Saying Goodbye To Michael Jackson

When I first heard that Michael Jackson had passed away, my first response was shock. As the day progressed, I still could not digest it.

The thought actually crossed my mind, "Maybe this is just a publicity stunt" and on some level I really wanted to believe that.

How could the little boy from Gary, Indiana who touched our hearts with his amazing voice and incredible dancing, be dead?

I was one of those little girls who crushed on Michael like many back in the day. I went to a mostly white school and I did not see many minorities. There was not one black student in my elementary school and only a handful of latinos.

So, when MJ came on the scene in our homes on television in my early elementary days, I was forever changed, touched, and impacted.

A. He was a cute little brother. (I loved the fro!)
B. He could sing.
C. He could dance.
D. And he came from a big family too.

Well, hell yeah, I could relate. On the big family part (only).

And his music. Wow. Even as a little girl, his music made me cry. It still makes me cry til this day.

I think that I like many grew up with Michael Jackson. I can still remember the 'red light' parties in the '70's when we would play all the Jackson 5 music and 'try' to dance like him. And of course none of us could, but we sure had a wonderful time trying.

Hey, I may have gone to an all white school, but in the neighborhood I grew up in, and the few people of color there were, we would search each other out and hang out and let our hair down together. (We didn't know it was called the down-low back then.)

Those were the days!

Hey, it wasn't only the latinos and blacks who loved Michael, I knew a few 'blancos' who also loved Michael. And it was Michael and his music that brought us all together.

Saying good bye to him is like losing a member of our family. I am forever grateful for his talent and the hope he gave to all of us black, white, latino, asian...the many people all over the world.

So Michael, as far as this fan is concerned, I really Never Can Say Goodbye.

Chorus:
Never can say goodbye
No no no no, I
Never can say goodbye

Even though the pain and heartache
Seems to follow me wherever I go
Though I try and try to hide my feelings
They always seem to show
Then you try to say you're leaving me
And I always have to say no...

Tell me why
Is it so

That I
Never can say goodbye
No no no no, I
Never can say goodbye

Everytime I think I had enough
I start heading for the door
There's a very strange vibration
That pierces me right to the core
It says turn around you fool
You know you love her more and more

Tell me why
Is it so
Don't wanna let yo go

(Instrumental)

(Chorus)

I keep thinkin that our problems
Soon are all gonna work out
But there's that same unhappy feeling and there's that anguish, there's that doubt
*It's that same old dizzy hang up
*Can't live with you or without

Tell me why
Is it so
Don't wanna let you go

(Chorus)

(Repeat till fade)

A Must Read!

I cannot believe this is happening here in Burbank in my own back yard. Below is a blog written by my husband, Earnest.

To think that he at one time considered working for the Burbank Police Department.

Shame on our police department if this is true. Let's bring the FED's in and fix this mess now.
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Are Police Officers More Racist Than the General Population?
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I read an article this week in the local paper here in Burbank about a major discrimination lawsuit against the Burbank Police Department being filed this week. The lawsuit is being brought by about five officers, three Hispanics, two males and one female, as well as an Armenian man and I believe one Black man. They allege that over the years they have been subject to numerous cases of ugly racial statements, discrimination, retaliation and general mistreatment. I don’t even want to repeat some of the stupid things that were supposedly said to them and that they had to listen to. Just suffice it to say that they were often the typical slurs and ethnic innuendos. If what they are saying is true, and frankly it is hard to imagine five people deciding to come forward with this kind of lawsuit if they weren’t sure of their case considering how hard it would be for them to keep their jobs otherwise, that I believe it must be true.

One of my initial thoughts upon reading this, is wow, can this be in my town, Burbank, in California? But it is a reminder that racism doesn’t stop at the borders of certain cities and towns. Look at the cops in New York City that viciously beat up that black man a few years ago, think about Rodney King and Mark Furman. So little Burbank is not immune and I should not be surprised.

My second thoughts were what is up with cops? Is there a certain breed of person that chooses to be a cop? Does it attract bullies and small minded people? I don’t think that is true overall, because I have met some really cool police officers and I do believe what these people do on a daily basis for all of us is indeed heroic and remarkable. But somehow these incidents happen, from one side of the country to the other and in police departments large and small. For the most part I’m going to stand by the belief that police departments only reflect the larger society. That a small percentage of them are racists, reflective of the society at large. But equally so, many are fine people.

But there is no getting around the fact that it is incredibly scary to think that in the case of a racist police officer, they are licensed to carry a gun and can legally mess with you whenever they feel like it. It is not harmless bigotry. So if the facts of this lawsuit are true, I hope the Burbank Police Department is made to pay a high price and as a result forced to make some serious adjustments to the force and in the mindset of its leadership and officers. Only then can all the people feel safe.