HELLO, EVERYONE AND WELCOME TO THIS MEMORIAL IN HONOR OF JERMAINE JACKSON. THOSE WHO KNEW JERMAINE KNEW THE KIND OF PERSON HE WAS. YEARS AGO WHEN I CONCEIVED MY DAUGHTER, I FELL IN LOVE WITH HER WHILE SHE WAS IN MY WOMB. FOR YEARS AFTER HER BIRTH I WANTED AND TRIED TO HAVE MORE CHILDREN, BUT THAT DIDN'T WORK OUT. IN 1982 JERMAINE CAME INTO MY LIFE WHEN HE WAS 3 WEEKS OF AGE. MY LOVE FOR HIM WAS CONCEIVED IN MY HEART IMMEDIATELY. I LOVED HIM AS IF HE WERE BORN TO ME. NO MOTHER COULD HAVE LOVED A SON MORE. TODAY I AM HERE TO LET EVERYONE WITH EARS AND WITHIN THE SOUND OF MY VOICE KNOW THAT HE WAS MY SON IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD AND I LOVED HIM VERY MUCH. THE BEGINNING OF THE HURT FOR HIM WAS WHEN HE WAS VISITING HIS BIRTH MOTHER AND SHE REFUSED TO BRING HIM BACK. AT THAT TIME HE WAS 6 YEARS OLD. EVENTUALLY I TOOK HER TO COURT AND THEY AWARDED EACH OF US PARTIAL CUSTODY OF JERMAINE. THEY GAVE HER WEEKDAYS AND ME WEEKENDS. THIS WHOLE THING WAS VERY TRAMATIC FOR HIM. HE DID NOT WANT TO BE WITH HER BUT HE HAD TO DO WHAT THE COURT SAID. FROM THAT POINT ON IT WAS DOWN HILL FOR HIM. THE THINGS HE HAD TO EXPERIENCE AS A CHILD HE SHOULD NOT HAVE HAD TO DEAL WITH. HE WAS A WONDERFUL SON AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT MY LIFE AND MY FAMILY'S LIVES WOULD HAVE BEEN LIKE WITHOUT HIM. JERMAINE HAD MANY FAMILIES THAT LOVED HIM BUT I DON'T THINK ANYONE FROM HERE ON EARTH LOVED HIM MORE THAN ME.
ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2007, A YOUNG MAN TOOK MY SON FROM ME AND MY FAMILY BY PUMPING NINE BULLETS INTO HIS BODY AND WE ARE STILL TRYING TO COPE WITH THE THOUGHT THAT JERMAINE WILL NEVER COME HOME AGAIN. HE WAS NOT THERE FOR HIS SISTER'S GRADUATION BACK IN MAY 2008, HE WILL NOT GET TO SEE HIS NEPHEW (WHO HE LOVED SO MUCH) GROW UP, HE WON'T GET MARRIED OR HAVE CHILDREN OF HIS OWN. MOSTLY I AM SO SAD BECAUSE HE WILL NOT EVER GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE HIS LIFE AND BE THE PRODUCTIVE MAN HE WANTED TO BE, MAINE WAS A KIND, COMPASSIONATE, SWEET, SINCERE, TRUSTWORTHY, AND LOVING YOUNG MAN. HE ALSO HAD A VERY BAD TEMPER BUT HE HAD COME A LONG WAY WITH THAT. JERMAINE MADE SOME MISTAKES BUT HE WAS STILL A GOOD PERSON AND DID NOT DESERVE TO DIE LIKE THIS. I HAVE TO BELIEVE THAT GOD WAS TIRED OF MY BABY HURTING AND FEELING BAD ABOUT HIS LIFE AND TOOK HIM WHERE THERE IS NO PAIN OR TEARS ANYMORE. I THANK GOD EVERYDAY FOR BRINGING THAT BABY INTO MY LIFE AND GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE A MAJOR PART OF HIS LIFE FOR 25 YEARS. I KNOW THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL ALSO FEEL THE LOSS OF JERMAINE FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
I KNOW THAT MY FAMILY WILL CONTINUE TO KEEP HIS MEMORY ALIVE AND TELL ALL THE TALES OF MAINE OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
