I invite children into my house to see my new parrot. I'm certainly not a paedophile!

Peter.

That is the exact train of reasoning that allowed people, the media and lawyers to make so much money of him. The fear factor is always a best-seller, just take a look at the Daily Mail.

Throwing hypotheticals where guilt is inferred does not make a man guilty, it just further warps disconnected people's perceptions of an event or events to which we can never know the truth.

I agree Bish but if your life was full of controvesy then your death will be too. I dont think a lot of people are being (or trying to be) horrible as such, its just inevitable that this kind of stuff will be talked about. Just as the BBC news this morning did too.

The dictatorship has kicked in though - 'dont say anything at all' - obviously some opinions arent allowed to be expressed.

People, can we please just use this thread for what it was intended for?
Yes, some comments have been made that might make you want to retaliate against but come on, it's a tribute thread, let's not drag it down into debating his personal life, just try and remember him as the entertainer that you grew up appreciating.

Mark

There's a right time and a right place, and this thread is neither of those.

Mark

Look I wasnt saying he was guilty of anything. There's no possible way I can know that. But there are things he did in his life that didnt do favourable things to his public image. I just think some people are more lenient because of who he is. I would be suspicious of anyone who has paid for someones silence no matter how famous or not they are.

I'm not saying anything else on the matter or I'm going to be told off.

BTW I said some very positive things about his positive contributions to music, MTV, black artists, etc at the beginning of the thread. I'm not hating on the guy. His creativity will be missed and he has a place in music history forever.

I'm starting to like Mark more and more.

I'm with Veato on this one - it's a discussion forum where people are free to express their opinions, whether you agree with them or not. Or has this become a forum where you can say anything, so long as Mark says it's acceptable. If you don't like what people have to say, ignore them.

That's not for you to decide, moderator or not.

As has previously been said: if your life was shrouded in controversy, so will your death be.

Then discuss them in a different thread.
How hard is it for those that have nothing good to say about the man to keep out of this thread.
Nobody's telling you to shut your mouths, just telling you that this thread isn't the place.

Mark

Hear, hear!

Correct, it's not, but others in this thread have asked for all the negative comments to cease, and as they are expressing opinions in a manner conducive to an obit thread it needed to be said by someone.

Mark

Oh for the love of - after six pages you want it to stay on topic? Why should people "discuss them in a different thread" anyway? Just because you said so? Good to know that's how things work in the online utopia that is x404.

Yes. Clearly some people are incapable of such small requests.

Mark

Might I suggest, then, that you delete any replies that don't conform to your standards? That would seem to fit more with how you seem to think this place should be run. Like I said, it's a public forum, people are free to express their opinions. If other people don't like those opinions they are equally free to ignore them.