Hang in There, Honduras!

Hats off to the small country of Honduras for sticking to their guns in the face of extraordinary controversy. The backlash from the world has been tremendous but the Honduran government has remained stoic. Talk about your peer pressure! This takes it to a whole new level. It seems the world is trying to force the country of Honduras to reinstate their ousted president. He was removed from office and escorted out of the country for attempting to have an unauthorized vote on a referendum to change the Honduran Constitution, which would allow him to stay in office beyond his legal term limit decreed within that constitution. In the articles of the constitution, it also plainly states that his "intentions" will also be grounds for immediate removal from office. When someone takes over the government of a country, or tries, it's called a coup. How is this any different? Zelaya attempted a coup of the Honduran government by trying to circumvent the law and his country's constitution and was immediately from the office of the presidency. The Honduran Supreme Court ruled according to the articles of their constitution and the Honduran military carried out the orders as stated. That should have been the end of the story. So why is the world so dead set against this one small country for only doing what their constitution was designed by the people to do? My personal opinion: This scares the living daylights out of the leaders of the free world because any one of them could be next. When one tiny country is determined to live by the rules of law they created, just imagine what a bigger country could accomplish if they set their minds to it and took back the country from the usurpers and moneylenders. Now there's a thought!

Michael Jackson: A Love/Hate Relationship

Michael Jackson like Elvis Presley is a name known around the world. I believe everyone has at least heard of him and formed an opinion. You either love him or hate him. There doesn't seem to be much middle ground where he's concerned. Right now, you can't turn on the TV or radio, read a newspaper or magazine and not see his face or hear his music. Sadly this global pop icon died suddenly and unexpectedly last week and that's the why we're being inundated with everything Michael Jackson.

I'm an MJ fan and have been a fan my whole life. He was only 4 years older than me, after all; so, we sort of grew up together. His music always made me feel. Ben was one of those sweet songs that made you believe you had a true friend through thick and thin. It was years before I knew "Ben" was a rat. I'll Be There was another song that made you feel like you weren't alone. Songs like Beat It and Man in the Mirror helped form my social consciousness. And sometimes, his music just made me happy - Rockin' Robin, Enjoy Yourself and Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground) come to mind. Yes, some of them were recorded as part of the Jackson 5 but it was Michael's voice that gave them life. His Thriller album, which I own on vinyl by the way, changed everything the minute MTV started playing those music videos. Who could forget the first time they saw the Thriller video on MTV? And what girl didn't want to be a PYT?

It hasn't always been politically correct to admit liking Michael Jackson. His troubles with the law, including accusations of being a pedophile, and a general descent into weirdness have kept many from admitting to being a fan. It's amazing to me how being an MJ fan commits one to condoning sexual abuse of a child. I've never understood the logic of that thought process but there are millions out there that make that intellectual leap of logic every day. As far as I know, Michael Jackson was never convicted in a court of law. I was not at any court proceeding nor was I privvy to any of the court documents. I cannot make an informed judgement without having the facts. Yet, people the world over have judged and condemned him in the court of public opinion daily. Some day we'll all know the truth, whatever it may be, but until then, we need to rediscover the American adage of 'innocent until proven guilty' instead of the French rule of 'guilty until proven innocent.'

Whether or not Michael is/was guilty does not change or detract from the immense talent of the man. MJ has left his mark on the world and I, for one, am glad that I got to experience that incredible talent when his star shone brightest.