Remember that saying: "If you can't say something good or kind,

[monmouth]

perhaps you shouldn't say anything at all." I'd like to think DU was a pretty civil site. There are numerous people who have passed away I cared little or nothing about. Said nothing, what would be my point? To hurt others who are saddened? How childish. I'm just saying this man was THE entertainer for an entire generation of young people. As a parent at the time I'd watch my younger child trying to imitate the "moon walk".. He employed a lot of people and kept his family in the style to which they had become accustomed.

Let the man RIP.

[d_b]

1. pederast or not

his old stuff is the shit. Here's to hoping he makes it into that crippled boy orphanage in the sky :toast:

[TwilightGardener]

2. Well, he dangled babies out of windows, too. Sorry, too much of a

messed-up human being to just ignore the wacky shit.

[LaurenG]

3. Unfortunately - some will not heed that.

They feel their right to exploit or hate is more important than allowing others to appreciate and morn. :(

[cali]

4. civil? you're kidding. DUers do plenty of grave dancing.

Yes, let him RIP, but that doesn't mean erasing his history won't include some very disturbing stuff.

[MrModerate]

7. Some people deserve grave dancing more than others.

I'm sure you can supply your own list.

[MrModerate]

5. Here, here! Despite what we may or may not think, he was acquitted after all . . .

And regardless of what we may have thought of his work, there's no denying he was a consummate artist and a world-class entertainer. Weird as suspenders on a snake, but heck, have you met my uncle Norman?

[MAGICBULLET]

6. thank you

very much for this post. I wish more people would see it this way.


the music will always live on

[bigwillq]

8. People are entitled to their opinions

I agree with you. :hug:

Celebrity deaths bring out the worst.

[redqueen]

9. Thank you.

[stray cat]

10. DU posters are sometimes identical to free republic - same hatred different enemies

Right eventually meets left in a full circle.

[Common Sense Party]

11. When was DU ever civil? Just look at any Democratic primary

and tell me how much civility you see.

[ChazII]

12. In my class we call it the Thumper Rule

but I work with 3rd grade students.

Thank you for you kindness towards those who are mourning.

[rucky]

13. Yep.

People here can be such a-holes sometimes.

[Lifelong Protester]

14. The guy had serious mental health issues

let him rest in peace. I don't like the wacked stuff he did either, but he was a talented man, with some very, very serious mental illness (IMHO) and I don't believe in kicking folks who have crippling problems that show or NOT.

[Forkboy]

15. The worst part to me isn't the ones harping on Michael.

I'm ambivalent about it to be honest, but I can understand why it's a big story today. What bugs me is the people scolding DUers for not paying attention to what's important, as if only those self righteous yobbos are smart enough to follow more than one thought at a time.

[Catshrink]

17. It's not the inability to follow one thought at a time.

Have you noticed the number of threads about MJ? It's the deluge. Everyone needs to have his or her own thread for some inexplicable reason. I am grateful for the hide and ignore buttons at times like these.

[Forkboy]

18. becasue he was a big part of so many lives. He touched everyone differently, so to speak.

.....


Seriously, at the time of Thriller I was DJing and I had to play him constantly, so even though I'm not really happy or sad at his passing I too have a lot of memories related to him (most of them damn good, to be honest...those were the days). It's not rare for people to feel that their story, or their point of view is special, and to them, it is.

You are wise to employ the ignore feature and hide thread feature. I just skip over them to ignore them, but I never begrudge anyone else for using them to whatever extent it takes to make DU the experience they want it to be. :toast:

[progressoid]

16. Well, that would pretty much eliminate the majority of posts on DU

[eridani]

19. If you can't think of something nice to say about someone--

--then come over here and sit by me. --Alice Roosevelt Longworth