Good Evening, Everyone.

May all of you have a most blessed week!

On September 26, 2009, Roman Polanski, the critically acclaimed motion picture director and producer was finally arrested in Switzerland on a 30 year outstanding warrant for the March 1977 rape of a 13 year old girl in Los Angeles, California.

I can’t imagine anyone who is not familiar with Mr. Polanski either through his cinematic accomplishments or the great tragedy he suffered at the hands of Charles Manson when he ordered his followers to ruthlessly murder his pregnant wife, Sharon Tate and her party guests at their home in 1969.  I was a very young child at the time living in Southern California and this incident scared the hell out of me.  No one felt safe and even though I didn’t read about the gruesome details until they were published later on in a book, I knew these murders were brutally executed.

There is no doubt that Mr. Polanski has suffered his share of tragedies considering that he also lost his mother at the hands of the Nazis during World War II.  However, despite his accomplishment and tragedies, violating the innocence of a young girl is not excusable.  This is a crime against society that can’t be overlooked because it involved an under aged child and adults have a "moral obligation" to respect the innocence of children.

What I don’t understand is why this is an issue that merits any sympathy for Mr. Polanski.  He committed the crime, made a plea bargain and fled the United States before he was sentenced and hid out in France to avoid extradition back to the U.S. For the last 30 years, he’s lived in France and has been very active as a successful film producer and director who has won numerous awards.  Tell me, how has he paid his debt to society?  He has not sacrificed anything.  He’s even remarried and has two children with his current wife. 

I’m still having a problem with those who feel he should be pardoned when government officials both here in the United States and abroad have decided to let the wheels of American justice run their course as they should.  Moral decadence has always preceded societies on the brink of collapse.  A "civilized and humane" society will always protect those who are vulnerable from ruthless exploitation.  A "child is still a child" regardless of their circumstances and our society has a "moral obligation" to protect them when they are the most vulnerable. Fame and notoriety should not place people above the law.  It makes no sense to make laws, if everyone is not expected to abide by them.  No society is perfect but in order to enforce stability and security, they are all we have other than the strong arm tactics of a political dictatorship and I have no desire to live in one.  If we cherish our freedoms, we have to respect our laws especially when they are enforced to protect the innocent.  The pendulum of fate is always swinging back and forth and it’s important that we, as a society, choose wisely.

May Peace Be With All of You,

SistahSelah