For those speaking ill of Joe Jackson. Let me add a bit of perspective. I have no idea how many of you are men nor how many of you are black so i'll go with the assumption that none of you are and take it from there. Joe Jackson was born in the 20's. Let me repeat that. He was BORN in the 1920's. It wasn't called the Great Depression back then... it was called 'life'. This man was not only born in the 20's but he was born in Arkansas. Yeah that sounds quaint but Arkansas is right above Louisiana. So he was born in the Deep South in the 20's. He is old school. The way you kept kids in line in the Deep South in the 20's and 30's so that they wouldn't be hanged is to whip them. The way you ensured that your child's life wasn't in danger in the deep south in the 20's and 30's was to whip them. Period. I know some of you don't believe that there was life before 1970 but there was and Joseph Jackson was born in and raised in an environment that is completely foreign to the vast majority of us. He was born in Arkansas (rough place if you were a black boy or man), moved to Oakland CA at 12 (again, rough place if you were a black boy or man and then to Indiana (his mindset was already cemented by this time)
Joseph Jackson was the father of 9 kids. Let me repeat that. 9 kids... not just 9 kids but 9 black kids (I know I know there is no such thing as racism and all kids are treated equally especially kids like Emmett Till who was murdered by the way in Mississippi which is incidentally one state diagonal and to the right of Arkansas… just thought I’d throw that in there) but 9 black kids in Gary, Indiana. A little about Gary Indiana; Gary Indiana was and still is poor. The economic demands of World War II revived the steel industry and pulled Gary out of the Depression BUT Wartime consensus shattered in late 1940’s (when Joseph was there) and after. Racial segregation and strife, labor problems in steel, industrial pollution, and political corruption (which had been persistent since the 1920s) earned Gary a national reputation as a troubled town. Let me repeat that. Racial segregation and strife, labor problems in steel, industrial pollution, and political earned Gary a national reputation as a troubled town. Now you’re in a town that is nationally recognized as ‘troubled’ and you have 9 little black kids and you need to keep them in line what do you do if you’re a black man from the deep south in raised in the 20’s and 30’s? You whip them.
It’s really sad that some of you all really think that this man is an abuser when in reality this man is a father. He is the type of father that a society that needs men produces. He is being vilified for doing what he was supposed to do. He was THERE. He provided for his kids. None of them were pregnant or got anyone else pregnant as teenagers, you don’t hear about any of them doing drugs as teenagers you don’t hear about any of them getting into trouble as kids because he did his job as a father and that is to provide for those kids. In fact he worked 2 jobs so that the wife that he loved, the woman that he married, the woman that everyone is fawning over (I think that Katherine is a wonderful woman as well don’t get it twisted) wouldn’t have to work at all and raise those children. He did what ALL fathers are supposed to do. He took care of his family by the sweat of his brow and took care of his wife so that she could stay home and raise their kids. Period.
Here is a bit about Success that some may not realize. Success isn’t easy. If it was easy everyone would be successful. Success takes hard work and dedication. Success takes hours practicing and hours learning your trade. Success takes working 2 jobs to afford to instill in your children the dream that you envision for them (which is what your daddy is supposed to do) and making sure that they have the tools to achieve that dream. Success means driving your family to and from gigs with all of your equipment in a van. Success means making sure that your kids practiced even when they didn’t want to practice. Success means begging people to give the kids that you love a shot so that they can reach the dreams that you have for them. There would be no Michael Jackson or Janet Jackson or Jackson 5 of any of that without Joseph Jackson. Joseph Jackson MADE the Jackson 5. He taught then to play instruments. He taught them to dance and how to work the stage. The ENTIRE clan is where they are today because of the vision of Joe Jackson ALONE! Back in Gary, Ind., after discovering his kids' talents, he quit his job at the steel mill, spent his whole life savings on the best musical instruments he could buy. His wife was very upset, but he told her, "Don't worry; we are going to make it". With no other source of income, other than a few club performances, he knew he had to succeed. Many forget that Gary, Ind. is one of the poorest cities in the whole country. To raise nine black kids out of poverty to super stardom with class is worthy of respect. Katherine married him and she never said the he abused his children. Whipping a child with a switch or a belt is not abuse. Some of the people in this generation should try it so that we can maybe not see kids beating up their parents on television. But again, that would require that there be actual men who are interested in being real fathers to their kids and actual women who support those men in raising a family.
Like I said, Joseph Jackson is old school. He’s tough. He is a child of the depression. To judge how and where he grieves is wrong and pompous. Walk a mile in his shoes then tell me if you want the media, who you’ve seen over and over again try to tear your son down, in your face asking you to reveal your thoughts about your son. He is a man that feels that it is up to him to be the man. He did that all his life. When Michael Jackson collapsed at 11:30 a.m. June 25th, the security guard's first instinct was to call Joe in Las Vegas to find out what to do. HIS FIRST INSTINCT WAS TO CALL THE MAN THAT YOU ALL ARE CALLING A MONSTER! Joe screamed into the phone, "Get yourself together and call 911, now now now !!!" That was him in action, no emotion. Why would Joe be the first one to call if he was such a monster? Why would people who aren’t even in the family call Joe? Ask yourself that question when you’re vilifying the name of the man who created this family dynasty from nothing. Whenever Michael was in trouble who did he go to? That’s right Poppa Joe. During the trial in 2003, with everyone focused on the court proceedings, Joe went from door to door in Santa Barbara, knocking on strangers' doors introducing himself, meeting as many locals as he could. He struggled to get the community on his son's side. He had dinner with people in the community, brought signed Jackson memorabilia as gifts, and did his best to get to know them on a personal basis. He knew too well that legal court proceedings are not decided only in the court room but also in the court of public opinion. Now most PR firms would be thinking of a national or international campaign. But for this trial, the public opinion that mattered most was a very small community in Santa Barbara. That’s a real man and a real father.
Joe went to flukking WAR for his family time after time after time. He sacrificed, just like Matthew Knowles did for Beyonce, like Richard Williams did for Venus and Serena, and like Earl Woods did for Tiger. He did what a daddy is supposed to do. He protected and provided for his family AND he never cared whether anyone knew it or not because HE knows it and that was what he was supposed to do. He’s by no means perfect and has made his share of mistakes as all men do however he deserves respect. I’m going to be honest here; those browbeating Joseph Jackson could not carry his jock strap.
Joseph Jackson was the father of 9 kids. Let me repeat that. 9 kids... not just 9 kids but 9 black kids (I know I know there is no such thing as racism and all kids are treated equally especially kids like Emmett Till who was murdered by the way in Mississippi which is incidentally one state diagonal and to the right of Arkansas… just thought I’d throw that in there) but 9 black kids in Gary, Indiana. A little about Gary Indiana; Gary Indiana was and still is poor. The economic demands of World War II revived the steel industry and pulled Gary out of the Depression BUT Wartime consensus shattered in late 1940’s (when Joseph was there) and after. Racial segregation and strife, labor problems in steel, industrial pollution, and political corruption (which had been persistent since the 1920s) earned Gary a national reputation as a troubled town. Let me repeat that. Racial segregation and strife, labor problems in steel, industrial pollution, and political earned Gary a national reputation as a troubled town. Now you’re in a town that is nationally recognized as ‘troubled’ and you have 9 little black kids and you need to keep them in line what do you do if you’re a black man from the deep south in raised in the 20’s and 30’s? You whip them.
It’s really sad that some of you all really think that this man is an abuser when in reality this man is a father. He is the type of father that a society that needs men produces. He is being vilified for doing what he was supposed to do. He was THERE. He provided for his kids. None of them were pregnant or got anyone else pregnant as teenagers, you don’t hear about any of them doing drugs as teenagers you don’t hear about any of them getting into trouble as kids because he did his job as a father and that is to provide for those kids. In fact he worked 2 jobs so that the wife that he loved, the woman that he married, the woman that everyone is fawning over (I think that Katherine is a wonderful woman as well don’t get it twisted) wouldn’t have to work at all and raise those children. He did what ALL fathers are supposed to do. He took care of his family by the sweat of his brow and took care of his wife so that she could stay home and raise their kids. Period.
Here is a bit about Success that some may not realize. Success isn’t easy. If it was easy everyone would be successful. Success takes hard work and dedication. Success takes hours practicing and hours learning your trade. Success takes working 2 jobs to afford to instill in your children the dream that you envision for them (which is what your daddy is supposed to do) and making sure that they have the tools to achieve that dream. Success means driving your family to and from gigs with all of your equipment in a van. Success means making sure that your kids practiced even when they didn’t want to practice. Success means begging people to give the kids that you love a shot so that they can reach the dreams that you have for them. There would be no Michael Jackson or Janet Jackson or Jackson 5 of any of that without Joseph Jackson. Joseph Jackson MADE the Jackson 5. He taught then to play instruments. He taught them to dance and how to work the stage. The ENTIRE clan is where they are today because of the vision of Joe Jackson ALONE! Back in Gary, Ind., after discovering his kids' talents, he quit his job at the steel mill, spent his whole life savings on the best musical instruments he could buy. His wife was very upset, but he told her, "Don't worry; we are going to make it". With no other source of income, other than a few club performances, he knew he had to succeed. Many forget that Gary, Ind. is one of the poorest cities in the whole country. To raise nine black kids out of poverty to super stardom with class is worthy of respect. Katherine married him and she never said the he abused his children. Whipping a child with a switch or a belt is not abuse. Some of the people in this generation should try it so that we can maybe not see kids beating up their parents on television. But again, that would require that there be actual men who are interested in being real fathers to their kids and actual women who support those men in raising a family.
Like I said, Joseph Jackson is old school. He’s tough. He is a child of the depression. To judge how and where he grieves is wrong and pompous. Walk a mile in his shoes then tell me if you want the media, who you’ve seen over and over again try to tear your son down, in your face asking you to reveal your thoughts about your son. He is a man that feels that it is up to him to be the man. He did that all his life. When Michael Jackson collapsed at 11:30 a.m. June 25th, the security guard's first instinct was to call Joe in Las Vegas to find out what to do. HIS FIRST INSTINCT WAS TO CALL THE MAN THAT YOU ALL ARE CALLING A MONSTER! Joe screamed into the phone, "Get yourself together and call 911, now now now !!!" That was him in action, no emotion. Why would Joe be the first one to call if he was such a monster? Why would people who aren’t even in the family call Joe? Ask yourself that question when you’re vilifying the name of the man who created this family dynasty from nothing. Whenever Michael was in trouble who did he go to? That’s right Poppa Joe. During the trial in 2003, with everyone focused on the court proceedings, Joe went from door to door in Santa Barbara, knocking on strangers' doors introducing himself, meeting as many locals as he could. He struggled to get the community on his son's side. He had dinner with people in the community, brought signed Jackson memorabilia as gifts, and did his best to get to know them on a personal basis. He knew too well that legal court proceedings are not decided only in the court room but also in the court of public opinion. Now most PR firms would be thinking of a national or international campaign. But for this trial, the public opinion that mattered most was a very small community in Santa Barbara. That’s a real man and a real father.
Joe went to flukking WAR for his family time after time after time. He sacrificed, just like Matthew Knowles did for Beyonce, like Richard Williams did for Venus and Serena, and like Earl Woods did for Tiger. He did what a daddy is supposed to do. He protected and provided for his family AND he never cared whether anyone knew it or not because HE knows it and that was what he was supposed to do. He’s by no means perfect and has made his share of mistakes as all men do however he deserves respect. I’m going to be honest here; those browbeating Joseph Jackson could not carry his jock strap.
I forgot they made excuses forSteve Mcnair also. 
. He whooped their ass to get the hell up out of there and into a mansion. The alternative was him being a nice guy and seeing his children having a bleak future.
