"Then I'll Worry" Op Ed by Arlene Peck

When They Are Paying my Salary,.. Then, I’ll Worry.

By Arlene Peck

Commenting on one of my recent columns, a reader noted that I was a woman who listened to the tune of my own drummer. Well, you betcha! Especially if that means that I am ‘politically incorrect’ to the max. That, is something that I can attribute to the memory of my mother, “Queen Mollie” who taught me the mantra, ‘’Darlin, when ‘they’ are paying your salary, you might have to listen to them and do what ‘they’ want. Until then, you damn well better do what you feel and know to be ‘right’.” And you know something folks; so far I haven’t noticed anybody paying my salary.

I also wrote in a previous column that I could never understand how the world let the atrocities happen the 1940’s. Well folks, I don’t wonder now because I feel that I am living through them. Have any of you noticed how the world is on life support and hanging by a thread? Medical costs are hitting the ceiling and financial institutions are crashing all around. And, the ‘change’ we were promised by the ‘world leader’ is changing my nation, that I was perfectly happy living in, into a dictatorial socialist state. It’s even faster than you can say Czar of the day or “Zeig Heil”. Riots are going on in Iran, North Korea is trying to export nuclear materials to the Arabs and yet all the media is enraptured with everything you never wanted to know about Michael Jackson and more! Overnight it seems this very weird, perverted pedophile changed into someone the whole world mourns. Now, the world only sees him as the greatest entertainer in history, the American version of Lady Di. Gawd…I truly can’t stand it!

Frankly, if I had my druthers, I think that now would be the time for Israel to go in and ‘take out’ that bomb factory in Iran and do whatever else it took to remove them from being a danger to anyone, especially Israel. Because if you haven’t noticed, when something as earth shattering as the death of a “King of Pop” happens, everything stops.

When “Michael” died, every news channel in the world, even FOX was filling the airways twenty-four seven with minute by minute of the shattered fans who were building shrines at every signpost. I’ve been suspecting for several years that we as a people have lost our way. But, watching this, I realized that our values have mutilated themselves completely

Hey, I’ll admit the (I hesitate to say it) ‘man’ was a talented singer and dancer. However, his constant groping of his crotch grossed me out. Still even that was tolerable as long as it was his own crotch. But, call me old-fashioned, call me silly, but when he was accused of drugging and molesting a 13-year old cancer patient, I kind of think he crossed the line. I come from the old school of ‘you may forgive but, you just don’t forget.’ And, as my mother of many quotes used to say, “Where there is smoke there is fire” (she also used to say a lot of things about virtue but I won’t go into that now). In the interest of fairness, it’s possible that some accusations against celebrities might be without merit, but, in Jackson’s case these felony complaints began to come up on a pretty regular basis. And, quite frankly, I thought it a little incriminating when books were seized from his house featuring nude prepubescent boys. Which were nothing compared to the millions upon millions (in one case twenty million dollars ‘hush money’ paid out to one of the victims of his sexual aggression against young boys). Even his El Salvadorian maid’s family was paid two million dollars to drop their case and disappear.

So, our society has gone, just a few short years ago from being inundated with daily stories of his ‘sleepovers’ in his bed with very young friends to all of “Hollywood” speaking about the great loss that the nation is suffering because of this ‘great’ man? Naw, that’s not the word…I was ‘groping’ for the word, he was an. ‘anti-Semite, and millions of his mourners are obviously unaware of this fact? But his comments while speaking of Jews as “leeches” and saying, “They suck…they’re like leeches. It’s a conspiracy. The Jews do it on purpose.” Were actually caught on tape by a former business manager’s voicemail. And, if you doubt me check out ABC’s Good Morning who played them in 1995 on the air. Oh, how convenient it’s been forgotten in is album called “HIStory” containing the song entitled, “They don’t care about us” which had the following lyrics: “Jew me, sue me” and “Kick me, Kike me” which despite the fact he promised to delete them because of outrage they caused, was rereleased the following year with the brazenly anti-Semitic remarks re-instated.

Instead of calling publicity seekers who were clamoring to go on television and share how their lives will never be the same with “dear, dear Michael gone," I called my friend, the world famous, Dr. Carole Lieberman, who regularly goes on ABC, FOX etc. as an ‘expert’ on cases such as this. She told me she filed the Complaint with Child Protective Services that resulted in the trial in which Michael was charged with molestation. She also said, "Michael's childhood, in which he was abused and exploited, caused him to have a dark side, as well as a musically talented one. If only the people, who claim to have loved him, would have gotten him into treatment for his psychiatric problems and drug abuse, he would not have committed his final self-destructive act that resulted in his death."

So, forgive me if I’m not out there joining the masses who are in deep mourning for this ‘great’ person, or rushing over to ‘Neverland’ to place wreaths of flowers and sad letters by his gate. I suppose it comes from another wise saying my mother, “Queen Mollie” told me on many occasions, “It’s OK to forgive…but, you must never forget!” And, in the case of perverts who hang their children from balconies…it makes me wonder...if the Pope ever learns to moonwalk do ya think he’ll get as big a send off?