Entertainers support child abuser

To the editor:I have been watching the media coverage of the arrest of Roman Polanski in Switzerland on Sept. 27 and I have been disgusted with what I have seen. In 1978, Polanski fled the United States after pleading guilty to statutory rape of a 13-year-old child. This was apparently a plea bargain for a charge relating to a case where Polanski had given the 13-year-old girl Quaaludes and alcohol and then had intercourse with her.

Now, 32 years later, Polanski is arrested in Switzerland and is facing extradition. Since his arrest, several notable

entertainers such as Whoppi Goldberg and Harrison Ford have made strong comments and have condemned the arrest of Polanski. Goldberg said the sexual assault of this girl wasn’t “rape rape” and felt the arrest was unjust.

My grandfather once shared a saying with me that many know. What is good for the goose is good for the gander. If Polanski was just some common person who was a janitor at an office building and was convicted for the crimes that Polanski was convicted of, I believe these entertainers would support arresting such a convict and fugitive from justice. Instead, these people have disregarded the violent attack on a 13-year-old child in order to support this famous person of which they seem to think is too good a person to have to be subject to justice. If it were their daughter who Polanski had drugged up, given alcohol to and raped, I am fairly convinced they would have a different statement to make.

When a person is allowed to commit heinous crimes in the United States and then flee to another country without any consequence, it establishes a horrible precedent that would allow people to think that you can come to the United States, commit crimes and leave and get away with it. So, you can drug up, drink up our little children, rape them and leave the country and enjoy a “get out of jail-free” card? I don’t think so.

I hope the readers of this comment give thought to this and consider this if it was your child who was a victim. I was a police

officer in Alaska and have seen the horrible destruction of sexual assaults in the lives of people. I have also seen the effect on victims when in the criminal justice system that people get away with their crimes. It hurts all of us.

Many times, people idolize those in the entertainment business. That is unfortunate unless their “real character” is as noble as the fictional characters that they sometimes play. In this case, I would say that some of these entertainers have reminded me of the words of a great American philosopher who once said, “Stupid is as stupid does.” Judge for yourself.

Aaron Parker

Houston