Concerning Polanski

I was going to try to avoid this topic. I was going to not be political this time. I was going to not get involved.
But I have heard both sides now. I have seen the arguing. I have seen the misinformation and the ranting and the opinions, and I have to weigh in on my own personal little corner of the Internet.

This post is about the arrest of Roman Polanski (link for those who have not heard about it). Therefore, this post is about someone who has confessed to drugging and raping a minor. If this makes you uncomfortable, I understand and you don't have to read; but from here on out, you've been warned. Also, I admit I am fallible; and if I have any of my facts (my facts, not my opinions) incorrect, please inform me—I believe in changing based on new data.

There. Now I'm going to say it: Of the two extreme sides, I agree with the people signing the petition.

I think that Polanski did exactly what he plead guilty to. I think he is, or was, a rapist. And I do not think that should be excused, nor should his fleeing the country when things went (illegally) sour.

But I think that the method by which the situation has been handled up to now is utterly unacceptable. If there is some red tape somewhere that has prevented an arrest until now, then alright, that's different; but this smacks of police turning a cultural event into a trap for a criminal, and not even a criminal who has, as far as we know (and I'd think we'd know) offended again.

It is not, for me, about this one case; it is about the precedent this case stands to set. It is about the precedent that the police can choose when and where to arrest a criminal; that they can engage in acts which I would argue border on entrapment to capture a criminal who has not since offended; that bureaucracy is more important than the wishes of the victim; and that a person's celebrity status can be allowed to influence a case both negatively and positively.

I absolutely think that Polanski should be punished for what he did—both the original crime and feeling the country. If he actually served his original, plea-bargained sentence (which I cannot quite tell if he did or not, the articles about it are obtuse on this point), then he should serve time for fleeing the country. However, in my ideal world I would call for a mistrial, have him tried somewhere other than Los Angeles County, and have him serve the sentence issued by that trial; not because I think he would be treated more harshly, but because the behavior of the original judge should not be allowed to stand.

Also, I have heard people speak of boycotting those who signed the petition to free Polanski: I respectfully disagree. I won't stop you, but it seems to me to smack of hypocrisy: People want Polanski's artistic career to be kept separate from the politics of his trial and arrest, but they want to bring their politics into their decisions about others' art? Then again, I avoid Century Theaters because their owner supported Proposition 8, so maybe there is argument to be made for my own hypocrisy...

That's what I have to say. Now let's see how big this fire gets.