Sometimes identity does matter. I notice that in all the public commentary from France on Polanski, only a woman took into account the feelings and wishes of the victim:
“Justice Minister Michele Alliot-Marie was one of the few leading figures here to mention Polanski’s victim in her appraisal of Polanski’s case. The former justice minister said it “poses a problem” that the U.S. is still seeking his extradition – since Geimer herself wants to move on…”
For me, the issue is one of privacy – intrusion into both Polanski’s and Samantha G.’s privacy, at a point when any public interest in the matter has vanished long decades ago. Polanski’s “genius” is irrelevant or very little relevant; American puritanism is even less relevant. Americans are free to be as puritanical as they wish to be.
That’s nonsense. It presupposes that she was telling the truth, which I hope I have at least cast serious suspicions on. (It also begs the question: why would she want to move on if she was really raped? If I had been raped, I think I would demand far harsher punishment.) I’ll stop jumping to (far more credible) conclusions if you do :P.
It is also most certainly not a question of privacy. It was THE GIRL who (at least nominally) brought the ire of the public mobs into Polanski’s life — and then changes her mind, without ANY form of remorse or apology or acknowledgement of insincerity/dishonesty.
The case has not lost any public interest, I hope. It is still unresolved. Absurd anti-libertarian anti-sex legislation still exists, Polanski has not been vindicated, the corrupt judge and system have not been chastised let alone improved.
This is to me the important point. The woman, who is now married with children, reached a financial settlement with Polanski years ago. She is on the record as wanting the past to remain there. It is only this woman who will be victimized should this hyper-sensational saga be played out according to American ‘law and order.’ Law and justice are not always one and the same.
I believe the core of this issue is the ego of the U.S. The American judicial machine will run this woman and her family through the meat grinder, privacy be damned, if it means showing who is the boss.
I just marvel at the hypocrisy. The LAW is in command when it comes to the proletarians (occasionally even the wealthy…but politically unconnected ones). The higher you go up the food chain, the more meaningless it becomes until you get to the peak of Mt. Neverrest where the nominally Supreme Leader raises his head to receive his orders from Iehovah (and his children), then looks down to find no evidence of law whatsoever. Then he smiles.
That’s very well put, in deed.