Various Responses & Thoughts

["O'Neal, Kevin W." <Kevin.ONeal@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>From: The Real Me <emerald.eyes@rcn.com>
>Subject: Re: Various Responses & Thoughts
>
>Without knowing the man personally or having any special insight other
>than a fan of 20+ years, I think that a friend of mine summed it up in
>an email to me:
>
> <<I have long thought that PT is one of those bright intellects who
>lacks basic, sound commonsense.

I don't believe that for a moment.

>It was beyond dumb to go to a kiddie
>porn site

Not really if you were looking to see how bad a problem was, or gain first hand knowlege to help with future battles.

>, but in his naivety, he thinks his goodwill, and his belief
>in his good intentions, is more than enough to calm worried people.

*This* I can believe.

>He
>is a reckless guy and self indulgent in many things, but not uncommon
>for silly, foppish 60's liberals.

Lost me again.  And, careful Leslie, your letting your politics show again.  Birds of a feather????

>PT rightly should be laughed at if he
>is innocent and ridiculed, like a George Michael or Hugh Grant.What
>was he thinking? >>

No he shouldn't.  He was thinking how on earth can I save the world from this crap on my grid??!!!  Not, "I wonder how much that whore costs and what will the press say if I'm caught getting a blow."
Sheesh.

>I think that most of us "know" him well enough to take his word on
>this, but the rest of the world does not.

That, indeed is the current dilemma.  The rest of the world is BIG.  We are small.

>From: "Schrade, Scott" <sschrade@ascpl.lib.oh.us>
>Subject: Re: Various Responses & Thoughts
>
>I'm tired, Kevin.  I'm tired of cutting, pasting, sending, yelling,
>explaining, defending, clarifying, reading, thinking, mulling, worry-
>ing,.....

I hear ya.  Sorry to put you on the spot like that.
Drink some coffee.  Take a break (I did yesterday).  Come back swinging.

>And all for what?  Pete's stupidity.  Pete's foolishness.  Pete's
>carelessness.  Pete's crime.

The truth. 

>The more I think about this, the more pissed at Pete I become.  Not
>because I think he's deceived me all these years, & is in fact a ped-
>ophile.  But because his stupid little "research" into child porn has
>fucked up his life, my life, your life, & our lives.

Read what Brian May has written.  How *does* the press get info. without actually looking??
Just try and keep in mind what he was trying to do.  
As Joe wrote, it *was* noble.

>The Who's reputation before this whole stinking mess teetered on the
>edge of comical.  And now, thanks to Pete & his "research," their rep-
>utation is firmly entrenched in the land of jokes & fuck-ups.

At the moment it sure as fuck is.  Sorry Mark, but I can't believe that this one will wash away.  Particularly if the exoneration is a quiet little blip on the back of a newspaper.
This one is big.  It's here to stay.  
But, there's hope that it can get turned around.
There's already some strategy thinking going on on O&S for the fans to ensure that exoneration *isn't* just a little blip.
Pete has helped us all in so many ways over the years. 
Now, it's our turn.

>And just what fucking "research" benefit was Pete going to get by look-
>ing at child porn?  Huh?  How does that help him come to terms with
>what happened to him?

I'm not sure Pete was saying that the research was for him to better understand what happened to *him*.  My take was that his (possible) past has motivated him to bring these sorts of sites and sights down.  His research was in this regard.

>And these fucking therapists & their "weeding out" of "recovered mem-
>ories."  Bullshit!

I tend not feeling comfortable second guessing those who are walking in those shoes.

>Most of the time they *initiate* the "memories."
>We've seen it before.  Therapists "guide" children into thinking they
>were molested by a parent.  Accusations are made.  Innocent people go
>jail.  Bullshit!  It's all just more pseudoscience to hang your troubles
>on.  And adults fall victim to it, too.

Collect your memories from age 5 for a moment.
I'm sure you've got a couple.
Pretty fuzzy, huh?
Little blips and pieces, right?
Not very clear at all.
My memories really don't get too clear until around age 9...the 4th grade or so.

Now, think about how Pete has said he's been concerned with how his artistic work tends to throw these dark thoughts and images around.  Combine that with memories (fuzzy!)of living with a mad woman (granny), and who the hell knows what happened.
I, again, wouldn't feel comfortable second guessing Pete on this.
There's a lot of weird shit out there, man.

Also, remember that Pete has been *very* active in trying to figure his whole past out.  One of the greatest things I've admired about Pete the last 3 or so years was when he stated that he had actually sat down with his mum to talk it all out.  He's searching, and searching hard, see?
I've been on the edge of writing him a dozen time about this.  I too want to sit with my mom and dad and hash shit out.  It takes guts and determination and courage to tear of those scabs.

>But I sure as hell don't think he did it just to draw attention to the fact that
>internet child porn exists & should be eradicated.

No, I didn't say that either.  He paused and figured that if worst came to worst, he would be fine and it would bring the issue to the forefront (IN THEORY!  that was a yell to anyone listening.  I'm not mad.).

>He could easily do that *without* getting arrested.

Not easily.  But you're right.

>Which is what he *was* doing.

With little success, but I'm with ya.

>Now he's living in seclusion, protected by bodyguards.
>How does that help him get the word out?  How does that help his cause?

It's all over the press.  *Everyone* is talking about it.
Now, imagine how it will be when he's exonerated and it's reported that Pete did nothing wrong other than visit the site...when it's reported that he was doing research to help fight *against* pedophilia, etc.
His cause will be helped.
It's my hope, damn it!  I'm not ready to throw in the towel and swear off all of my fucking beliefs over this!  *WE* ....*KNOW*.....*BETTA*!

>How's he gonna raise money for child abuse now?  How's he gonna help
>the Teenage Cancer Trust now?  

Right now, he's not.  Keep hope alive (excuse the now cliche')

>No, but I think he believed (hoped) he *wouldn't* get caught.

I just can't believe he would take a risk like that.  I'm going to tippy-toe into this illegal site that most likely is being monitored and *hope* I'm not going to get caught????
*THAT* would be stupid.
I just don't think he cared, or...thought the risk was worth it.

>> Give me something to hang on to!
>
>Ask that of Pete, not me.

I would if I could.  I'm trying to give *you* something to hang on to.
Sounds like you need it at the moment.

>Or, he figured he *might* be in trouble.  I don't think he *knew* he
>was in trouble until the tabloid story broke.

True.  Either way, he was in defense mode.

>If he *did* go on the illegal site *before* ADB was posted then......
>"uh-oh."

Despite what brotha Joe has written, I agree with you here.
It will be the key the mob will hang him on.  They'll all cry phony defense.

>Then I guess we should all re-examine our views on Michael Jackson, too.

Dude, there's a whole *history* of creepy-ness there.

>Listen:  Pete fucked up.  Bad.  He's not Jesus Christ being hung on
>the cross.  He fucked up.  He sinned.  Whatever his fucking goddamned
>motives were, he made a huge fucking mistake.  He's not blameless.
>
>We can help lessen the damage but we can't erase it.  It's too late.

What we can help with and hope for is that in the future when people talk about Pete and listen to The Who, they don't go "ha, that pedophile creepo!", but rather go "man, remember when Pete got himself into trouble, but it all turned out that he was trying to help?".

Don't tear up your membership card yet, cousin.

Kevin in VT