A Kink In The Armor
The swell of well wishers and supporters for Roman Polanski has begun to falter. Could it be that cooler heads shall prevail? A couple of days ago it appeared that a title wave of Hollywood-type bigwigs were applying a great deal of pressure on Swiss officials to release Polanski. It appears that an increasing number of people have taken time to consider the profound depths to which this man has sunken. Can there ever be any valid excuse for the sexual misuse of a child?
British parliament member Denis MacShane said Polanski “should be held accountable” and called on the Council of Europe to support Polanski’s extradition. This demonstrates at the very least, that many politicians are prepared to resist the persuasiveness of Actors and Directors who are trying to look out for there own. For instance, while the Polish Foreign Ministry was attempting to get a meeting with Secretary of State Hilary Clinton to ask for Polanski’s release, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk began to distance himself from the case by asking his ministers to show “greater restraint” in defending him.
Lest we believe that all entertainment industry personalities are unable to show objectivity, French film-maker Luc Besson, director of the 1994 film Leon, told French radio station RTL , “I have a lot of affection for him, he is a man that I like very much … but nobody should be above the law.” And also, “I don’t know the details of this case, but I think that when you don’t show up for trial, you are taking a risk.”
This is just a start, but hopefully it is like the trickles from upstream, that combine to build a river, that becomes a torrent. If this trend continues and nay sayers are are limited to the likes of Woody Allen (who if you remember also had an affair with his 17 year old step daughter) perhaps cooler heads WILL prevail.
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I am hearing arguments that want us to consider the genius of Polanski and give him a pass on his past. I will not forgive just as I would not be forgiven. Most of us do not have an option to skip out on our legal obligations. We must stay and face the consequences of our actions. Mr. Polanski should be thankful for the thirty year run and face the music like a man.
You are 100% correct. Imagine this story being written about any rapper. There are women who still protest Kobi today, and he was acquitted! This demonstrates how fickle people are and that there are serious double standards based on race, gender, and class.