About Roman Polanski issue....

[staropeace]

Anyone following the news about Roman Polanski?

Anyone hear Whoppi Goldbergs comments? What say you?

I say that powerful,rich and famous folks have too much of a halo effect with the public. They forget that they arent actually as smart as the teleprompter or script pages appear to make them. They arent informed anymore than anyone else.

Bet Whoppi wished she had shut her piehole...big big...

http://jam.canoe.ca/Movies/2009/09/3...enn-story.html

[Kim L.]

Having sex with a 13-year-old girl who's drunk and stoned is not consensual sex; it's rape.

[Doc Wilson]

Absolutely ridiculous and sadly typical. I have no sympathy for the child raping auteur and even less for his boneheaded defenders. Put him in the cell next to Spector.

[jnote]

This is a hard one as many times it is consentual sex. But, it still doesn't make it legal. He needs to serve his time like anyone else convicted of rape. As anyone who is a parent of a 13 year old knows, they aren't thinking like the adult and the adult is taking full advantage of their innocence.

[bopropadop]

I've read several pieces saying how poor Mr. Polanski has paid his dues for this crime over the past 30 years living as a fugitive in France. Let me see if I have this right... For 30 years he's lived like a Prince leading a jet setting life and because he couldn't re-enter the US, he's been punished enough?

This man pled guilty to unlawful sex with a minor (statutory rape) in order to avoid a trial. Then he fled before sentencing (another crime). How can anyone defend that? He raped a 13-year old girl.

And if I hear one more person say it wasn't "rape" rape, I think I'll scream. According to the grand-jury testimony, the victim clearly asked Polanski to stop, and he did not. When asked by the Deputy D.A. why she did not more forcefully resist Polanski, the girl replied, "Because I was afraid of him." Folks, that's "rape" rape.

Bring his *ss back to the States, sentence him, and make him serve his time. Put him in a cell with Bubba the Love King and let him be on the receiving end for a month or two. And when he gets out, add him to list of sex offenders where his crime can be recorded for posterity.

[IfSoGirl]

he was charged w/ multiple things. my question is why did they wait 30 years to try to get him back? i was reading however that the girl just wants this to go away, for it all to just stop, she doesnt really care about it anymore. she's moved on and grown up thankfully. and yeah whoopie's statements not too bright and her trying to back track and say oh no that's not what i meant. it was rape by my definition.

[Mr Nobody]

If it had been Rick the crackhead from down the road, it might not even be a ripple and it certainly wouldn't divide people: everyone would just go 'Yep, finally getting what he deserved'.
The fuss comes because of Polanski's status as a director. People have been going 'Ah, yes, but he's a genius'. So, by that logic, if Albert Einstein had admitted to similar crimes, it would have been OK?
Seems like a lot of 'slebs want one law for us, and one law for them because they are somehow better.
I keep reading too about how smart some of these folks really are (Sharon Stone has/had an IQ of 156, etc etc etc). It's a shame, then, that when the chance arises, they don't show how smart they are by shutting the hell up.
A paedophile is a paedophile. A rapist is a rapist. And someone ask Whoopi, if it wasn't 'rape-rape', then how off her face on the drink and drugs he plied the girl with would the kid have to be before it qualified as 'rape-rape' in her world?

The only slight qualm I have about it is the method used. Could his lawyers argue entrapment, as he was lured, or does that only apply to non-convicts/pre-trial cases?
If they can go for entrapment, expect his release.

All the celebrity support for him has left a proper sour taste, I have to say. I guess it'd be OK if a 'genius' fiddled with their kids.
From now on, I see the Hollywood sign on TV, I'm going to have The Cuckoo Waltz going through my head. Or Dizzee Rascal's 'Bonkers'.

[AngelZ]

How did we sink to the point, where a significant fraction can defend him? The testimony given by both Roman Polanski and the 13 year old girl clearly portrays Polanski as a predator. Read the actual testimony here: http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive...skicover1.html

[Nero]

He should absolutely be tried there is no excuse for taking advantage of a young girl. Regardless of how willing she may have been, she was in the wiles of a celebrity, in another huge celebrities home, while being doped up and at the age of puberty being photographed in risquè ways... there are a lot of factors there where the girl was at a disadvantage mentally and physically to probably put up much of a fight.

And I've always been a little leery of old Jack on this one too... I know he had an alibi but still, something funny there.

Roman is a guy who's mind has been tainted and messed up by what he's been through. First the Nazis and then the Manson family... intead of rising above it, he feels he can do what he wants apparently. I don't want to judge him too much because he's obviously been through more than most of us have, but taking advantage of a young girl is inexcusable and he should pay like everyone else.

Now if he were to be tried and convicted, would he be added to the sex offender list? Or would ex post facto apply in this case? Can't remember whether it applies to when the crime occured or when the conviction took place.

[Moderator]

I haven't been following the recent events closely but were any charges ever brought against the mother, such as child endangerment, if she was aware that her daughter was in an environment that could lead to something like this happening?

I'm not saying that Roman Polanski shouldn't be held accountable, as I believe he should and his celebrity status should not be a shield to keep him from the same consequences as anyone else. But the girl's mother should also be held accountable for not protecting her daughter. JMO