Because I'll go crazy if I don't vent about this
I've been tracking the now infamous Roman Polanski case via online reactions.
The whole thing leaves me revolted. I cannot articulate how much contempt and disappointment I feel at the reaction of so many public figures and political personalities. (Particular, "Dude, the FUCK?" for Terry Gilliham who is never seeing another penny from me.)
I do recommend that you read Kate Harding's article. I also recommend cluegirl's post
There is also the victim's testimony (hat-tip to violetsquirrel for the link). I dare anyone to read that and turn around to claim that Polanski was seduced.
He is an arrogant, self-centred sociopath. Previous tragedy is no excuse for deliberately and knowingly raping a child. There is no excuse short of mental collapse (which is a mitigation rather than a justification) for such a crime and no-one has suggested Polanski is insane.
Talent is not a free pass. Tragedy is not a free pass. There is not and can never be any free pass for rape. There can be no justification for drugging and raping a girl who despite her fear, despite the drugs, repeatedly and consistently said 'no'.
The victim has expressed a wish for the whole thing to be over. She doesn't want charges pressed any longer and I respect that. However, Polanski is no longer 'just' a rapist. Any criminal is the responsibility of the State from the moment they commit an illegal act. For the United States to allow Polanski to escape his crime would be a failure of the rule of law.
A just law cannot allow exceptions for the elite. A just law allows only for mitigating circumstances such as mental defect or coercion. A just law cannot be bought be it by money or rhetoric. A just law brings criminals to account in the name of protecting the people under its juristiction.
If an exception can be made for Roman Polanski, then rape victims - already subject to suspicion and disbelief - have another reason to fear reporting a crime. Any exception to the law sets a precedent and allowing a child-rapist to walk free without even a token gesture of atonement would set a dangerous precedent that undercuts faith in the judicial system. For the sake of the society it protects, the legal system cannot allow Roman Polanski to escape the punishment he has been running from for the last thirty years.
The whole thing leaves me revolted. I cannot articulate how much contempt and disappointment I feel at the reaction of so many public figures and political personalities. (Particular, "Dude, the FUCK?" for Terry Gilliham who is never seeing another penny from me.)
I do recommend that you read Kate Harding's article. I also recommend cluegirl's post
There is also the victim's testimony (hat-tip to violetsquirrel for the link). I dare anyone to read that and turn around to claim that Polanski was seduced.
He is an arrogant, self-centred sociopath. Previous tragedy is no excuse for deliberately and knowingly raping a child. There is no excuse short of mental collapse (which is a mitigation rather than a justification) for such a crime and no-one has suggested Polanski is insane.
Talent is not a free pass. Tragedy is not a free pass. There is not and can never be any free pass for rape. There can be no justification for drugging and raping a girl who despite her fear, despite the drugs, repeatedly and consistently said 'no'.
The victim has expressed a wish for the whole thing to be over. She doesn't want charges pressed any longer and I respect that. However, Polanski is no longer 'just' a rapist. Any criminal is the responsibility of the State from the moment they commit an illegal act. For the United States to allow Polanski to escape his crime would be a failure of the rule of law.
A just law cannot allow exceptions for the elite. A just law allows only for mitigating circumstances such as mental defect or coercion. A just law cannot be bought be it by money or rhetoric. A just law brings criminals to account in the name of protecting the people under its juristiction.
If an exception can be made for Roman Polanski, then rape victims - already subject to suspicion and disbelief - have another reason to fear reporting a crime. Any exception to the law sets a precedent and allowing a child-rapist to walk free without even a token gesture of atonement would set a dangerous precedent that undercuts faith in the judicial system. For the sake of the society it protects, the legal system cannot allow Roman Polanski to escape the punishment he has been running from for the last thirty years.