Some of the comments here clearly show that they had not read the article before commenting. The author has articulately clarified what "strange" means to the society.
" The human race has quite often owed its scientific or artistic progress to the “weird” and the “eccentric.” Let us consider, for example, Galileo Galilei, who was charged for openly discussing Copernican theory, a concept seen as sinful and roundly condemned at that time; later, of course, this theory went on to become the accepted standard of scientific understanding of the universe. We might also stop to consider how treasonable the very idea of democracy once was, how dangerous the aristocracy felt it to be; later, democracy became the world’s prevailing political philosophy. We can also remember that the concept of equality between : women and men, among different ethnicities, or diverse religions, was derided when it first emerged. Had she not thought differently from others, might Mother Teresa not have been a stay-at-home mom instead of traveling to the slums of India and risking her life for humanity?
Keeping the history of these exceptional ideas and people in mind, I can almost guarantee that if one had killed all the “freaks” among our Australopithecine ancestors 3.5 million years ago, our species might not have made it to the 21st Century. We might very well have remained a much more primitive species, one without the use of fire and the wheel, let alone an orchestra, or democracy, or computers. Is it not, after all, diversity that allows for evolution?
In other words, "weirdness" is sometimes the inevitable result of an exceptional imaginative ability that sees no boundaries in search of all the creative possibilities. As long as such individuals do us no harm, we should let them be. It is our duty to be respectful of those who are different not only because every human being is entitled to freedom, but also because diversity is at the root of human survival; diversity or “difference” is what allows for new ways of looking at things and indeed for innovation and progress to occur. "
And in the following paragraphs, he has, in my opinion, effectively made plain the falsity of the allegations made against Jackson.
It is such a disappointment to see a kneejerk response from our fellow citizens. Prejudice is ignorance.
The write-up ends with this :
" I speculate that there is a pervasive feeling that it is safer to say nothing when it comes to Michael Jackson for fear of being promptly stigmatized. However, we need to address the implications of such silent behavior. What does our silence about the attacks on one of the most visible achievers of the American Dream say? What does it say in light of the American Constitution's declaration of the inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness ? If we play it safe, we are forfeiting our children’s future into the hands of bullies. It is time for us to speak up about the damage opportunistic journalism is doing to our culture. As Edmund Burke once penned, “all it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” "
http://hubpages.com/hub/Does-American-Dream-Have-to-Die-With-Michael-Jackson
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