If the proponderance of evidence points to what the proponderance of the evidence seems to point to with the whole move to Skri Lanka, then it overshadows, to my mind, anything he wrote.

Wow.

I only wish some of that indignant passion could be put to work saving third world children from being exploited by wealthy Westerner child molesters. Of course they never wrote any stories--so screw them. ?

RIP indeed. And for the sake of the boys sooner rather than latter.

One, a person should not be excused for preying on children no matter how great their "art" is/was, and frankly AC was known not for his prose but for his ideas anyway.

Two, homosexulaity has nothing to do with pedophilia. Gay men want to have sex with other gay men--not prey on children: shame on you for suggesting otherwise AND revictimizing his victims by suggesting they wanted it.

Third, no if you dig into the lives of heroes you won't, as a rule like gravity, find something abhorrent. You may find human fraility and weakness but so what? That's not equitable to sexual preditors.

Homosexuality does not = pedophilia. Frankly it's hate speech to suggest so.

Well thanks G.L., I appreciate the show of support.

Let me be fair as Bill and Mike make fair points. Like Michael Jackson, nothing was ever proven about AC in a court of law that could make you go "Ah ha see!" It is quite right to say so and if you love the man's writing and are reticent to give up a childhood hero then that fact makes a solid and fair point to advance and argument.

I still wouldn't let my boys spend the night at Neverland Ranch or visit MJ in Dubai.

This is all I said in my first post: If the proponderance of the evidence points to what it seems to, then his contributions are overshadowed. I stand by that point as you'll note it's not declarative.

The rest of the exchanges with Skad had to do with my shock that someone would try and put consenual sex between adults of the same gender in the same category as child molestation--and how no matter what a great artist you are, sodomy of young boys pretty much leaves a bad taste in your mouth for art appreciation--this point was irregardless of AC's status one way or another.

As fo AC himself. It is unfortunate that of all the places in the world he chose to escape prejudice from he chose a nation internationally infamous for wealthy pederasts. It is further unfortune that after moving to a place 2nd only to Thailand for this reputation that the stories began to circulate.

Was he brought up on charges? No. Are wealthy patrons in poor 3rd world countries often brought up on charges? Well, no.

AC was never proven to be a child molester. Rather the charges against him take on more of a "the Duck Test" feel.