6/15/2005

Jackson and Mandela

I hear that Michael Jackson's acquittal is being compared to Nelson Mandela's release from prision. The two events could not be further apart.
I was in South Africa the day Mandela was released. Millions danced for joy in the streets as his release signaled the dawning of a new day. It marked the beginning of a journey that would lead to freedom and equality for all South Africans. Jackson's release marked another celebrity trial that prosecutors in California botched.
The only historical event that Jackson's acquittal mirrors is OJ Simpsons acquittal ten years earlier.

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