Justice

[poliphilo]

All I ask is consistency. Either the seduction of a child is the most disgusting crime on the book or it's a forgiveable peccadillo; I can live with either. What I find unacceptable is a state of affairs where it's the most disgusting crime on the book when the offender is Creepy Joe Schmo and a forgiveable peccadillo when he's an Oscar-winning film director. Justice should be impartial; that's why its personification is shown wearing a blindfold.  I don't mind excuses being made for Polanski's behaviour- for example that he was traumatised by his childhood experiences- just so long that kind of indulgence is extended to every paedophile. A person's wealth, status, talent, and popularity should have no bearing on their standing in law. 

Comments

[arielstarshadow.livejournal.com]

Rape is not seduction.

[oakmouse]

A person's wealth, status, talent, and popularity should have no bearing on their standing in law.

Absolutely right.

[mazzie.livejournal.com]

I deleted a badly worded and poorly thought out comment, but I do think it's interesting to see how judgment plays out across racial lines.

[solar-diablo.livejournal.com]

I don't care if the man made some interesting films, cured cancer, designed the Sears Tower, and makes the world's best Bananas Foster. The facts of the case seem to be he forced himself on a child.

End of story.

As a sidebar, are there actually articles out there arguing for leniency, or even out and out excusing him? If so I'd like to read them, if only to see how they get around that very basic fact.

exactly!

[seraphimsigrist.livejournal.com]

Yes that is exactly how it
seems to me.
troubling to see the names of all
those fancy people allowing themselves
this hypocrisy in their petition.
though I look in vain on the list, perhaps
ought look again there may be some, for
a name I esteem.

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

Hear, hear!

One of my favorite comments comes from Instapundit (Glenn Reynolds), apropos the artists' petition:

"[A]s one of the creative elite, Polanski is supposed to enjoy a sort of droit de seigneur — but if you come right out and say that, the peasants will get angry."

Glenn Reynolds, of course, is firmly on the side of the peasants.

[wlotus.livejournal.com]

Nor should their race. R. Kelly wasn't cut any slack by the mainstream media for his escapades with underage girls.

[algabal.livejournal.com]

All crimes should be forgiven, especially if the perpetrator is clearly not a threat to anyone anymore.