A Polanski poll that may open the discussion to larger issues.

[hedgehog]

So, in noodling around the net this morning, I came across an article suggesting that the reason the Americans want to arrest Polanski and that the French don't care is that the French realize that children have sex drives just as adults do. The Americans want to maintain an image of children as pure little innocents. (Apparently the notion that the adult is in control of the situation doesn't enter into the discussion.)

The article went on to suggest that in any case, the child in the Polanski case was not a virgin, so what was all the fuss about.

So, if I tell you that Polanski did have sex with an unwilling, drugged but sexually experienced 13 year old, your reaction would be:

[Brickbat]

1. That's fucked up. "Unwilling and drugged" = game over, I don't care who you are or who the 13-year-

old is. "The French" are wrong on this one.

[joeybee12]

2. A few years back the victim said Polanski shouldnt' be arrested...

...actually, I think they should arrest jack Nicholson since it was at his house...that way I don't have to see him turn in yet another crappy screen performance.

[Ian David]

5. You WANT him on that screen! You NEED him on that screen! n/t

[joeybee12]

7. NOOOOOOOOO!

I reapeat, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

[Ian David]

3. He gave her drugs and alcohol first. That can be rape at ANY age.

Plus, he plead guilty and fled the country.

Even if you don't prosecute the rape, you have to prosecute him for fleeing the country.

[HughMoran]

4. "hide thread"

That wasn't an option in your poll :P

[LeFleur1]

9. Polanski

Which do you believe should be the standard?

If you are over 40, and can put a story together for the screen you should be able to drug and have sex with a girl of any age. It's your right as a good story teller.

You should have your silly ass thrown in jail for touching a thirteen year old just because at your age you should know better.

You should have your silly ass thrown in jail because you are a freaking pervert, and a danger to other children.

The child, now a woman, probably wants this to go away, and never ever to be reminded of it again. That is understandable, but it doesn't excuse the perp.

[lumberjack_jeff]

25. There needs to be a boolean operation for hide thread.

IF subject contains "Polanski" then > dev/null

[Coventina]

6. If the person is unwilling, nothing else matters. End of story.

Once someone says "no" and the act continues, it's rape. If she had been a 24 year-old porn star doing it on camera for money it would still be rape.

[WonderGrunion]

8. What a push poll

This will not open any kind of discussion to any larger issues.

Epic Fail.

[hedgehog]

10. The larger issue here is the suggestion that once a woman has had sex outside

of marriage with someone, she is open to having sex with anyone or "it's not rape if the woman is a slut."



I admit to the sin of push polling - I'm using sarcasm to spotlight an attitude I've seen expressed regarding other cases.

[WonderGrunion]

14. But you ignore larger issues as well.

Polanski should definitely do some time. However, he admitted guilt to a charge that wasn't specifically rape in a plea bargain. All other charges were dropped against him. The judge was about to throw out the plea bargain because he felt that Polanski was mocking the Judiciary and Polanski fled. If Polanski had the agreed to plea bargain at the time, he would have served a maximum of 3 years in jail. Possibly less than a year. A later judge has said in court proceedings that the actions of the Judge were probably reversible error and would probably result in Polanski doing no time at all if he would subject himself to the court system (ignoring that he would still be open to prosecution for flight). If the original Judge's actions had not scared Polanski into fleeing to France, he would have finished his sentence decades ago and be walking the streets a free man today.

[MineralMan]

11. It is simply unconscionable for a grown man to have

sex with a 13-year-old girl. That's why it's against the law. It doesn't matter if the 13-year-old has had sex before. It doesn't matter if a 13-year-old gives consent. It doesn't matter if her mom sent her over to your house. It doesn't matter if she got drunk on the champagne you gave her.

Adult men should not have sex with 13-year-old girls. If they do, they are criminals.

Girls of that age may appear to have adult bodies. They are not, however, adults. They are children, and adults having sex with children are criminals.

There is no defense for this act. None. Yes, Polanski is a brilliant filmmaker. That has nothing to do with his actions. He gave a 13-year-old girl alcohol and drugs and had sex with her. He pleaded guilty to a reduced charge, on the belief that he would get a minimal sentence. He did not deny having sex with this 13-year-old girl.

When he discovered that he would not get that minimal sentence, he fled the country to avoid accepting responsibility for his criminal act. He continued to make films and, by all reports, to have sex with underaged girls outside of this country.

Extradite him to the US and make him face the punishment for his act. It doesn't matter if it was three decades ago. There is no statute of limitations on fleeing punishment.

It is unconscionable, immoral, unethical, and criminal for a grown man to have sex with a 13-year-old girl. It is that simple.

[timeforpeace]

12. "the French realize that children have sex drives just as adults do" Sez who? You?

[hedgehog]

22. Not me - it was in an article I flipped through and didn't feel like spending time

looking for. It seemed to catch a certain attitude though.

[Echo In Light]

13. Odd that this story makes for numerous threads of angry debate here

I'm not suggesting it doesn't tap into a lot of underlying issues and beliefs that result in people becoming vehemently pissed off, but do find it odd given that, I suspect if you walked down a sidewalk of a busy area and randomly polled people as to if they even know who Polanski is, most would not - even if they're familiar w/some of his films.

[LiberalEsto]

15. If he did the crime, he must do the time

If it were a 13-year-old daughter of mine, he would have been toast long ago. Even if I had to follow him to France with a pair of hedge clippers to perform a little "surgery".

[WonderGrunion]

17. You do realize that the time the DA plea bargained to

was only 3 years with as little as a year due to good behavior. He fled when he found out the judge was going to throw out the plea during sentencing and sentence him to 20 to 30 years, thus circumventing his rights to defend himself at trial. (the judge was going to reinstate the dismissed charges to achieve the 30 year sentence)

[TheKentuckian]

16. She said no. That says it all but why now and why do people care so much

that hadn't mentioned his name in years?

This deal smacks of mass distraction to me. A thirty year old case featuring a man "hiding" in plain sight or even the spotlight and a victim that wants this to go away seem like an odd thing to come up out of the blue.

[Mudoria]

18. Something else the French are wrong about....

He needs 5-10 years behind bars to think it over.

[PM Martin]

19. There are no excuses for his actions.

I am shocked at the support that Polanski is getting around here.
:thumbsdown:

[seabeyond]

20. the french are often wrong. like protecting rapist. it happens. u.s. is often wrong too.

se la vive

lol, or however the spelling

[Kablooie]

21. To me the issue is that he ran from his sentence.

Yes he was guilty.
Yes he was convicted.

So he needed to do his time and move on.

He didn't. He ran.

I have no sympathy with him now because it was his own stupid actions that put him in this situation.

[WonderGrunion]

23. He ran when it was revealed to him that the judge

was going to throw out the plea bargain the state agreed to. An action that was later alluded to by another judge as "judicial misconduct that could be considered reversible error". If Polanski had any trust in the courts to follow the law. he would have returned long ago to have all charges dismissed against him.

That's not to say he's innocent, just that the original judge's screw up led to his fleeing the country and may still lead to Polanski's serving no time in jail.

[seabeyond]

24. and instead of him laying low to get that plea he flaunted the privilige in judge

and the worlds face. stupid ass. judge does not have to honor. other judge could not make a deal across oceean. not how it happens.

he has to take the risk like each and everyone of us when we break the law.

scary as it is

shouldnt have fuckin raped a kid

[Kablooie]

27. Hmm. But it's still his fault for running. He should have stayed and fought the decision legally.

[Gwendolyn]

26. Link please, to the article suggesting that the French are okay with child rape.

And that the cultural norm supports the labeling of sexually active women as sluts.

Thanks in advance!