Polanski and the Bounty of Childhood Sex
Despite all his very good films (and I believe they are very good but not exceptional) Polanski may perhaps be and certainly deserves to be best remembered for a passing moment, a few hours of sex with young what’s her name, some hot Lolita. That moment should be memorialized because Polanski’s persecution is as important in cultural history as the persecution of Jean Calas. My only concern is: Will Polanski find his Voltaire?
However, the argument that Polanski should be given a pass because he is a great artist is obviously fallacious. If he had perpetrated a real crime, such as murder, there would not be the least doubt that he should be punished. We deplore Gesualdo’s good fortune. We are offended at preferential treatment for celebrities even when it comes to minor infractions because that seems to elevate them to the status of a kind of nobility.
No: One’s standing as an artist is no reason to escape punishment. There may, of course, be a motive behind this argument, however tenuous either the argument itself or the reasoning behind the motive may be. The hidden thought may be that certain artists, as legislators for our mores, should be considered as special cases not because their persons are somehow elevated above the rest of us, but because their actions have a revelatory or pedagogic value that is beneficial to mankind. This thought is not to be dismissed without reflection, but I won’t take it up here. But, and this is the defensible point, Polanski’s defenders probably believe that his actions did not in fact constitute a crime, or at the very least no crime more serious than jaywalking. To come right out and say so, however, would be politically unwise and would probably not help Polanski in his actual predicament. This, I believe, is valid. Furthermore, I think it needs to be stated bluntly, so I’ll rush in where Hollywood fears to tread. On balance, I don’t think what I say will have an effect of Polanski’s case one way or the other. And, in a wider perspective, being honest and aggressive about the fraud that has been perpetrated on the world in the name of child abuse will have better effects than continued dithering. Others may be worried about remaining eligible for an Oscar, but I, like Eminem, don’t give a fuck.
5 Inch Stiletto
So-called child molestation, which is actually just an abusive term for childhood sex is not a crime. The reason is simple. The act can be divided into two parts potentially. One is the sex, the other is physical (or excessive psychological – a vague and dubious concept) coercion. It is true that physical coercion can be criminal especially if it involves inflicting physical pain. However, coercion by itself is indifferent to the age of the victim. Coercing anyone to do anything against their will is at the very least immoral. Doing so at the point of a gun is often criminal (Coercing the perpetrator of a holdup to desist at the point of a gun is not considered criminal, but coercing a soldier into battle at the point of a gun may be considered criminal). However, proponents of so-called child molestation make clear that coercion is irrelevant to the supposed criminality of the act since even consensual sex with children is criminalized.
Martina Warren - Cozy Retreat
Martina's a desert rat but she also like to snuggle up in a comfy environment with her martini and a roaring fire.
