Law To Honor Michael Jackson

A Texas congresswoman who voted against crucial anti-terrorism laws and sponsored a bill to legalize illegal aliens has introduced legislation to honor Michael Jackson—for years dogged by accusations of child molestation—as a global humanitarian and noted leader in the fight against worldwide hunger.

As if the United States Congress doesn’t have enough on its plate, Sheila Jackson Lee, a seven-term Democrat from Houston, introduced a lengthy resolution to the House Foreign Affairs Committee requesting that Congress recognize the eccentric pop star as an “accomplished contributor to the worlds of arts and entertainment, scientific advances in the treatment of HIV/AIDS and global food security.”

The resolution (Honoring an American Legend and Musical Icon) lists details of Jackson’s career, including the titles of several hit songs, and points out that he was labeled “The King of Pop” because his music is internationally recognized and critically acclaimed. It also mentions how Jackson met terminally ill children backstage and graciously invited a teenage boy suffering from cystic fibroses to his home. 

No mention of the accusations or trial for child molestation, however. In the early 1990s a boy accused Jackson of molesting him and the singer paid the family $20 million so they refused to cooperate in a criminal investigation. A few years ago, the singer was tried—and acquitted—for sexually molesting another boy who said Jackson gave him alcohol. There were numerous other allegations of inappropriate behavior between the singer and the many children that regularly surrounded him.  

One Democratic lawmaker who opposes the measure glamorizing the troubled singer said he was “close to nauseated” when members of the Congressional Black Caucus honored Jackson on the House floor recently. Congressman John Yarmuth of Kentucky said the moment of silence was outrageous, uncalled for and over the top.

The subsequent introduction of legislation may be viewed in a similar fashion although its sponsor, Congresswoman Lee, is herself known to be over the top (she told a staffer that she’s a queen and deserves to be treated like a queen) and is notorious for introducing controversial bills. A few years ago she sponsored a law to essentially eliminate the southern border and legalize virtually all undocumented immigrants living in the U.S.  

Lee has also voted against several anti terrorism laws, including a measure allowing the government to use electronic surveillance to investigate suspected terrorist operatives and another requiring states to verify the authenticity of every driver’s license applicant by 2011.