Are You Kidding Me?

Roman Polanski. Apparently he's a famous, Oscar-winning director--I don't think I've seen any of his films. Thirty-one years ago he was arrested for the statutory rape of a thirteen-year old girl. I'm sorry to be brutal, but to put this in perspective, he drugged her with qualudes and alcohol and then sodomized her. He admitted to having sex with her in court, plead guilty to a lesser charge and then fled the country.

He has been living "in exile" in France since then, avoiding countries that have extradition treaties with the U.S. (France won't extradite to the U.S. because we have the death penalty.) But this past weekend, Polanksi went to Switzerland to accept an award, and at the request of the U.S. government, was arrested and is being held for extradition. The French are protesting loudly that one of their citizens is being subjected to such horror. Debra Winger, the Hollywood has-been and brilliant legal mind, proclaimed: "We hope today this latest (arrest) order will be dropped. It is based on a three-decades-old case that is dead but for minor technicalities. We stand by him and await his release and his next masterpiece." She lamented that he must be allowed to continue his "important work". What?!!!!!!!!!!

Let me get this straight. Because Polanski is an "artist" and an award-winning director, he therefore gets a moral blank check that excuses him from all past actions. He served forty some-odd days before he fled to France to live in suffering for thirty years. That, apparently, is sufficient if you have his resume. I wonder, Debra, if you would say the same thing if it were your daughter who was raped. I wonder if you would say the same for Bob, the auto mechanic, who actually does important work in Anytown, USA. It's bad enough that Ms. Winger said what she said, what's worse is that she's not alone. A petition is circulating Hollywood demanding his release. (Check it out at, and please sign to help him out....http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2235105/roman_polanski_petition_created_by.html)

Oh, okay. Whatever you say. If ever there was a more perfect example of the out-of-touch-bubble that is "Hollywood", I can't think of one. Obviously, not everyone in Hollywood is signing it, thank goodness. But I'm astonished that anyone would defend his actions...well Woody Allen does, I guess that makes sense.

I'm sorry Polanski's wife was murdered, along with his child she carried. I'm sorry he had so survive the Holocaust. No-one should have to go through those things. But nothing can justify what he did. Even if he were remorseful, which he is not, part of the repentance process is restitution. He owes a debt to society for what he did. Running away to France, no not even France, does not qualify. There's a reason that the statue of Justice in front of the Supreme Court is blindfolded--the law is blind. It can only be law if it is impartially administered to all people, regardless of who or what they are. If we make exceptions for celebrities or auto-mechanics, our system will crumble. Come on home Roman. Serve your time, pay for your crime. Believe it or not, you'll feel better.