One is too many.
Posted
October 1, 2009 at
11:57 pm by
Marge
When Roman Polanski dies, he will not be known for his brilliant films like Rosemary’s Baby or The Pianist.
He will be known as a sexual predator who used his riches and fame to escape the hand of the law.
Yes. It is a shame that such a brilliant talent will go down like that.
A bigger shame is that he’s gotten away with it for so long.
As a survivor of sexual crimes, it makes me ill to see that he’s never fully acknowledged his crime or served the penalty for victimizing a 13-year-old girl.
As a mother of a 5-year-old girl, it makes me sick think that we have not eliminated people like this from society. I constantly worry about someone taking her innocence as mine was.
As a citizen of the world, it makes me nauseous that France and Poland are asking the United States to turn a blind eye to this man’s crimes because they occurred more than 35 years ago.
While time gives us perspective on life, it may not heal all wounds, especially these kinds of wounds.
The irony of the situation does not escape me. Polanski’s mother died in a concentration camp. Would the crimes against his family been more forgivable if they had been at the hand of a brilliant German artist? Are the crimes of the Holocaust any less heinous because they occurred more than 75 years ago? How can he and those that defend him not see this? Of, if they do see it, ignore it and claim that hampering Polanski’s artistic potential is more important than justice for his victim?
Does it matter that Polanski used drugs and alcohol to coerce his victim instead of a gun or a knife?
I’m sorry Whoopi Goldberg and Martin Scorsese. Rape is rape. He took her innocence. He’s gotten away with it. He needs to serve his time.
The only thing that’s more disgusting than people defending Polanski’s actions is the energy that’s been expended on this particular case. How many other children are voiceless victims of sexual predators?
According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics:
- 67 percent of all victims of sexual assault were juveniles
- One out of seven victims in reported sexual assaults are under six
- Convicted rape and sexual assault offenders serving time in State prisons report that two-thirds of their victims were under the age of 18, and 58% of those–or nearly 4 in 10 imprisoned violent sex offenders–said their victims were aged 12 or younger.
- In 90% of the rapes of children less than 12 years old, the child knew the offender.
That should make you sick.
If you’re a parent, think of your child’s class. There are probably 30 or so kids in that room. By the time they finish high school, how many of them will have their innocence stolen by someone they trusted.
We have a choice here. We can keep the spotlight on Roman Polanski and hold him accountable, or we can focus our energies on protecting out kids from people like him. As much as I’d love to see him pay his price,
I have to choose prevention over punishment. One more victim is one too many.
Learn more about what you can do to keep our kids safe at organizations like Prevent Child Abuse America or The Child Abuse Prevention Association or an organization near you.
Tags: Bueau of Justice Statistics, Child Abuse Prevention Association, Child Molestation, child-abuse, France, Poland, Prevent Child Abuse America, rape, Roman Polanski, Rosemary's baby, The Pianist |
10 Responses to “One is too many.”
RSS feed for comments on this post.
Leave a comment
Comments are moderated and may not appear immediately in an effort to remove commercial messages, irrelevancies, excessive foul language, racist/sexist/hateful comments, spoofed/cloaked IPs and/or personal attacks and will be edited/deleted at our discretion. Thank you for your patience.
1. Amanda
October 2, 2009 @ 2:23 am
I’ve seen people like you get on their high horse - but really, it isn’t about the victim. It’s about you.
That’s the problem with our justice system. It’s really about vengeance. Not justice - vengeance.
If we really cared about justice, we’d listen to the victim. And do what’s right. In this case, she’s been asking them to close the case for quite a long time now. She says she’s been more abused by the justice system than what Polanski ever did to her.
Does that make child abuse right? Of course not. I’ve survived my own childhood of abuse. But I’ve also experienced the other side, that of having ‘friends’ fan my helpless rage at my abuser out of their own issues, not what’s best for me. Justice for me wasn’t revenge at all.
2. mully
October 2, 2009 @ 7:49 am
Sorry Amanda. It isnt just about YOU, the victim. Our justice system is what it is because of a much bigger picture, to deter more heinous crimes from being committed by even more cretins of society.
Our justice system, whether its right or wrong, is there to send a message to not only the current criminal, but all of those other pond scum out there contemplating doing the same thing.
For you to make the statement that its because of someone’s need for vengeance is a ridiculous statement.
It is unfortunate that you or anyone else should be made a “poster child” in order to bring degenerate people to justice and I can understand the need to just get over it and try to move on with one’s life, but after reading the transcript of Elizabeth Smart’s testimony yesterday in her kidnapping and rape trial, I have to think to myself……justice is definitely being served. If for no other reason than to send a warning to parents around the world that people like Roman Polanski DO exist and to be cautious with what you teach your child.
Oh and yeah, lets not forget. Our justice system hopefully gets scum off our streets and behind bars where they belong.
What a scary world if we all just looked the other way, as you and so many of the so called “caring” Hollywood types want to do.
3. mully
October 2, 2009 @ 7:56 am
For the record and not to indicate anything other than presenting facts….The victim in the Polanski rape case, Samantha Geiner, was not a virgin when Polanski drugged, raped and sodomized her.
Ive read the transcript of her testimony online and when asked if she had had sexual intercourse before, she answered yes.
I also want to point out that the circumstances leading up to her even being with Polanski that night are, at best, in my mind, curious.
Her mother simply let her daughter go with Polanski on the ruse of him taking photographs of her for Vogue magazine.
My point in mentioning any of this isnt to assume that it was her fault or her mother’s fault or that Polanski was being given some sort of tacit “permission”. Not at all. Rape IS rape Whoopie and there is no doubt that Polanski should be brought to justice.
However, I do question a mother allowing her 13 year old daughter to ever be in a situation where this could possibly happen and while it might be considered “normal” (God help us) for 13 year olds to be having sex nowadays, back in the early 70s it most definitely wasnt.
4. James
October 2, 2009 @ 10:55 am
The Justice system needs to punish people for crimes committed, especially in rape cases.
If the victim of the crime is too scares of stereotypes/attention/reliving the event/people finding out/etc to pursue a trial does that mean the rapist goes free, despite all evidence/confession?
If that is the case there will be a lot more serial rapists and more victims. Al they need to do is put fear into the victim to not push a trial and they can continue their activities.
5. Beth
November 4, 2009 @ 11:40 am
“When Roman Polanski dies, he will not be known for his brilliant films like Rosemary’s Baby or The Pianist. He will be known as a sexual predator who used his riches and fame to escape the hand of the law.”
No, he won’t. That’s how he should be remembered, but it’s wishful thinking to say that is how he WILL be remembered.
I’m not defending his actions, rape is rape, and it’s wrong, but there’s a big perception that somehow he’s above all of this because he’s so accomplished. It’s not right, but that’s the true perception, not the one you mentioned above.
6. mully
November 4, 2009 @ 6:44 pm
Beth: I think the way Roman Polanski will be remembered will very much depend on who is doing the remembering.
The “hollywood” set will probably remember him for his accomplishments in the field of movies, however, the average person will have a MUCH different memory of Roman Polanski and that perception AND memory will be of a man who drugged, raped and sodomized a young girl and then ran, like a animal in the night, to a safe haven and got to live a very privileged life until, finally, hopefully, he was brought to justice.
7. Summer Fun
November 6, 2009 @ 9:51 am
Exactly. When I hear his name I don’t think of his movies, or the rape case. The name, for me, is synonymous with Charlie Manson.
What about Phil Spector? Is he going to be remembered for his innovative record-producing techniques, having created his famous “Wall of Sound,” or for his conviction in the murder of Lana Clarkson?
8. Lynda
November 8, 2009 @ 3:51 pm
Amanda said:
October 2, 2009 @ 2:23 am
Amanda, out of curiousity, what was justice for you? I’d also be interested to know, why did you feel “helpless rage”?
9. Marius
November 25, 2009 @ 4:17 pm
Frankly I think that he has already got away with the crime and punishing someone for crimes done 35, 50, 60 years earlier is useless. Even if it was rape or war crimes.
It’s not that I don’t think people should be punished for their crimes. I think that in these cases (35, 50 years afterward) they have already got away with it.
10. mully
November 25, 2009 @ 6:24 pm
He definitely “got away” Marius, you are right about that.
The mere fact that he enjoyed a privileged life for the past 35 years in Europe’s elite, tells us that.
However, I totally disagree with you that punishing someone this many years later is useless.
Perhaps Roman Polanski wont ever repeat what he did to that young girl again in his life, but making him accountable, even at this late date, sends a message to anyone else that in this country, at least, you can run, but you cant hide and why SHOULD he get a pass?
Why should we, as a society, simply turn away and say “Oh, so many years have passed, the woman doesnt care any longer, hes sorry blah blah blah?”
He committed a pretty heinous crime. Then or now, he needs to take his lumps for that.