Good Riddance, MJ

[Strid]

AIDS Project L.A.

American Cancer Society

Angel Food

Big Brothers of Greater Los Angeles

BMI Foundation, Inc.

Brotherhood Crusade

Brothman Burn Center

Camp Ronald McDonald

Childhelp U.S.A.

Children's Institute International

Cities and Schools Scholarship Fund

Community Youth Sports & Arts Foundation

Congressional Black Caucus (CBC)

Dakar Foundation

Dreamstreet Kids

Dreams Come True Charity

Elizabeth Taylor Aids Foundation

Juvenile Diabetes Foundation

Love Match

Make-A-Wish Foundation

Minority Aids Project

Motown Museum

NAACP

National Rainbow Coalition

Rotary Club of Australia

Society of Singers

Starlight Foundation

The Carter Center's Atlanta Project

The Sickle Cell Research Foundation

Transafrica

United Negro College Fund (UNCF)

United Negro College Fund Ladder's of Hope

Volunteers of America

Watts Summer Festival

Wish Granting

YMCA - 28th Street/Crenshaw

These are issues that MJ gave time and/or money to. He wasn't like a lot of celebrities that only give time and/or lip service to issues that they themselves have or their family members have. No offence Montel or Michael J Fox because I <3 you.

Shouldn't be surprised that people think he was all about himself. They only care about the dirt on people, not the kindness, because dirt sells papers.

Nice, long list of tax write-offs.

 

[Keryan]

You can only write off around 37% for taxes. So if he gave 1 million away in a year, he could only claim 370k for taxes. I find myself with mixed emotions of his dying. In many ways he was a big kid, but even big kids can hurt smaller ones. I hope his will places his kids with loving family. They are the ones who will suffer most.

 

[Strid]

You can only write off around 37% for taxes. So if he gave 1 million away in a year, he could only claim 370k for taxes. I find myself with mixed emotions of his dying. In many ways he was a big kid, but even big kids can hurt smaller ones. I hope his will places his kids with loving family. They are the ones who will suffer most.

It goes a little deeper than that. You can only write-off a certain amount, yes, but it seems to be based off income. For people of his wealth he can write-off enough to even be in a lower income tax bracket, which is what the super wealthy (big time millions/borderline billionaires), most all if not all, shoot for. I'd imagine the man gave well over a million in charities but unless you know his total income/total donations you can't say how far lower he could go down. My boss is borderline billionaire, his bank accounts make enough money in a week to make a workin' man cry. He's a good man, but at the end of the day his charitable donations are all about the write-offs, to get him to the lowest tax bracket possible, which changes from year to year. Sure there are some he holds dear, like the ones close to experience, but a lot of them are also just fat to us who could use the money and tax necessities for him.

My whole point is this, what it all boils down to is what do they do with their money that can't be written-off. Another example of my boss; over his world travels he has visited many poor villages. The ones that sparked a light in him he would always return to with a crew of workers and tidy the places up and help out where they lacked the most. He has built churches, medical facilities, power structures, sent kids to their nations colleges, many numerous things along with keepin' them funded enough to afford their new facilities and things that would come from the new daily life of his doings. All of this is out of pocket because he could and because he wanted to help.

So you can't really call a person great because of a nice fancy list of charitable donations. They could mean nothin' more than tax write-offs, they could be useless, or they could be genuine, but you never know unless you handle heir accounts -and- know them. As far as I'm concerned he was just another celebrity that sprung new life into pop and dance, two things which I could give two shits less about. He lived a strange life, but don't a lot of folks. I'm not sure if he was a pedo, but I believe a grown man shouldn't be puttin' himself in those positions of question in the first place. However, I don't see him as even a decent person. Decent people don't dangle their youngest kiddo from balconies. Decent people clean up their narcotic activities, especially destructive ones, when they accept parental duties and learn life is no longer all about them, but it's their job to stick around, as best and long as they can, to help raise decent human beings. None of his donations will forgive his wrongdoings and life choices, not even the genuine ones.

 

[Tyrath]

To be honest this song sums up my view on this whole MJ thing..

Be warned, this might be very offensive to some

Spoiler:

 

[.Curjos.]

To be honest this song sums up my view on this whole MJ thing..

Be warned, this might be very offensive to some

Spoiler:

I totally 100% agree with you.

Before he died, some of my friends who I know (and can recall clearly) used to call him a "paedophile" and say stuff like, and I quote, "Why doesn't he just hurry up and die?". When he died, they started expressing how upset they were, by doing stuff like changing MSN names to include lyrics from his songs and added messages like "R.I.P, you will be missed". Several times, I asked people who did similiar things "Don't you think you're being a tad hypocritical here?" and they'd flip out completely, telling me that they have the right to "pay respect to the greatest legend of our era". Well, guess what, no you don't! A few days ago you were wishing he was dead, and now you're wishing he was alive?

As far as my view goes, I didn't like the guy one bit; in life or death. I don't think he was a paedophile, although I think he deserved the bad press he got; what 50 year old invites children to a sleep over? What kind of man dangles his child over a balcony? People try to defend him by saying "Oh, he had a bad upbringing" but that doesn't excuse what he has done, and if he wasn't famous, it wouldn't have.
Although I disagree with people who think hes a paedophile (I think it was more the parents fault for allowing their children to "sleepover" at the house a 50 year old), I agree with them a damnsight more than I agree with people who thought he was a paedophile when he was alive and now idolise him in death.

Its a pretty sad fact, but it seems the death of a celebrity licenses hypocrisy.

EDIT:

I also think the people who complained about people criticising him in the previous thread are hypocrites for coming to this thread and flaming people for expressing their view on how they dislike him.

 

[Burne]

I also think the people who complained about people criticising him in the previous thread are hypocrites for coming to this thread and flaming people for expressing their view on how they dislike him.

I don't really see anyone saying don't say bad things about him in this thread or flaming going on. I really don't know how I feel about the split of the threads though. He did do some shady stuff but he also did some good stuff. The man was contraversial and should be threated as such. If the original thread was "R.I.P MJ" and people were saying Burn in hell then that might be different. Shouldn't people be allowed to discuss there difference of opinion of him? I could be like others and go on all day about all the good stuff he has done but lets be real he has done some crazy shit.

He admitted to having sleep overs, giving them alcohol, dangled his kid, released at least 2 fake stories about himself just because he thought it would be fun (then later regrets it because that how it started the rumors) and many others.

 

[Mirewen]

Funny how everyone pushing to have the thread split is still comming into this one and praising him and it be ok, but when we went in that thread and bashed him, we were assholes.

Because a lot of what is being said is a lie so I posted the truth? OMG I'M A HORRIBLE PERSON! If the truth makes you bitch this much, no wonder you like to keep on pretending everything the "news" tells you.

I also think the people who complained about people criticising him in the previous thread are hypocrites for coming to this thread and flaming people for expressing their view on how they dislike him.

We aren't flaming people for disliking MJ. We are (or at least I am) proving people obviously don't know all the facts and are posting rumours. Go ahead and flame him with lies, it just makes you look miss informed.

Nice, long list of tax write-offs.

lmao, seriously? So before he was an "ass" for "not contributing" and now that you know he did, you bitch about that too? You going to call everyone who gives to charity out for tax write offs? This is a perfect example of damned if you do, damned if you don't. You just like to keep waving your pitchforks.

 

[Calv/Godofdeath]

Because a lot of what is being said is a lie so I posted the truth? OMG I'M A HORRIBLE PERSON! If the truth makes you bitch this much, no wonder you like to keep on pretending everything the "news" tells you.

Because you didn't get a lot of your facts from the news. You actually did research on Michael Jackson? You're not buying into the news that said he was innocent on all accounts of pedophilism. YOU were IN THE ROOM and observed NO sexual activity happen and can testify on the mans behalf?

 

[Jereme]

Why do you keep coming back to this thread Mire? You were one of the main ones wanting the 2 threads split because it hurt your gentle eyes to see people saying bad things about MJ. Then after the split you just keep coming back.

 

[.Curjos.]

Go ahead and flame him with lies, it just makes you look miss informed.

Please list examples of what "lies" I flamed him with. You obviously didn't read my post.

 

[Miros]

This thread is pretty ridiculous in my opinion. Nobody knows what happened with MJ when it comes to his pedofelia or anything like that unless they were there. Why try to persuade anyone otherwise?

Let the haters hate in this thread, and let the mourners mourn in the other thread. I mean, it was split for a reason.

 

[Halifirien]

You've gotta admit, the conversation is more interesting when it's not limited to saying only positive things.

 

[Mirewen]

Please list examples of what "lies" I flamed him with. You obviously didn't read my post.

I never said you lied, I was quoting what you said about being hypocritical. You listed things that he admitted to doing, I never argued that those weren't true.

YOU were IN THE ROOM and observed NO sexual activity happen and can testify on the mans behalf?

Works both ways. Were you there to witness it happen?

Why do you keep coming back to this thread Mire? You were one of the main ones wanting the 2 threads split because it hurt your gentle eyes to see people saying bad things about MJ. Then after the split you just keep coming back.

It's called a discussion. Just because I didn't agree with people ripping into a dead man in an RIP thread, doesn't mean I am therefore not "allowed" to post discussing issues in another thread. That's why there are 2 threads. A lot of what is being posted here is a lie, I'm refuting it.

 

[Halifirien]

It's called a discussion. Just because I didn't agree with people ripping into a dead man in an RIP thread, doesn't mean I am therefore not "allowed" to post discussing issues in another thread. That's why there are 2 threads. A lot of what is being posted here is a lie, I'm refuting it.

Oddly enough, you're supporting the argument I was making when the threads were combined. It wasn't designated as an official RIP thread from the start, but the Jackson fans started crying foul and turned it into one when the discussion went a way they didn't like, although the rest of us were having a wider discussion. Now that there's a thread specifically for slamming Michael Jackson, you and the others are trying to spin it the other way.

I don't mind, since I like the discussion. I just thought it was funny.

 

[Eleibfrid]

A lot of what is being posted here is a lie, I'm refuting it.

No one on this forum can prove correctly that he did or didn't commit acts of pedophilia, so calling someone a liar and refuting their statements are moot points. Some people are going to believe he did touch little kids, some people are going to believe he didn't.

 

[Calv/Godofdeath]

It's called a discussion. Just because I didn't agree with people ripping into a dead man in an RIP thread, doesn't mean I am therefore not "allowed" to post discussing issues in another thread. That's why there are 2 threads. A lot of what is being posted here is a lie, I'm refuting it.

It was not a rest in peace Michael Jackson thread. It was started as, "OMG is it true, is Michael Jackson dead?" thread. Then it turned into a discussion thread about what kind of man Michael was, until people like you were crying 'cause we weren't agreeing that he was the saint you think he was.
Whats to say this is a lie? Whats not to say what you believe is a lie? As you said NOONE but the people IN THAT ROOM know. Both sides are posting their POINT OF VIEW. Were not 100% true. Your not 100% true. Stop acting like your a historian on Michael Jackson. You didn't know the man. Your posting what YOU heard/read in the news and chose to believe and were doing the same. We just choose to believe he was a worthless waste of space of humanity.
Your not better then us Mirewen, and no I don't think were better then you, so stop acting like your so high involved in Michael Jackson life prior to his death.

 

[Mirewen]

No one on this forum can prove correctly that he did or didn't commit acts of pedophilia, so calling someone a liar and refuting their statements are moot points. Some people are going to believe he did touch little kids, some people are going to believe he didn't.

Dude... I refuted that he did not give to the community... Not that he was a paedophile.

Stuff.

I'm just going to quit replying to you because everything you post is full of hate and rumours.

You obviously aren't reading my posts because you're having a hissy fit about him being a paedophile meanwhile I'm posting info about his charity work. I think maybe you're into boy on man action, you can't seem to get it out of your head.

 

[Calv/Godofdeath]

Dude... I refuted that he did not give to the community... Not that he was a paedophile.

As I stated, he gave all this money to companies, yet died in debt. That does lead towards, giving for benefits since he seemed to need all the money off taxes he could. I also stated since he did die in debt, whats to say, that those charitys even got money? Let's say I'm in debt, I give you a check for $10,000, are you going to get that money or is the bank going to laugh at you?

You obviously aren't reading my posts because you're having a hissy fit about him being a paedophile meanwhile I'm posting info about his charity work. I think maybe you're into boy on man action, you can't seem to get it out of your head.

Lol. Because I hate pedophiles, I'm a pedophile. Good job. Here's a treat. Silly harlett. I'm majoring to be a educator, I do love kids, but not in the sence Michael Jackson did, and to me, a predator on children is the worst scum alive. So EXCUSE ME, for hating on someone I believe hurt children.

 

[Mirewen]

Lol. Because I hate pedophiles, I'm a pedophile. Good job. Here's a treat. Silly harlett. I'm majoring to be a educator, I do love kids, but not in the sence Michael Jackson did, and to me, a predator on children is the worst scum alive. So EXCUSE ME, for hating on someone I believe hurt children.

I hate renegging.

None of Michael's donations went unpaid. He donated time as well as money.

He was listed in the 2000 edition of the Guiness Book Of World Records for breaking the world record for the "Most Charities Supported By a Pop Star". It states that Michael Jackson has supported 39 charity organizations either with monetary donations through sponsorships of their projects or by participating in their silent auction.

 

[Eleibfrid]

Dude... I refuted that he did not give to the community... Not that he was a paedophile.

Oh, I misread something then -- my apologies.