Joe Jackson - Child Abuser or Old Fashioned Disciplinarian

Since the death of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, his father has been the talk of the town. Why are we focusing on, Joe Jackson, a man that many say was abusive? One thing we know for sure is that he, Joe Jackson, did not inject his son with Propofal. He was not with his son, Michael Jackson, when he died.

Dr. Conrad Murray, a cardiologist, was with Michael Jackson, he is the one that did not call 911 right away, he is the one that performed CPR on a bed, he is the one that disappeared, and lawyered up before cooperating with the police. Murray is the one a source close to the investigation says gave Michael Jackson Propofal the night before he died.

Joe Jackson's choice of discipline when his children were young has been reported, questioned and analyzed over and over. The use of corporal punishment, technically referred to as spanking and defined as 'deliberate infliction of pain' which was widely used decades ago is not considered abuse.

It was not uncommon to hear children use phrases like, "You're gonna get it." "You're gonna get a whooping." "I'm telling momma, you're gonna get a beaten." To discipline your child is to discourage unacceptable behavior, by letting them know that there are consequences for their actions. It was then, and still should be today, a parents responsibility to discipline their children so they grow up to be decent, respectable, productive members of society.

Sadly, too many of today's children are growing up, fatherless and without any discipline. Parents fear their own children, teachers are afraid to enforce their authority for fear of what students may do to them. When the Jackson children were growing up it was common for parents to live up to their roles and discipline their children. It was not uncommon for an aunt, uncle, or grandparent to discipline and take charge when a child was in their care.

Child abuse in any form is wrong, illegal, and should be punishable by law.

Corporal punishment was not illegal when Joe Jackson was raising his children, and recently in 2008 Minnesota Supreme Court it was ruled that spanking a child is legal and does not constitute abuse.

Michael Jackson said he was abused, and feared his father. Michael never said he suffered any broken bones, cuts, burns etc. or needed medical treatment due to being abused by Joe Jackson. Are there any Child Protective Service reports, school or police reports of any of the Jackson children being abused or neglected?

LaToya Jackson made allegations that Joe Jackson had sexually abused Rebbie, however, after both Maureen (Rebbie) Jackson, Joe Jackson and the Jackson family denied the allegations LaToya later recanted her statements. Joe Jackson fathered a child with another woman in the early 70's this most likely intensified the feelings of resentment and anger towards him within the family.

Joe Jackson, born in 1929, was a hard worker, at 20 he married his pregnant girlfriend, Kathryn, they went on to have nine children. He did his best to provide for his family, and was an active father that did discipline his children. When his boys, the Jackson 5, hit it big Joe Jackson was still a very young man.

He had a lot of weight on his shoulders, Joe Jackson may have been too strict, but he was there for his children. He led his family out of poverty, kept his children off the streets and out of jail, and gave them opportunities that many would have loved to have. He is human, we all make mistakes.

One thing we should consider and give credit to Joe Jackson for is the fact that he did not abandon his children, not then or now, when the chips have fallen he has been there for his family. We may not like him, but we cannot deny there is a unique closeness within the Jackson family.

We can call him greedy, self-centered, abusive, a tyrant etc., but one thing I have never heard said about Joe Jackson is that he was a deadbeat dad.

Gossip sells, stories sell, and movies sell. We are curious beings, we want to know about the lives of the famous people we admire. But our beliefs and comments should be based on facts.

At a time like this we should not be so absorbed with Joe Jackson that we forget that three innocent children have lost their 'daddy', a mother has lost a child, and a family has lost a loved one. Michael Jackson was more than an icon, an entertainer, or the King of Pop, he was a human being.

How much emotional abuse will we as a society be inflicting on Michael Jackson's children when they grow up and read and watch what we put out there today? Let us be more responsible and caring than the man, Joe Jackson, so many of us judge and dislike. Joe Jackson is not important, he is an 80 year old man, and he does not deserve to be the center of our attention.