There was no more widely publicized miscarriage of justice than O.J. Simpson's 1995 acquittal of double murder. On this, most reasonable and rational people can agree.
Tomorrow morning, we The People, and more importantly, the families of Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson, will get some of the justice they've been seeking for 14 years when OJ is sentenced for kidnapping and robbery.
The sentence? Likely 18 years, with the possibility of more, and almost zero chance of parole before those 18 years.
Now at age 61, Simpson won't get out until he's 78 or 79 years old.
How does this relate to sports? Oh, I don't know exactly. But I think it has a little something to do with the disproportionate amount of attention we give to athletes (and sports in general), raising them up to hero and God-like status, and forgetting that underneath the pads and jerseys and shoe contracts is a human being--sometimes a human being who is violent and despicable.
OJ Simpson is one of those people.
The sad part is that there are others--some who may even be on the field now.
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Comments (2)
Can you just imagine the pr... (Below threshold)1. Posted by bernie | December 4, 2008 11:12 PM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Can you just imagine the pressure Judge Glass must be under? On Friday she must give sentence to a fallen American idol. While I believe Simpson was involved in the murders of Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman and got away with it, I think an 18 year prison sentence in this matter would be a form of legal overkill.
I watched both Simpson trials on television. It is my belief that he was/is guilty as charged in both.
The so-called Las Vegas 'sting operation' was more akin to a collection of buffoons attempting to 'recover' something claimed by Simpson to be his personal property. None of the cohorts demonstrated any learned skills of robbery or kidnapping. They all were a bunch of amateurs.
Were I Judge Glass, I would sentence Simpson to 10 years of probation after serving 1 full year in prison....as a lesson in objectivity. I know the Goldman and the Brown families want their measure of flesh and I believe they are entitled to it. Hitting Simpson with an 18 year prison sentence is the equivalent of a life sentence. Yes, I think he got away clean with murder in the past, but handing down a life sentence for an absolutely stupid act he had done most recently isn't justice, it would be revenge and that is not what our legal system is all about.
1. Posted by bernie | December 4, 2008 11:12 PM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on December 4, 2008 23:12
2. Posted by Guegue | December 5, 2008 12:53 PM | Score: 0 (2 votes cast)
This is not justice, this is a revenge.
2. Posted by Guegue | December 5, 2008 12:53 PM |
Score: 0 (2 votes cast)
Posted on December 5, 2008 12:53