santa cruz wharf

29 September 2009

ya’ know… I like his movies too… but an Academy Award is not a Get-Out-of-Jail-Free Card.

under the heading of forewarned is forearmed…I take the subject of sexual abuse of children extremely seriously.  There are no circumstances under which it is acceptable or humorous. 

Having artistic talent does not give anyone the right to drug and rape a thirteen year old child. Polanski raped a child. There is no question he did it.  To this day, he admits it himself.

Just because French politicians, Swiss Cultural Councils, and various American actors and actresses have voted him Mr. Congeniality, does not erase the fact that Roman Polanski has violated a little girl.

Should every artist of considerable talent not be held to the same laws of the land and basic human decency?  If he had only been nominated for an award, should he only have to serve half of his sentence?

Would it be okay with you if Michael Moore used beer and a roofie to forcibly sodomize a thirteen year old daughter, sister, niece in your family?


Should every surviving family member who had relatives slaughtered by the atrocity of the Holocaust be allowed to violate a young girl and not be punished?

Having a spouse and unborn child murdered is horrific. But should that give someone a free pass to forcibly sodomize someone else’s child?

If after pleading guilty, if a child rapist uses their resources to escape arrest for thirty years, should that conviction disappear? 

Polanski gave a series of interviews in the late 1970’s. In one he claimed the reason his case had so much media appeal was,

“But… f—ing, you see, and the young girls. Judges want to f— young girls. Juries want to f— young girls. Everyone wants to f— young girls!”

So basically because Polanski thinks everyone else wants to commit sexual child abuse, he should be allowed to.

A politician who has a consensual adult love affair outside of his marriage is battered incessantly, vilified in the media…but a film director should be allowed to sexually abuse a young girl?

Professional athletes go to prison for drug use and animal abuse. But a film director should not be punished for raping a child?

He ran to France, because he was afraid his crimes were subject to “heavy sentencing.”  For thirty years he has thumbed his nose at the United States of America.

I understand he is sorry now. But that does not give his treatment of that girl to go without consequences and without legal punishment. It does not erase fleeing after conviction because he thought he’d have to go to prison.

14 comments:

Dana said...

I have been a bit surprised at how people seem to "minimize" his crime. I can't ...

Vinny "Bond" Marini said...

The list of those who are willing to 'give him a break' keeps growing...

I shake my head in disgust...

And then i read THIS article
and I wonder if Mr. Harris would feel differently if it was HIS daughter....

Linda said...

So all you have to do is say I'm sorry and that settles it? I don't think so and I don't care who you are or if you have a mantel full of Academy Awards. A crime is a crime is a crime ... time to pay the piper, Mr. Polanski.

Cinnamon Girl said...

The only person who's opinion I would lend any weight to would be Samantha Geimer's. She would like to see the whole thing dropped and frankly her thoughts on it are the only ones I'd being willing to listen to. Other than that, he should do the time.

Sandee said...

What is happening to us as a society? I cannot grasp why this seems to be okay with so many.

I'm so with you on this. He will walk on this charge I'm sure. What a shame. What does this say to our children?

Have a terrific day K. Thanks for the big hug for Zane and I and a great big hug back to you and The Teamster. :)

katherine. said...

Dana: they don't care about the girl...or the other girls raped by other men. They only care about their friend.

Bond: yeah. Harris is driving the "save my friend" bandwagon. Although the NY Times editorial came out a bit different:

NY Times opinion piece on Polanski

Linda: what do you think the odds are he will have to serve time?

katherine. said...

Starr: I gotta go adamantly against you on this one.

Do you really think the victim should get to determine punishment?

If Ms. Geimer's thoughts were that Polanski should be taken out into the street, castrated, left to bleed out...and she would get the film rights...would you frankly go along with her?

Hmmmmm. Maybe I agree with you after all. Maybe the victims of all child abuse SHOULD get to have a say on their abuser's punishment.

Sandee: Why does our society not consider Polanski as we consider Garrido? Rape of a child is not allowed for those who have artistic talent. It is a cause worth going out for.

Cinnamon Girl said...

I still think he needs to do the time from the crime he has already admitted to doing but I also think the victims wishes should be taken into consideration.

katherine. said...

maybe...if the victims of child sexual abuse had their wishes taken into consideration...Jaycee Dugard would have grown up with her family and Polly Klaas would be alive.

Both of the "criminals" in those cases are repeat child sexual offenders.

Polanski should do time for two crimes....the rape of a child, and the skipping out on bail.

Cinnamon Girl said...

Oh I agree with you 100% there but I do think they need to figure out a way to not make this more of a media circus than it already has been turned into.

katherine. said...

the only way I can think of to make it so this atrocity is less of a media circus would be for polanski to agree to the extradition and serve his time. And for him to request his Hollywood friend to not call press conferences and publish petitions.

I, Like The View said...

I'm with you totally, katherine.

Jay said...

It's pretty clear to me that there isn't a single crime out there that can be committed where there won't be somebody trying to excuse it. It boggles the mind.

There really are no questions about the fact that he did, in fact, commit the crime that he pled guilty to. Any other discussion about what went on that night are moot. The circumstances of his life, while horrible, do no mitigate what he did.

CrAzY Working Mom said...

Crimes against children should be DOUBLE the normal penalty. I just cannot fathom the thought. He disgusts me.