Some Things Just Look Bad

Arrested in Zurich on Saturday evening, film director Roman Polanski is awaiting extradition to the United States for charges that have haunted him since 1978. Polanski plead guilty to raping a 13 year old girl and then fled the United States in the same year.

In his blog "The Big Picture," featured in the L.A. Times, Patrick Goldstein wrote this; "I think Polanski has already paid a horrible, soul-wrenching price for the infamy surrounding his actions." You can find the full article here.

Mr. Goldstein, will you please answer me this question; What horrible price of infamy has Mr. Polanski paid? Correct me if I am wrong, but Polanski fled the U.S. in 1978 when the event happened and has lived in freedom since. Polanski has also been nominated for Academy Awards and recieved Academy Awards. Polanski has made millions of dollars from the movies he has made. Mr. Goldstein, correct me if I'm wrong, but fleeing before you are sentenced makes you look worse than you already did.

Mr. Goldstein, will you please answer another question? You stated that California shouldn't prosecute an old man because the case is old, and that California has other problems. Won't it look even worse for California if they drop the case now? Citizens are tired of celebrities in sports, t.v., movies, and other areas of life getting off easy because they are celebrities. Wouldn't dropping this case continue to invite public outrage of specialized treatment for the wealthy and celebrities? Your argument states that California should protect the poor and unemployed, and yet you want to release this man. Releasing this man wouldn't protect the poor and umemployed because the prosecutors would only be left with the poor and uneployed to prosecute. Never mind the fact that it isn't the prosecutors' fault that California is having poverty and unemployment issues.

Samantha Geimer, the victim, says that she has forgiven Mr. Polanski. I am glad that she did this. Does her forgiveness constitute the fact that the state should forgive this man because he plead guilty and then ran away? Does her forgiveness guarantee that he has reformed? The fact of the matter is that this man was a bad guest in our nation, and has still benefitted from our capitalist system. Although Samantha Geimer is an exceptional human being for forgiving Mr. Polanski, her forgiveness doesn't equate to the responsibility the State of California has to protect its citizens.

I personally don't want a witch hunt. I just think that a lot of the press on this issue looks bad. Many articles talk about documentaries made about Mr. Polanski's life that side with his release. This seems like more propaganda to help celebrities get off easy.

Growing up my mom always quoted the bible to me. "Abstain from all appearance of evil." Some things just look bad and when things look bad, they usually are.

I don't know if Mr. Polanski has changed or not, but I must say in this case that this whole scenario looks bad.

If you would like to know more about Mr Polanski's life and arrest you can read these AP and Reuters releases here and here.