gets and, for some reason, care? What about those "fans" who are in communication with the media? Michael said it himself, if you hear a lie often enough, people start to believe it. So, the next time you post something about "crazy KF" or whatever it is you're calling her these days, or, Bonnie, the next time you invent a mission that Karen sent you on or post one of your slanderous blogs, perhaps you SHOULD think about the Michael that you love so much and how important it is to have Karen speaking up for him right now. Just a thought.
Karen's employment history with Michael
Bonnie also said in her blog that Karen was fired by Michael in 2005 because of an incident with a website called MJJSource. If anyone ever writes a book about all this drama, they should devote an entire chapter to MJJSource. This website is one of these peoples favourite things to talk about. MJJSource has already been explained a thousand times. It has been explained by Karen. It has been RE-explained by Karen. It was then FURTHER reexplained by myself and other people. But, people wanna keep jumping on MJJSource.
Feel free to go back and read past blogs on MJJSource if you want, I'm not getting into it again.
I will however get into a few points about Karen's supposed "multiple firings".
1. Karen has said that she was fired during the HIStory tour. Karen also explained the reason for this. It's not my place to repeat it, but if you were on her page as Bonnie was, you would know why. I WILL say that MICHAEL did not fire her. So, the statement "Michael never fired Karen" is not false.
2. 2005. After Michael's trial, Michael went off to Bahrain. Should he have taken her with him? I'm just curious. I mean, okay, first of all, Karen worked on contract. So, I would assume that when Michael left the continent, her contract was over. You cannot fire someone whose contract is over. It just doesn't work that way. There was no reason in the world Michael would need his make up artist (and, yes, friend, but friends don't always travel to the middle east with their friends, especially when one friend has just been through the ordeal of his life and perhaps wants to spend some time alone with his children recovering from the physical and emotional toll it took on him and another friend has a life back home including a CHILD....... ) There is no reason in the world he needed her to go with him. And why didn't he use her for the few appearances he made between when he came back and TII? There are a number of answers to that, but not one of them is "because he was mad at her because of the MJJSource thing". You would really have to ask Karen about her specific appearances and why she may or may not have been there, if you haven't already heard her address some of that - which she has.
So, what I'm saying is - Karen was NEVER fired by Michael. Never. Didn't happen.
Bonnie, by the way, was offered a link to an interview with Jennifer Batten in which she states very clearly that Michael NEVER fired Karen and that they remained close until the end, but she refused to bother with it. Instead, she posted links from people like Roger Friedman. So, you know. THAT happened. What does that tell you about Bonnie's non biased blogging?
The infamous hit list, hate list, enemies list.
Whoever writes that book should probably include TWO chapters on what has turned into the strangest big deal ever.
I gotta be honest with you all. I'm sick of hearing about that idiotic list of names. Every time someone wants to make Karen look bad, all they have to do is say "hit list" and people go OH YEAH! And that's that. So, let's clear something up, shall we?
There is NOTHING to that list. I know 100% why it was written, what it was used for, where it came from...you have heard, I am sure, from many people, most of whom don't like me, apparently one of whom "used to be close to me" that I am the one who wrote the list. That's almost true. For the sake of just making this STOP already, I am going to come out and tell you what is exactly true.
The original list that Karen had was, yes, given to her by me. I found the FAKF group. I told Karen about FAKF. And, yes, I COPIED AND PASTED, not wrote, the PUBLIC MEMBERS LIST and sent it to her. Yes, I know, evil evil Steph, bad minion. Think about it for a sec though. Would you not do the exact same thing for your friend? If not, I guess that's on you, but yes, I did that, I stand by it and I would do it again. And, really guys, it was a public members list. It's not like yall were hiding very well anyway.
As for her posting the list, it was absolutely not so that people would get harassed. Karen had links to everyones profiles that were in the group. She didn't post those. She simply posted names because it was enough. It was enough of fake people hanging out on her profile, twisting her words around, copying and pasting, doing what they did. It was just ENOUGH. Okay? I fail to see how people can join a group like that - a PUBLIC GROUP - and then get angry when someone tells people they joined the group, because that is pretty much all that happened.
So, yup. That's all that list was. A copied and pasted members list from a public Facebook group. I know. Serious business, right?
Now, as for any other lists, all I can say is this: Karen didn't share them and Karen didn't spread them. That's about as much as I am willing to say on that. I don't care who tells you she did, I don't care who tells you she gave all these updated lists to her minions that told us to go forth and attack (lord help me), it NEVER happened. Ask them for proof. I promise you they won't have it. Because it doesn't exist.
So, there you go. The big huge bad evil list is a copy and pasted list of names from a public Facebook group. See? Aren't we glad we spent months talking about it and somehow using it to prove what an evil evil person Karen was? (I have a feeling that now I'LL be an evil evil person, but that's okay. Like I said, I'd do it again. If someone had a group about YOUR friend, you'd probably do the same and if not, you may wanna look into that.) ;)
So. Wrong again, Bonnie. And I think you knew that one too.
On spying, harassing and blogging
Allow me to be as clear as I can possibly be on this one. As Karen's "number one minion" or "favourite slave" or whatever other brilliant names I was given, I was never ONCE asked to "spy". I was certainly never asked to harass people. And I was never asked to blog (I'll get into that in a sec).
So. For those of you who seem to think Karen controls the internet, she doesn't. If someone is harassing you and they are someone who you think is a friend of Karen, please don't go running to her and whine about her friend. It makes you look ridiculous, honestly. She has nothing to do with it and frankly much more important things to do with her life than worry about this nonsense. Deal with it like the grown person you are supposed to be and move on. She doesn't tell people to harass people. I promise.
So, why do I blog?
To be honest, it started out as a general truth thing. I was watching people twist Karen's words around, lie about her and lie to her and it was upsetting me. Seeing people believe these twisted versions of events bothered me, not because it was Karen specifically, because it was anyone. And in this case it was someone that was speaking up for Michael and seeing her words being twisted to mean the opposite was not okay - especially not by Michael's "fans".
As of NOW? Yes, now it might be a little bit more personal because Karen is my friend and I care about her but the general principle above still stands. This is not about "stop lying about my friend", this is about "stop lying about someone who has done nothing to deserve it". Someone willing to stand up for justice. Someone doing so much more than you know. And, sure, I have other things to do and it's annoying that I have to do this, but not the actual writing......what's annoying is that I HAVE to keep doing this because the bullshit never stops! Make sense?
It is easy to want to hate someone, to find someone to blame. It is easy to get angry when someone takes what you believe and tells you that that's not 100% accurate. Fans get very protective of Michael too. I understand that. But you all are just on the wrong avenue here. Again, you are certainly not helping Michael out spreading these rumors. THINK IT THROUGH. Before you believe something, before you say something, the next time....think it through.
So, why should I believe you?
It is not lost on me that I am not much better a source than Bonnie is. After all, I could, in theory, be lying to you also. But, here's the thing with that. I love Michael too. And I would not support someone who I believed for a second was hurting him. Karen is not hurting him. Karen has never been one of the people hurting him. Karen loves him, Karen cares about him and Karen stood by him then and stands by him now. There is so much PROOF out there about how people lied and twisted her words around, all you have to do is look for it. Or ask someone. If you have questions, if you want clarification, that's cool! There's a lot of crap out there and especially to those who are new to the community, I totally understand you wanting to ask questions about what's gone on and what's been said or done. You can ask me. You can ask other friends of Karen. You can ask KAREN. After all the crap she has taken, she is STILL accessible to fans via her blog and Twitter. Speak kindly to her, be respectful and you might just learn some things. And the opposite is true too - ask for proof on ONE of these things that these people are claiming, there is NOTHING.
So, that's it. Sorry, it got long again, but when there's a lot of lies, there needs to be a lot of truths, I guess.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
"It's slander.....with the words you use"
It's been awhile since I blogged.
I am exhausted. I am absolutely totally and completely EXHAUSTED. And you know what else? I am angry. And I am hurt.
Someone that I respect very much told me not too long ago that sometimes you just have to completely ignore the negativity and allow people to do what they're gonna do. She's right. But, then sometimes, it's too much and I need to speak up. Because this is more than petty insults and stupid comments. And, sure, we can dismiss it as "crazy", but that does not mean that other people are doing the same thing. And I believe that everyone should have the opportunity to hear both sides to a story before having to make a judgment. This is kind of long and I apologize for that, but if you can take the time to read, I will try my best to make my points as well as I can.
I'd like to take you guys back to a year or so ago. When we were all feeling lost. When we had all lost someone that we loved, someone that we admired, someone that though some of us had never met him, we cared for him in a way that simply can't be explained in words. Speaking for myself, it truly did feel as if I had lost someone close to me.
I am going to tell you a bit of my own story. Why am I doing this when most people probably don't care? Because we all have stories about how we got to where we are and I think that is important in what I am going to discuss.
I had not been a big member of forums before, really, because I found them a perfect place for drama, arguing and stupidity. I had paid attention to some MJ forums in the past, but I wasn't hugely active in them. A few weeks after Michael died, when I found myself surrounded by people that were, for the most part, "over it", that's when I decided to try the forums again. Don't get me wrong, I have WONDERFUL people in my life, amazing friends and family, but you cannot expect everyone to react to something in the same way. It was more difficult for me than it was for pretty much everyone I had in my life at that point. It was not the same for them.
Through a forum, I met a girl who lives in Toronto who clued me into a group of fans from Toronto. I was surprised and almost disappointed at myself having been a fan of Michael's for so long, that I did not even know that such a group existed, but I got over the initial disappointment (LOL) and reached out to these people. They were wonderful. They are still wonderful, and I am still good friends with them all.
Through these people, I learned that Karen Faye had a Facebook page. I didn't know THAT either. I DID know who Karen was. I knew her, mostly from the Take Two documentary...and yes, I had heard about MJJSource and no, I didn't believe that Karen ever stole money from fans, even back then. (I mean, I'm just saying, LOL.) I sent a friends request and was accepted pretty quickly... (I believe this was around September, however I don't remember exactly. I know some of YOU know when I joined, because I've been told before, as in, "you didn't join until ____, therefore you don't even KNOW Karen, b/c if you did you would have been on her FB before Michael died" I don't even know WHAT to do with that one, but ANYWAY). After being accepted onto Karen's page, that's when things started becoming a lot more clear to me. I made some amazing new friends, some of whom I have now met in person, talk to every day and have become some of my best friends. It was through Karen that I really learned about TINI. It was through Karen that I learned about a lot of things, actually, and let me be clear - if you were ever a part of Karen's Facebook page, you know what I am referring to. These things wil not be repeated here. You know what I am talking about.
Before joining Karen's Facebook page, let me be clear - I had my questions about Michael's death. Doubts about the timing, doubts about some other things and I definitely did one of those "excuse me, they're making a MOVIE? ALREADY?".. just all kinds of things, a lot wasn't making sense for me. But, it was not until getting on this FB page that more started making sense. I learned a lot. I learned TRUTH. And I learned it from someone who was not writing a book. Someone who was not selling her story to tabloids or the media at ALL. I learned it from someone who was ready and willing to put herself on the line in order to tell the TRUTH. To share firsthand observations with fans. To get people asking questions.
So, for a long while, that's what was happening. There was a lot of love on that page and it was a good place to go to if you were feeling down or wanted to talk to someone........and of course, to learn.
Then, as usual when the internet is involved, drama happened. The drama came in many forms...people who didn't know him at all or VERY little suddenly speaking about intimate details they made up in their vivid imaginations....random people who had suddenly jumped out of the woodwork to make their grand reappearance.....and mostly, and most sad......from fans. From the very same fans who had been a part of this page for as long as I had, many even longer, who took comfort in the words there, who learned the same truths that I did and who claimed to be his "army of love".
I am not going to get into the incidents that happened, we all know them and if you don't, consider yourself lucky. The problem is that, since then, it has NOT died down as people thought it would. It has NOT faded away. In fact, it might even be getting worse.
Do me a favour....put yourself in her shoes for a second, okay? Let's say it's YOUR friend who was murdered. You tried everything that you could to help him. But, in the end, he was still murdered. How would YOU feel? Then you have these people who didn't know him, who certainly don't know you, sitting there hiding behind their computer screens, their Twitter accounts or their blogs, telling you how you didn't do enough? How you should have done more? Excuse me?? Who ARE these people? Unless you were there, in that building, AND involved in all conversations that went on, I would like to know how in the hell you think you have ANY idea what went on? And regardless, I am not sure how you think that your saying that is not so COMPLETELY out of line and CRUEL! Or, let's say that you then spend HOURS with this friend AFTER he has passed away, helping to dress him and put makeup on him and whatever. Can you IMAGINE how heartbreaking that must have been? For me, I probably would have been traumatized. But, then here comes more people calling you a liar. Questioning you, well how long did you really spend? Well, why? Well, I don't think that's exactly right because one day you said it took 8 hours and 57 minutes and one day you said 8 hours and 57 and a half minutes so I think you're lying and part of a grand conspiracy. HELLO?! People! Feet on floor for a second, get your heads out of your asses and THINK about what you are doing! I don't mean to sound like an asshole, but how insensitive, how mean, how COLD HEARTED do people have to be?!
Now, look, she is a very strong person. She had a wonderful teacher in how to ignore ignorance and frankly she is a pretty good teacher herself on that subject! (I'm just not a very good student, I guess. OR there just comes a point where you HAVE to say something.) But, to those of you out there who are newer to this community, to those of you who have some friends that you trust that are saying this or that, maybe it's time to look at the other side, because there ARE two sides to these stories.
And now - well, now it's all just gone completely off the deep end, because NOW this very same woman who put herself on the line day after day who spoke out not only privately on her Facebook but PUBLICLY is now being accused of being "in bed" with a company that she would NEVER - NEVER - be "in bed" with. Not only that, but she has publicly spoken about that company as well! Now, normally this would be something that you could just laugh at, because how ridiculous can people get? But, what's scaring me - what's scaring me and actually upsetting me (and by the way, one of the many reasons that I did write this blog is that this is also upsetting other fans, good people who care about the truth and who care about Karen) is that SOME PEOPLE ARE LISTENING TO THIS!
People. PLEASE. I am begging you, before you jump on board with absolute silliness, PLEASE do some research. If the person that is blogging chooses not to research, that does not mean that you shouldn't. Karen does not have a Facebook page anymore, but she has a Twitter. Go back through her Twitter and read what she has had to say on this very subject that she is being accused of not addressing. Yeah, so, it'll take you half an hour or so, but isn't it worth that much time to learn the TRUTH?
And I know there are people reading this and going "you're just saying that because you're her friend/slave or have been brainwashed by her". Let me address that quickly: I am not her slave and I am DEFINITELY not brainwashed. She did NOT ask me to write this blog. Am I her friend? Yeah, over the past however many months, Karen has become a friend of mine, but WHY do you think that is? Because I enjoy making friends with evil people who are involved in secret conspiracies? Not so much. Because she is a GOOD and HONEST person who has taught me a lot. Not just with regards to Michael, but other things as well. She is a kind person, she's an incredibly funny person and I genuinely like her for who she is as a human being. However, this goes SO beyond that. This is not about someone being mean to my friend so I have to post a blog about it. This is about someone(s) SLANDERING a good person which is INFURIATING to me and others because what is being said could not be further from the truth.
It wouldn't hurt to keep in mind that Karen is also a potential witness for a potential upcoming trial. This isn't something new, I have blogged about it before, but do you see what I'm saying? A few people on the internet truly do not matter, but if they (whoever "they" are) could ruin Karen's credibility enough, what could that do? She's already one of the only people speaking the truth. (How do I know that? Because she has stuck to a consistent story since day one. She has ZERO motivation for lying. So much of what she said months and months ago later proved to be true. And because I trust her. If YOU don't trust her, fine. Not everyone is going to believe the same thing, but please do not make that decision until you have read her words for yourself, not read what someone else said she said because we have all seen how THAT gets twisted too).
Is this how a person gets repaid for putting herself out there and telling us all the truth? For sharing stories with us? For letting us all in, just a little? She gets paid back with abuse, insults and wild accusations? Do we not see a problem with that?
And let me tell you something else, while we're on the subject, because lately there has been a lot of "omg Karen is soooo mean". Karen is NOT mean. I am not Karen, but if I had to guess I would say perhaps Karen is a little less patient than she used to be and for good reason. So, yeah. If you tweet her some bullshit, maybe she's gonna respond with the same amount of respect that you gave her (actually, she's still usually more kind than the people who start with her to be completely honest, but anyway). So, before you jump on board THAT omg Karen is mean train, read some of the tweets she gets.
She is only human. What do people want from her? She is STILL even AFTER all the crap she gets, she is STILL taking time to share with fans. This is SUCH a positive thing, that someone in Michael's circle is willing to interact with fans NOT if they buy their book or ebookmovie or whatever that crazy thing was (just sayin'), but JUST to interact with them. And the response is to speak to her like this? To make horrible accusations with absolutely no evidence? To THREATEN her and make it sound like she is involved in some sinister evil crap? STOP LISTENING TO OTHER PEOPLE!
Make your OWN judgments based on your OWN experiences, do some research.
Now, I know this is already long, but I'm gonna ask for your attention for a few more minutes because I want to talk about someone else for a second too. I want to talk about Sammy.
I'm going to be totally honest, before a few weeks ago, I did not know much about Sammy. We had not talked a whole lot. I had heard every story in the book about her. I am not saying I BELIEVED them, but I'd heard them. Then I went to LA.
I first met Sammy at the courthouse. I am a fairly emotional person as a general rule, but not insane about it. But for some reason, when court was over and the Jackson family came out of the courtroom, and I saw Katherine looking exhausted and sad and I believe Rebbie was crying if I am remembering correctly...I got all teary. Sammy was with other people and I was with other people and again, while we knew who each other were, we didn't know a whole lot about each other at that point - and let me tell you, Sammy had her own drama going on at court that day. But, she still came up to me, put her hand on my shoulder and asked if I was okay. A simple gesture, but considering that this is supposed to be such a horribly scary and mean person, I dunno, that doesn't sound like a mean person to me!
Over the next week that I was in LA I spent a fair amount of time with Sammy and let me tell you something.. she is one of the warmest, kindest, funniest people that I know. I got to see Sammy for who she REALLY is, not for who random people who don't even know her say she is. Sammy was there for me when I needed a friend, she welcomed me into her group of friends with open arms and introduced me to some amazing people, she listened to me, she was just a great person to hang out with and I am so glad that we became friends. So.....let me tell you that I am not taking kindly to the abuse that SHE is getting either.
A couple things to keep in mind when it comes to Sammy:
1: Just like with Karen, I have seen firsthand people lie about Sammy. Without question, 100%, they MAKE THINGS UP. Because guess what? I was there with her at court, I stood next to her for over an hour and the things that she was accused of doing, she DID NOT DO.
2. Sammy loves Michael so much. (I say loves instead of love, because love does not die. It is not a clue for any hoaxers, okay? Sorry, but you have to be freakin' careful with those people it seems!). So much. And she would NEVER do or say anything to hurt him. So, take those rumors that you heard that Sammy said that Michael did this or said that, or Sammy does this or secretly does that, and put them exactly where they belong - out with the damn trash. I don't care who you heard it from, I don't care how sure this person thinks they are and I don't care how much you trust the person. You know that just like the people who want to say things about Karen, there is no proof about any of the things they say about Sammy. You KNOW that. The reason that there is not a single amount of proof for ANYTHING that is being said is simply because it is NOT true.
Sammy is being accused of being "in bed" with certain companies too, you know. It's total and complete crap. And her picture? Not photoshopped. Just sayin'. I don't care if someones friend took the photo (uploaded from FACEBOOK by the way) and supposedly said it was photoshopped. Is that REALLY proof guys? Should we also believe people when they say their friend told them that Michael Jackson said this or that? Put it into perspective.
I don't know what a certain bloggers motivation is if she has one. I have tried to talk to her nicely more than once and got nowhere. I do not think she is an evil person, but I believe she has become severely misguided and is leading people onto a dangerous path that will NOT have them ending up at the truth. I am not worried about what she is saying - I am worried about the people that are more new to the community or the people that read her blog in the past and thought it was good (it was!) and are now taking her word as fact. It is not fact. She, like others, has o proof and INCORRECT FACTS. You will see that yourself if you take the time to look.
And it doesn't matter how many random emails this blogger posts or how many supposed "friends" she has that told her this and that - it is ALL just words put there to make herself seem more credible. It is meaningless.
So, here's the point of this long rambling nonsense, okay? The point is that just like Michael says - you should not judge a person until you have spoken to them one on one. And I am not talking about a random tweet here or there, I am talking about an actual conversation. And, if you can't have an actual conversation with them, then take some time and read some of the things that they have said in the past. If you must judge them, judge them based on THEIR words not OTHER peoples words.
Michael spent the majority of his life having to deal with accusations, lies and people who wanted to tear him down. As supposed "fans" of his, how are we going to turn around and do that to others? To anyone, really, but especially to someone who was his friend (yes, employee, but also friend) for almost 30 years and to a fan who he knew and loved? (Yes, he loved all his fans, I know that. Karen knows that too, by the way. And so does Sammy. We ALL know that. Please do not get distracted from the point, lol.). It's not right and we all need to think before we speak. Think about what we are saying and how it might hurt somebody, think about what we are basing our judgments of somebody on and mostly, THINK before we read a blog (or whatever) and assume it to be true. WE ALL KNOW BETTER. MICHAEL taught us better.
I'm really sorry for those of you who never got to experience being a part of Karen's Facebook page because for a long while it really was a great place. And also because since it no longer exists, you cannot go back and read her words (though I'm sure they're all over the place despite her asking for them not to be, but anyway.). But there are still other ways. Read through her Twitter......read through Sammys Facebook if you are a friend on there. Learn for yourself. Stop listening to nonsense.
To those of you who don't know, who are confused, who are hurt, I understand.......I really do. It is a confusing situation for those just walking in. That's why I did this though, so that those just walking in can hear that, yes, there are some very loud voices spreading some very strong "information" (as they call it), but there are plenty of people over here going "no. That is not true.
I am turning off comments on this blog, not because I don't care about opinoins, but because this blog is meant to to give another point of view. I do not want people reading this to have to read through 50 comments arguing back and forth. I am not heading a discussion here, I am making a point. Feel free to share and discuss this wherever you'd like and if you DO want to talk to me and don't already know me, my Twitter is:
www.twitter.com/neverletyoupart.
I am exhausted. I am absolutely totally and completely EXHAUSTED. And you know what else? I am angry. And I am hurt.
Someone that I respect very much told me not too long ago that sometimes you just have to completely ignore the negativity and allow people to do what they're gonna do. She's right. But, then sometimes, it's too much and I need to speak up. Because this is more than petty insults and stupid comments. And, sure, we can dismiss it as "crazy", but that does not mean that other people are doing the same thing. And I believe that everyone should have the opportunity to hear both sides to a story before having to make a judgment. This is kind of long and I apologize for that, but if you can take the time to read, I will try my best to make my points as well as I can.
I'd like to take you guys back to a year or so ago. When we were all feeling lost. When we had all lost someone that we loved, someone that we admired, someone that though some of us had never met him, we cared for him in a way that simply can't be explained in words. Speaking for myself, it truly did feel as if I had lost someone close to me.
I am going to tell you a bit of my own story. Why am I doing this when most people probably don't care? Because we all have stories about how we got to where we are and I think that is important in what I am going to discuss.
I had not been a big member of forums before, really, because I found them a perfect place for drama, arguing and stupidity. I had paid attention to some MJ forums in the past, but I wasn't hugely active in them. A few weeks after Michael died, when I found myself surrounded by people that were, for the most part, "over it", that's when I decided to try the forums again. Don't get me wrong, I have WONDERFUL people in my life, amazing friends and family, but you cannot expect everyone to react to something in the same way. It was more difficult for me than it was for pretty much everyone I had in my life at that point. It was not the same for them.
Through a forum, I met a girl who lives in Toronto who clued me into a group of fans from Toronto. I was surprised and almost disappointed at myself having been a fan of Michael's for so long, that I did not even know that such a group existed, but I got over the initial disappointment (LOL) and reached out to these people. They were wonderful. They are still wonderful, and I am still good friends with them all.
Through these people, I learned that Karen Faye had a Facebook page. I didn't know THAT either. I DID know who Karen was. I knew her, mostly from the Take Two documentary...and yes, I had heard about MJJSource and no, I didn't believe that Karen ever stole money from fans, even back then. (I mean, I'm just saying, LOL.) I sent a friends request and was accepted pretty quickly... (I believe this was around September, however I don't remember exactly. I know some of YOU know when I joined, because I've been told before, as in, "you didn't join until ____, therefore you don't even KNOW Karen, b/c if you did you would have been on her FB before Michael died" I don't even know WHAT to do with that one, but ANYWAY). After being accepted onto Karen's page, that's when things started becoming a lot more clear to me. I made some amazing new friends, some of whom I have now met in person, talk to every day and have become some of my best friends. It was through Karen that I really learned about TINI. It was through Karen that I learned about a lot of things, actually, and let me be clear - if you were ever a part of Karen's Facebook page, you know what I am referring to. These things wil not be repeated here. You know what I am talking about.
Before joining Karen's Facebook page, let me be clear - I had my questions about Michael's death. Doubts about the timing, doubts about some other things and I definitely did one of those "excuse me, they're making a MOVIE? ALREADY?".. just all kinds of things, a lot wasn't making sense for me. But, it was not until getting on this FB page that more started making sense. I learned a lot. I learned TRUTH. And I learned it from someone who was not writing a book. Someone who was not selling her story to tabloids or the media at ALL. I learned it from someone who was ready and willing to put herself on the line in order to tell the TRUTH. To share firsthand observations with fans. To get people asking questions.
So, for a long while, that's what was happening. There was a lot of love on that page and it was a good place to go to if you were feeling down or wanted to talk to someone........and of course, to learn.
Then, as usual when the internet is involved, drama happened. The drama came in many forms...people who didn't know him at all or VERY little suddenly speaking about intimate details they made up in their vivid imaginations....random people who had suddenly jumped out of the woodwork to make their grand reappearance.....and mostly, and most sad......from fans. From the very same fans who had been a part of this page for as long as I had, many even longer, who took comfort in the words there, who learned the same truths that I did and who claimed to be his "army of love".
I am not going to get into the incidents that happened, we all know them and if you don't, consider yourself lucky. The problem is that, since then, it has NOT died down as people thought it would. It has NOT faded away. In fact, it might even be getting worse.
Do me a favour....put yourself in her shoes for a second, okay? Let's say it's YOUR friend who was murdered. You tried everything that you could to help him. But, in the end, he was still murdered. How would YOU feel? Then you have these people who didn't know him, who certainly don't know you, sitting there hiding behind their computer screens, their Twitter accounts or their blogs, telling you how you didn't do enough? How you should have done more? Excuse me?? Who ARE these people? Unless you were there, in that building, AND involved in all conversations that went on, I would like to know how in the hell you think you have ANY idea what went on? And regardless, I am not sure how you think that your saying that is not so COMPLETELY out of line and CRUEL! Or, let's say that you then spend HOURS with this friend AFTER he has passed away, helping to dress him and put makeup on him and whatever. Can you IMAGINE how heartbreaking that must have been? For me, I probably would have been traumatized. But, then here comes more people calling you a liar. Questioning you, well how long did you really spend? Well, why? Well, I don't think that's exactly right because one day you said it took 8 hours and 57 minutes and one day you said 8 hours and 57 and a half minutes so I think you're lying and part of a grand conspiracy. HELLO?! People! Feet on floor for a second, get your heads out of your asses and THINK about what you are doing! I don't mean to sound like an asshole, but how insensitive, how mean, how COLD HEARTED do people have to be?!
Now, look, she is a very strong person. She had a wonderful teacher in how to ignore ignorance and frankly she is a pretty good teacher herself on that subject! (I'm just not a very good student, I guess. OR there just comes a point where you HAVE to say something.) But, to those of you out there who are newer to this community, to those of you who have some friends that you trust that are saying this or that, maybe it's time to look at the other side, because there ARE two sides to these stories.
And now - well, now it's all just gone completely off the deep end, because NOW this very same woman who put herself on the line day after day who spoke out not only privately on her Facebook but PUBLICLY is now being accused of being "in bed" with a company that she would NEVER - NEVER - be "in bed" with. Not only that, but she has publicly spoken about that company as well! Now, normally this would be something that you could just laugh at, because how ridiculous can people get? But, what's scaring me - what's scaring me and actually upsetting me (and by the way, one of the many reasons that I did write this blog is that this is also upsetting other fans, good people who care about the truth and who care about Karen) is that SOME PEOPLE ARE LISTENING TO THIS!
People. PLEASE. I am begging you, before you jump on board with absolute silliness, PLEASE do some research. If the person that is blogging chooses not to research, that does not mean that you shouldn't. Karen does not have a Facebook page anymore, but she has a Twitter. Go back through her Twitter and read what she has had to say on this very subject that she is being accused of not addressing. Yeah, so, it'll take you half an hour or so, but isn't it worth that much time to learn the TRUTH?
And I know there are people reading this and going "you're just saying that because you're her friend/slave or have been brainwashed by her". Let me address that quickly: I am not her slave and I am DEFINITELY not brainwashed. She did NOT ask me to write this blog. Am I her friend? Yeah, over the past however many months, Karen has become a friend of mine, but WHY do you think that is? Because I enjoy making friends with evil people who are involved in secret conspiracies? Not so much. Because she is a GOOD and HONEST person who has taught me a lot. Not just with regards to Michael, but other things as well. She is a kind person, she's an incredibly funny person and I genuinely like her for who she is as a human being. However, this goes SO beyond that. This is not about someone being mean to my friend so I have to post a blog about it. This is about someone(s) SLANDERING a good person which is INFURIATING to me and others because what is being said could not be further from the truth.
It wouldn't hurt to keep in mind that Karen is also a potential witness for a potential upcoming trial. This isn't something new, I have blogged about it before, but do you see what I'm saying? A few people on the internet truly do not matter, but if they (whoever "they" are) could ruin Karen's credibility enough, what could that do? She's already one of the only people speaking the truth. (How do I know that? Because she has stuck to a consistent story since day one. She has ZERO motivation for lying. So much of what she said months and months ago later proved to be true. And because I trust her. If YOU don't trust her, fine. Not everyone is going to believe the same thing, but please do not make that decision until you have read her words for yourself, not read what someone else said she said because we have all seen how THAT gets twisted too).
Is this how a person gets repaid for putting herself out there and telling us all the truth? For sharing stories with us? For letting us all in, just a little? She gets paid back with abuse, insults and wild accusations? Do we not see a problem with that?
And let me tell you something else, while we're on the subject, because lately there has been a lot of "omg Karen is soooo mean". Karen is NOT mean. I am not Karen, but if I had to guess I would say perhaps Karen is a little less patient than she used to be and for good reason. So, yeah. If you tweet her some bullshit, maybe she's gonna respond with the same amount of respect that you gave her (actually, she's still usually more kind than the people who start with her to be completely honest, but anyway). So, before you jump on board THAT omg Karen is mean train, read some of the tweets she gets.
She is only human. What do people want from her? She is STILL even AFTER all the crap she gets, she is STILL taking time to share with fans. This is SUCH a positive thing, that someone in Michael's circle is willing to interact with fans NOT if they buy their book or ebookmovie or whatever that crazy thing was (just sayin'), but JUST to interact with them. And the response is to speak to her like this? To make horrible accusations with absolutely no evidence? To THREATEN her and make it sound like she is involved in some sinister evil crap? STOP LISTENING TO OTHER PEOPLE!
Make your OWN judgments based on your OWN experiences, do some research.
Now, I know this is already long, but I'm gonna ask for your attention for a few more minutes because I want to talk about someone else for a second too. I want to talk about Sammy.
I'm going to be totally honest, before a few weeks ago, I did not know much about Sammy. We had not talked a whole lot. I had heard every story in the book about her. I am not saying I BELIEVED them, but I'd heard them. Then I went to LA.
I first met Sammy at the courthouse. I am a fairly emotional person as a general rule, but not insane about it. But for some reason, when court was over and the Jackson family came out of the courtroom, and I saw Katherine looking exhausted and sad and I believe Rebbie was crying if I am remembering correctly...I got all teary. Sammy was with other people and I was with other people and again, while we knew who each other were, we didn't know a whole lot about each other at that point - and let me tell you, Sammy had her own drama going on at court that day. But, she still came up to me, put her hand on my shoulder and asked if I was okay. A simple gesture, but considering that this is supposed to be such a horribly scary and mean person, I dunno, that doesn't sound like a mean person to me!
Over the next week that I was in LA I spent a fair amount of time with Sammy and let me tell you something.. she is one of the warmest, kindest, funniest people that I know. I got to see Sammy for who she REALLY is, not for who random people who don't even know her say she is. Sammy was there for me when I needed a friend, she welcomed me into her group of friends with open arms and introduced me to some amazing people, she listened to me, she was just a great person to hang out with and I am so glad that we became friends. So.....let me tell you that I am not taking kindly to the abuse that SHE is getting either.
A couple things to keep in mind when it comes to Sammy:
1: Just like with Karen, I have seen firsthand people lie about Sammy. Without question, 100%, they MAKE THINGS UP. Because guess what? I was there with her at court, I stood next to her for over an hour and the things that she was accused of doing, she DID NOT DO.
2. Sammy loves Michael so much. (I say loves instead of love, because love does not die. It is not a clue for any hoaxers, okay? Sorry, but you have to be freakin' careful with those people it seems!). So much. And she would NEVER do or say anything to hurt him. So, take those rumors that you heard that Sammy said that Michael did this or said that, or Sammy does this or secretly does that, and put them exactly where they belong - out with the damn trash. I don't care who you heard it from, I don't care how sure this person thinks they are and I don't care how much you trust the person. You know that just like the people who want to say things about Karen, there is no proof about any of the things they say about Sammy. You KNOW that. The reason that there is not a single amount of proof for ANYTHING that is being said is simply because it is NOT true.
Sammy is being accused of being "in bed" with certain companies too, you know. It's total and complete crap. And her picture? Not photoshopped. Just sayin'. I don't care if someones friend took the photo (uploaded from FACEBOOK by the way) and supposedly said it was photoshopped. Is that REALLY proof guys? Should we also believe people when they say their friend told them that Michael Jackson said this or that? Put it into perspective.
I don't know what a certain bloggers motivation is if she has one. I have tried to talk to her nicely more than once and got nowhere. I do not think she is an evil person, but I believe she has become severely misguided and is leading people onto a dangerous path that will NOT have them ending up at the truth. I am not worried about what she is saying - I am worried about the people that are more new to the community or the people that read her blog in the past and thought it was good (it was!) and are now taking her word as fact. It is not fact. She, like others, has o proof and INCORRECT FACTS. You will see that yourself if you take the time to look.
And it doesn't matter how many random emails this blogger posts or how many supposed "friends" she has that told her this and that - it is ALL just words put there to make herself seem more credible. It is meaningless.
So, here's the point of this long rambling nonsense, okay? The point is that just like Michael says - you should not judge a person until you have spoken to them one on one. And I am not talking about a random tweet here or there, I am talking about an actual conversation. And, if you can't have an actual conversation with them, then take some time and read some of the things that they have said in the past. If you must judge them, judge them based on THEIR words not OTHER peoples words.
Michael spent the majority of his life having to deal with accusations, lies and people who wanted to tear him down. As supposed "fans" of his, how are we going to turn around and do that to others? To anyone, really, but especially to someone who was his friend (yes, employee, but also friend) for almost 30 years and to a fan who he knew and loved? (Yes, he loved all his fans, I know that. Karen knows that too, by the way. And so does Sammy. We ALL know that. Please do not get distracted from the point, lol.). It's not right and we all need to think before we speak. Think about what we are saying and how it might hurt somebody, think about what we are basing our judgments of somebody on and mostly, THINK before we read a blog (or whatever) and assume it to be true. WE ALL KNOW BETTER. MICHAEL taught us better.
I'm really sorry for those of you who never got to experience being a part of Karen's Facebook page because for a long while it really was a great place. And also because since it no longer exists, you cannot go back and read her words (though I'm sure they're all over the place despite her asking for them not to be, but anyway.). But there are still other ways. Read through her Twitter......read through Sammys Facebook if you are a friend on there. Learn for yourself. Stop listening to nonsense.
To those of you who don't know, who are confused, who are hurt, I understand.......I really do. It is a confusing situation for those just walking in. That's why I did this though, so that those just walking in can hear that, yes, there are some very loud voices spreading some very strong "information" (as they call it), but there are plenty of people over here going "no. That is not true.
I am turning off comments on this blog, not because I don't care about opinoins, but because this blog is meant to to give another point of view. I do not want people reading this to have to read through 50 comments arguing back and forth. I am not heading a discussion here, I am making a point. Feel free to share and discuss this wherever you'd like and if you DO want to talk to me and don't already know me, my Twitter is:
www.twitter.com/neverletyoupart.
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