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This is a 76 year old man whose parents were murdered in the Holocaust, and whose wife and child were murdered by the Manson family. He pled guilty on a plea bargain to one count of sex with a minor. He sat 40 days in jail and was under psychiatric treatment when the publicity-crazed Judge decided to ignore the plea bargain (as the prosecutor claims). All of this for a bad mistake that Polanski made 32 years ago! The victim has repeatedly begged that the matter be dropped. Polanski has paid her a half million dollars in compensation. Polanski has had a spotless record for many decades (before and after). It is the US prosecutors who should be arrested in this case. I hope the French send in a team to extricate him from this nonsense, if the Swiss decide to embarrass themselves and play along with these pathetic US prosecutors. Apparently, US prosecutors have nothing better to do with their time.
Oh yeah, and here's an update. The key US prosecutor at the time now says that he lied about the case. Only in America does justice depend on an admitted liar.
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Joe-He raped a 13-year old girl, was convicted, then split before sentencing. He's avoided US law since. He's carefully lived outside the reach of US legal authorities.
ReplyDeleteWe have guts to arrest him and force him to pay for his crimes. You suggest he go free?
When do we apply the law? KC
Yes, that's exactly what I'm suggesting.
ReplyDeleteThis was back in the 1970's when people were doing crazy things every day. His bahavior was digusting, and viewed without the context of the past 33 years than you would be right.
The US justice system is probably one of the most primitive systems in the world. There are more people sitting in prison in this country, both in raw numbers and in terms of percentage of population, than any country in the world, including communist China, North Korea and Cuba.
This 76 year old man has no record of repeat behavior, the woman involved asks every day that these idiots drop the matter. He has lived in fear for most of his life now, his parents, wife and child were murdered.
And you think this is the best way for a US prosecutor to spend their time and resources? Are you insane?
And then you say that "we have the guts to arrest him". Wow!!! the "GUTS" to arrest a little old man! These guys are really brave, regular 'Pat Tillman's' give them a medal.
What they are is a bunch of pussies with a badge who have nothing better to do with their time and resources, looking to make a name for themselves.
As for the "law", you use good judgment and apply it accordingly. You don't put the law on auto-pilot, because if we did, YOU WOULD BE IN JAIL! and so would I.
ReplyDeleteI'll bet you would'nt be defending him if his name was Father Polanski.
ReplyDeleteDifferent people globally are defending Polanski for different reasons.
ReplyDeleteSome,because he is a famous director and seeing a famous director dragged down feels unpleasant for the glitzy movie community.
Others,because he made a moving film detailing the horrors of the Ghettos.
Others, because they're sticking up for the Jewish links of Polanski,over anything else.
Others,because they feel the arrest was a farce and a well timed political stunt.
Others, because they don't like that other Governments now hand over citizens (or long term guests) to Washington way too easily.
We can probably agree that we wouldn't even be talking about this had it not been somebody so famous. There would be no sympathy for another man if this had been a Joe Bloggs character who was not famous.
Politicians would not be coming forward to appeal for his release, and the artistic community wouldn't be defending that person I'm sure. What he did 31 years ago, is pretty grim when we look into the details. Rather than a "mistake", it was a pre-planned rape using a cocktail of drugs to prepare the girl for what he wanted, and he fled the country before he could receive a sentence for it.
The woman has put it all behind her and has moved on,and that's important. Yes,that this is dragged up after 31 years is bizzare. But the overwhelming thing that stands out here, is when people say - "What kind of message does this send? That if you're famous and have enough friends you can get away with it or should receive a certain sympathy that others would never find themselves getting?".
Despite me feeling the timing of this arrest was a political stunt,I can't get away from that question where the answer must be that Law cannot apply to one type of person and not the other. Anyway,that is my submission.
An excellent post by Observer, even though I disagree with his final conclusion. I admit to falling into the below categories:
ReplyDeleteBecause he made a moving film detailing the horrors of the Ghettos.
Because I’m sticking up for the Jewish links of Polanski (not over anything else however).
Because I feel the arrest was a farce and a well timed political stunt.
Because I don't like that other Governments now selectively hand over citizens (or long term guests) to Washington way too easily in cases that are not critical. While failing to do so on critical cases. Remember that Mark Rich sat in the same country of Switzerland for many years before being pardoned by Clinton and the Swiss did nothing, and the US did nothing. It was all political. Justice had nothing to do with it then, as it has nothing to do with it now.
If Polanski had any further blemish on his record after 31 years, I would say ‘book him’. But that is not the case. This is a stunt, pure and simple, and should not stand.
As for Anonymous' statement that "I'll bet you wouldn’t be defending him if his name was Father Polanski."
ReplyDeleteI have posted a number of times in defense of the Catholic Church, against those who would smear the Church for the horrible actions of a few. I would also point out in my defense that it is Polanski's clean record of over 31 years that I hang my hat on. The US knew where he was all these years. I have friends who have met in many times in Paris over the years.
Priests who were involved in pedophilia over many years, with multiple victims are certainly not in the same category. If there is such a case, then context should be considered, just as context should be considered now.
What he did was inexcusable, but it was 31 years ago, it has never repeated itself. The victim asks that the matter be dropped. The guilty plea 31 years ago was part of a plea bargain that a publicity-seeking Judge rejected.
Polanski's parents were murdered, his wife and child were murdered. He was under psychiatric treatment at the time: Context, context, context.
The defense of Polanski is incoherent and jeopardizes other views expressed herein.
ReplyDelete"Context, context, context" is no excuse for inconsistent application of rape laws that you're advocating.
I've enjoyed so many posts on this blog but it's time to move on.
Oh PLEASE, please do feel free to "move on". It's interesting that this little comment comes as the US prosecutor in the case nowadmits that he lied. Only in America could an admited lier hold the key to justice. You can feel free to blind yourself to knee-jerk "morality", when in fact you are just part of a petty lynch mob.
ReplyDelete"Inconsistent application of rape laws?" That's a joke right? There isn't a law in America that is consistently applied. If there was, Bill Clinton would be sitting in jail for rape.
ReplyDeleteYou forgot to mention that Obama's 'Safe Schools Czar" would also be in jail. Talk about "inconsistent applicaton of rape laws". The man, an educator of children, openly admits to not reporting pedophilia cases.
ReplyDeleteSo you're advocating some contextual fuzzy logic gets applied to Polanski and he is freed. You really are serious. Please specify, whose 'context' should one go by? Why yours? Show biz elites? Who decides?
ReplyDeleteWhat you're proposing is truly retarded. You should change the site name Neoliberal.
He drugged and raped a 13 yo. He goes to jail. Plain and simple. Stop trashing your other more credible views.
I guess things look a little differently when you actually know the facts. Polanski actuall did sit in jail for 40 days, under serious psychiatric evaluation. A few years earlier his wife and child were murdered. A plea bargain was reached with the prosecutor. The publicity-crazed judge openly expressed his disregard for the plea bargain and stated a preference for decades in jail. Polanski, a foreign national, then made the decision to bolt.
ReplyDeleteHe had never had such an incident before, and in the 32 years since. With the exception of that single disgusting act, my guess is that his record is cleaner than yours. He is now a 76 year old grandfather. His victim has requested that the matter be dropped so that her family and the Polanski grandchildren will be spared further, unnessisary torment.
If it makes you feel morally superior to argue for the death penalty or whatever, that’s a reflection on you. I think the matter should be dropped.
I applaud Joe for responding to this matter for 'himself', taking into account various things. That regular readers are threatening to "move on" from reading his blog now just because he didn't give the 'expected' answer to this case,reveals a lot. It reveals that so many people just like to burrow themselves into clubs where people respond to each and every incident in excatly the same way regardless of what it is. Those who deviate slightly, are suddenly labelled sell outs.
ReplyDeleteThank you Observer. I don't consider myself to be on autopilot on every matter. I could be wrong on this but the total circumstances surrounding this case are far more complex than the lynch mob seem capable of grasping.
ReplyDeletePolanski paid the victim a half a million dollars in compensation. I susptect that 'Anonymous', who is so rightiously indignent, wouldn't mind being raped by Osama Bin Laden for a half a million dollars.
ReplyDelete