First Things First

Michael Jackson: The Man In The Mirror

"Oh, God! That boy moves in a very exceptional way. That's the greatest dancer of the century." -- Fred Astaire

"I didn't want to leave this world without knowing who my descendant was. Thank you Michael!" Fred Astaire (shortly before his death)

"The only male singer who I've seen besides myself and who's better than me -- that is Michael Jackson." Frank Sinatra

Michael Jackson died unexpectedly on Thursday, June 25. The suddenness of his death came as a source of shock to all. 

Some have used the occasion to present a contemptibly narrow view of his personal struggles. But as the months and years roll by, it is the contribution of his musical genius that will be written permanently in the hearts and minds of people everywhere. Even now, the greatest of his peers have recognized him as one of the most gifted and accomplished musical artists of the last century.

Few artists have used their talents to uplift mankind as vigorously as Michael Jackson. Though lean in stature, he stood firmly against social and political forces that seek to diminish the integrity of the human spirit. He uplifted individuals struggling to be free. At the same time his voice spoke a message that went far beyond the rights of the individual. Michael reminded us that personal dignity and individual freedom can only be perfected in the warm embrace of human solidarity. 

It was the human family that stood foremost in Michael's mind. "We are the world," he said. And against this backdrop, he challenged freedom-loving individuals to act heroically for the betterment of all. "If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make a change," he said. 

Thus Michael Jackson was no spokesman for narcissism, despite the fact that he often sought refuge there. At bottom, his music was driven by the ancient dream of the brotherhood of man. He saw redemption in a bonding of all individuals in simple humanity.  Human solidarity -- Love -- was for him the foundation of Justice and the meaning of Life!

Michael Jackson: June 25, 2009, RIP

Michael Jackson, the "King of Pop", died today at the age of 50.  Listen as Michael, age 12, performs "I'll Be There" on the Jim Nabors Show in 1970.  

Frank Schaeffer Blasts Extremist Language

On May 31, Dr. George Tiller was gunned down while serving as an usher at the Reformation Lutheran Church he attended in Wichita, Kansas. Dr. Tiller, who ran an abortion clinic that performed late term abortions, had been the target of violent extremists for many years. On August 19, 1993, he was shot in both arms by Shelley Shannon. She received an eleven year prison sentence for the crime. This past Sunday he was killed.

Frank Schaeffer, along with his father (the late Francis Schaeffer), Pat Robertson, the late Jerry Falwell, and Dr. C. Evert Koop (Surgeon-General in the Reagan Administration) helped found the Religious Right. One of the hallmarks of this movement became the radicalization of speech.  

In 1982, Mr. Schaeffer's father (Francis Schaeffer) wrote a book called A Christian Manifesto in which he called for the use of force if all other means of stopping abortion failed.  He compared the United States and its practice of legalized abortion to Hitler's Germany and argued that whatever means might have removed Hitler could be used to stop abortion in America.  In 1984, Frank Schaeffer wrote A Time for Anger in which he argued the same point.  His book became a national best seller with the help of the evangelical movement.  Dr. James Dobson alone gave away 100,000 copies.

In an interview with Rachael Maddow yesterday, Mr. Schaeffer discusses the radicalization of language in the culture wars and the part it played in the pro-life movement.  "Word have consequences," he says. As language gets more extreme, consequences become more extreme. 

Schaeffer admits his own culpability in the death of Dr. George Tiller and urges others in the Religious Right to do so too.  Watch his comments here: