Swiss Stakes

This may or may not apply to pop culture, although it's most definitely a topic du jour:

Polanski, Roman: Director, French citizen, currently awaiting extradition to the United States to face sentencing for a 30 year old conviction of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor.

She was 13, drugged and violated; now France is protesting the arrest in Zurich over the weekend as a grave injustice. And Hollywood is following suit.

A petition signed by over 100 film European and US industry professionals and organisations admonishes the US and Swiss governments, saying "His arrest follows an American arrest warrant dating from 1978 against the filmmaker, in a case of morals."

[editor: SIGH]

Clearly, there are two sides to every argument; even Polanski's victim has come down on the side of mercy, saying in her 2003 LA Times piece "...who wouldn't think about running when facing a 50-year sentence from a judge who was clearly more interested in his own reputation than a fair judgment or even the well-being of the victim?"

But, c'mon guys...

He.

Raped.

A.

Child.

He did. He admitted it. He just got cold feet when it came to taking the punishment. I don't see Polanski as a visionary, as a victim or harmless. He's lived a successful, fulfilling life in the limelight and enjoyed the sort of forgiveness reserved for popes, orhpans and Laura Bush.

I think you know where I stand... how about you?