What is the value of a human life? What is the cost of harming a human life?
This last week, Roman Polanski was arrested in Zurich Switzerland for a crime he committed some thirty five years ago. The crime was drugging and raping a thirteen year old girl. in 1974 he confessed to the charges and before the end of his trial, fled to France to avoid the penalty of law.
Over the last 30 years, Polanski has been honored by the film industry with numerous awards including Oscars for two films. His visit to Zurich this last week was to attend an evening dedicated to his honor.
In the wake of the arrest, many people have demanded his immediate release including such acclaimed filmmakers as Martin Scorsese, Debra Winger, Woody Allen, Whoopi Goldberg among others.
I’ve thought a lot about this. Polanski’s life has encountered tragedy after tragedy. His mother died during World War Two in a Nazi Concentration Camp. In 1969 His pregnant wife was murdered at the hands of Charles Manson’s followers. It was five years later, in 1974, that he drugged the thirteen year old girl and raped her. It has been argued that the tragedies of his life contributed to his horrific actions. Does this matter? Is this a valid excuse?
In the vein of the film industry and the holocaust i came to the recent Quentin Tarantino film “Inglorious Basterds.”
“Inglorious Basterds” is a film about an elite band of Jewish soldiers, led by a Kentuckian (played by Brad Pitt) who stalk through Nazi Occupied France vengefully killing as many Nazi’s as possible. They carve swastika’s into certain survivors, that fear would spread through the Nazi ranks. They want to ensure that the perpetrators will never escape the deeds of their regime.
I wonder what Polanski’s thoughts are on this film. If a sense of vengence or justice is evoked. I wonder about the atrocities committed against his mother and country men and women alike. How many of his friends were left to the will of the Nazi Regime. I may never know the answers to these questions. I can only imagine based on my own experience, and I wonder how I might feel if placed in his shoes… It is the Gospel of Christ that speaks to my heart of forgiveness, of death and eternal life…
There is a third filmmaker in this conversation by the name of Tyler Perry.
Perry, in his childhood, watched his mother beaten repeatedly by his father and was himself beaten by his father. His adoptive grandmother once washed him in ammonia to rid him of his allergies. He was sexually molested by his friends mother, by a man at his church and endured the pain of knowing that his father molested a childhood friend of his. In all this pain of living in a state of terror, Perry chose forgiveness. My words cannot describe the pain he went through but perhaps his own words can describe the way he has moved on…
“Grateful at 40: I was asked recently how I made it through all of this, (half has not even been told) and my answer to that is…I know for a fact that there is a GOD. When my father would say or do those things to me, I would hear this voice inside of me say, “That’s not true ” or, “Don’t believe that ” or, “You’re going to make it through this “. I didn’t know at the time what “it ” was, but today I surely have no doubt that “it ” was GOD. That voice always gave me comfort. It allowed me to hold on. It kept me from being strung out on drugs, from dying when I wanted to commit suicide. It kept me from being a gang banger or drug dealer. Worse than all of those things put together, it kept me from being him. It brought angels to comfort me after every foul, harsh word or every welt on my legs or back GOD, only GOD.
To know that the little boy that I was went through all that — he went through and made it. Then me, as a man…I have to take on the responsibility of forgiving all of those people. I owe it to that little boy that I was and, more than that, I owe it to the man that I am Think about it, as a child we have no recourse. We have nowhere to go. We have to endure it. But as adults, we have choices. I choose to forgive with all my might. Forgiveness has been my weapon of choice. It has helped to free me.
If you’re having a hard time getting over something in your life, maybe you can try forgiveness too. It’s not easy, but it does bring forth healing. I know that there are a lot of people out there with stories far worse than mine but you, too, can make it. To those of you who have, welcome to life. I celebrate you. We’re all PRECIOUS in His sight.”
~ Tyler Perry
Sexual sin is referred to many times in the new testament, and sexual crime is one of the most horrific we can consider as a society. What would be the Christ like response to a sexual crime like the one committed by Polanski? Should the offender be forgiven or punished? Should the offender be branded with the crimes of their life that no one, including themselves, would ever forget their crimes?
Perfect love forgets past wrong, and yet perfect love always protects… what say you?
October 7th, 2009 at 10:23 pm
This made me think of my own daughter… 18 months old. What if my daughter was the 13 year old girl, drugged and raped by Polanski? Could I forgive? Honestly… no… I would murder him… in all honestly. My mind goes back to that scene in Time To Kill when Samuel L Jackson shoots the two racists that raped and almost murdered his daughter. I can relate to that. My prayer is that I NEVER go through this… and if I do… my prayer is that God would give me the strength by his Spirit to walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh. But it would take the hands of God to hold me back… literally.
October 8th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
thanks for writing this Shane!
It’s a hard issue to deal with. It’s easier to forgive wrongs done to you than it is wrongs done to those you love. That’s part of the “love always protects” that you make mention of. A very difficult subject.
October 11th, 2009 at 10:01 pm
Remember “Blood Diamond” and all the Hollywood hand-wringing over the injustice in the South Africa mines? I see lots of diamonds on them. For them to defend this Polanski just shows how deeply they are out of touch with anything but their own arrogance. Not everyone, of course. They shoot movies all over the place down here, and most of the people on set are just normal everyday people trying to make a living. But the liberal elite actors and directors defy belief!
October 15th, 2009 at 10:14 am
I lived in LA as well and was struck by how many amazing people live down there. I was also struck by how much the entertainment industry is a minority in LA County…
It seems to me that the entertainment industry in LA draws, from across the nation, a certain mentality of drive, success and self worth… it takes a strong person to succeed in that industry, and much of the time it takes someone willing to compromise their morale compass if they ever had one to begin with. To me these are all ingredients for what we are witnessing with the swell of support for Polanski.
it is interesting that in this article, we have three filmmakers, one of whom chose to base his work in Atlanta Georgia, one who ran to France, a nation whose cultural minister is a self confessed lover of “boys,” and one who as far as i know still works out of LA.
I notice also that a number of the big name supporters were from the New York film scene, which is often overshadowed by LA. Martin Scorcese and Woody Allen both have a certain style and ethic that is very unique to New York. It is something to consider…
i do believe and have knowledge that there are Christians and moral people in high positions within the Hollywood system. They believe they can change it from the inside, and i see the ripples in movies and television that come out of LA.
To me its a question of wether we work within the sytem, or step aside and create a new system as Tyler Perry seems to be doing in a small way. What are your thoughts?
October 15th, 2009 at 11:04 am
Andy, thanks so much for your open and honest reply. These are the kind of thoughts and heart i was wondering about. I read the Bible and see areas where this is very much the Heart of God. As believers in God, and members of a democratic society, what should our Government’s approach to such crime be? How can we forget past wrong, and yet always protect? Christ spoke very highly for the “little ones,” how doe we with the heart of Christ protect our “little ones?”
October 17th, 2009 at 11:53 pm
My personal opinion, if you mess sexually with a Child, life in prison or death… it all depends.
We should never forget or gloss over such things done by adults to children.
How do we protect our little ones…. PRAY.. and then, PRAY some more… then also be aware. Know who is in your neighborhood and trust no one. But that is just me… everyone is different.
Shane, thanks so much for this post.
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:21 am
In questioning whether it is wrong to demand that Polanski return to this country and receive due penalty for his crime in light of the Bible’s call for forgiveness, we must not confuse spiritual forgiveness with earthly justice. The Bible calls for both.
Someone who commits a murder can most certainly be forgiven by those he offended, even as he is being taken off to be executed. Forgiveness does not rescind consequences. God Himself forgives but still sends consequences.
So it is one thing for the offended parties in the Polanski case to forgive him. It is another for him to receive the legal consequences for his actions. Demanding both forgiveness and justice are not necessarily mutually exclusive or hypocritical.
November 13th, 2009 at 11:20 am
Brian, very well put. i can’t help but think of Christ and His being subject to the earthly authorities, who demanded He be killed. even Christ submitted to the earthly authority. The forgiveness and salvation that covers these sins are an eternal matter, as you say. i often consider the idea of a rattle snake being in the yard of children playing. do we let the snake be and say if its God’s will, then a child will be bit or not, or do we remove the rattle snake. To me its a matter of dominion and stewardship, and doing so in a God fearing way.
December 6th, 2009 at 6:55 pm
What’s interesting about the Polanski case is that both the probation board and the psychiatrists who evaluated him in 1978 recommended probation and no time in prison; in addition, neither the alleged victim or her mother (who pressed the charges) desired Polanski to serve any time in prison. He, and his attorney, believed probation was what he was going to get, until the judge gave signs that he would fulfill the expectations of a rabid media and populace that wanted to put him away for a long time (15 years minimum). Polanski, in this squeeze, decided to flee (the prosecuting attorney, who also believed that the judge was acting improperly, finds Polanski’s action here reasonable). Though the crime is revolting and complicated, I’m more disturbed by how the people who want to punish Polanski the harshest are the ones who have no personal vested interest in the case. The girl has forgiven him and wants the charges dropped. What remains to me looks like an absurd fiasco affirming our own “righteousness” as Good People far removed from someone whom we identify (incorrectly from a psychiatrist’s standpoint) as a pedophile. I believe Polanski should come back and get his sentence; but I don’t feel anything more than probation is warranted.
December 6th, 2009 at 8:19 pm
very thoughtful and fare reply Amy K. Thank you for sharing. I too wonder whether anything should be done some thirty years later considering so many people have forgiven him including the girl. What i believe is at issue, legally, is that his offense was not so much against the girl but against the state of California and the rule of law.
Four police officers were assassinated near my home last week, and hearing all the commentary that followed, i was struck with the resounding sentiment that this was an attack not on the police, but on the people. Police are employed to enforce the law that the people have put in place through their representative government.
there are cases such as illustrated by Ghandi and Martin Luther King in which i believe people have the moral and ethical right to civil disobedience. i would be very disappointed in anyone who claimed that right in a situation such as Polanski’s.
The issue at hand is what kind of society do we want to live in? there are countries across the world that allow child prostitution, or would even allow a man to rape an adult woman. there are societies that would stone do death the woman that was raped… men flock to such destinations and there is even tourism industries set up around child prostitution.
The society that De Toqueville wrote of in the 19th century, and the Norman Rockwell painted in the 20th century is being washed away by immorality and a lack of regard for the rule of law. The next step would anarchy, and ironically or perhaps by design, Polanski chose to live in France which is historically a bastion of anarchy.
I may be preaching to the choir on these things, and i apologize if am redundant at all, but these are some things that are heavy on my heart and that your post made me think of. thank you
December 8th, 2009 at 11:45 pm
I don’t condone what Polanski did, but I am ALWAYS wary of lynch-mob mentality, and I think that’s what we’re seeing here. Most of the people who have decided to comment on this case seem to have no true conception of the facts. I don’t want to give the impression that I’ve studied this all that closely, because I haven’t, but I’d like to set a few things straight if I may:
1) The case never went to trial. This means that the girl’s testimony was never tested. Polanski pled guilty to a lesser charge, and the girl’s attorney and the prosecutor agreed, on the grounds that — and this is important — there seemed to be some veracity to Polanski’s claims that the girl was not exactly blameless in the matter. She was sexually precocious, had an 18-year-old boyfriend (whose semen was discovered in her panties when investigators were searching for Polanski’s), and willingly took the drugs and alcohol Polanski offered. Does this mean I think it’s okay that Polanski had sex with her? Absolutely not. But there is evidence that this may not have been an out-and-out rape. Anyway, Polanski pled guilty. He didn’t want the ordeal of a trial, especially after witnessing the way the media dragged his and Sharon Tate’s name through the mud after she was murdered. (Polanski was actually blamed by certain members of the media for Tate’s death, until the Manson family were finally apprehended.) He knew what a trial over this would mean and opted out. I don’t blame him. He received his sentence under the terms of the plea deal: 90 days at Chino under psychiatric observation. The court-appointed psychiatrists determined that Polanski was a psychologically normal adult male who had an appalling lapse in judgement and did not pose a threat to society if released. The judge at that point (who was an admitted publicity hound) reneged on the plea agreement and threatened to give Polanski a choice: 50 years in prison or total and permanent exile. Polanski figured, why wait, and he left. The rest is history.
2) Polanski is NOT a pedophile. Pedophilia (or paedophilia) is a psychological disorder in which an adult or older adolescent experiences a sexual preference for prepubescent children (wikipedia.org). Thirteen is not prepubescent. Too young to have sex? In my opinion and according to the culture we live in, yes, it is too young. But Polanski was not her first conquest. It’s the sad truth. And Polanski is not a pedophile, according to the scientific definition of the word.
3) Whatever argument you may have against all that, please spare me the hysterical cries of ‘pedo-defender’ or ‘liberal Hollywood elite’ or whatever other nonsense you may dredge up. I’m a politically moderate, low-income Texan who happens to enjoy Polanski’s films a great deal. I don’t appreciate being taken to task by some sanctimonious jerk who thinks that that means suddenly I’m in favor of pedophilia. If we were to look into the private lives of many people we’d surely be quite disturbed. I am never, ever in favor of crying out for blood or vengeance. I believe that is a repugnant way to speak. The notion that one person’s crime gives the rest of us any ‘right’ to blood thirst is unsettling to me. Some people need to think about what they’re saying, and then realize that none of us — aside from Polanski and the girl — know what really happened on that day. Period.
My thoughts? Get over yourselves. Leave me alone and let me enjoy my movie collection without your snide and ugly remarks, which anyway I think are calculated to generate and maintain rifts between people, though of course that’s a whole other can of worms…
December 9th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
what a nonsense you write..
December 10th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
steve,
did you even read the article written here?
December 12th, 2009 at 12:45 pm
Great article Shane.
steve, to whom are you writing,your comment seems to be directed at some unknown set of comments?
December 12th, 2009 at 2:42 pm
@ Aga K: Your comment is in itself rendered nonsensical by your incorrect use of grammar and punctuation. To begin with, one doesn’t say ‘a nonsense’. Drop the ‘a’ from the sentence. Also, you have two period stops. Unnecessary. Your statement should read: ‘What nonsense you write.’ or ‘What a nonsensical post you have written.’ Just trying to help.
@ Shane: I will confess that I don’t really understand the point you’re trying to make in this article. Nevertheless, I stand by my statements. I’ve gotten into shouting matches with people over this, and I don’t even care that much about it. When some self-righteous imbecile manipulates me into arguing bitterly about something that in reality has no bearing on me, it bothers me very much. That’s my point.
Your point about forgiveness — is that your central thesis? — is well-taken, perhaps. I don’t know that it’s up to anybody else in the world to forgive Polanski. His victim has made it clear that she has moved on; therefore why are we even discussing the whole thing? Polanski’s current situation is nothing more than a formality. He’s been arrested on a technicality and nothing more. That so many people are becoming so impassioned by the maneuvers of some publicity-hungry scumbag lawyer tells us a lot about our culture’s gradual deterioration into ignorant nastiness and moral hysteria than it does about the morality of one man (me or Polanski or you). I can’t think of one lawyer who I’d call an unqualified hero. If you can, you’re living in a fantasy world. Lawyers are scum as far as I’m concerned, whether they’re fighting for or against the state. End of story.
But enlighten me. If I’m missing the mark, explain to me what you’re trying to say. If I’m approaching this from the wrong angle I apologize… though I still stand by everything I’ve said…. so if anybody wants to start an argument over this, arm yourself with facts or you will be completely annihilated by my incredibly strong and well-informed arguments.
People need to read more books. And I mean WORD books, aside from pap written by conservative radio ‘pundits’ or religious nonsense. Read books, people. Even books you know you won’t agree with. The exchange of ideas strengthens your powers of perception. In short, it does a mind good. Or, be an idiot. It’s up to you. (Not speaking to anyone in particular, just saying.)
December 13th, 2009 at 11:08 am
Steve, the point of the article was, how should we react to the Polanski case in light of Christ’s message of Forgiveness?
The question is whether or not we are a society governed by laws or not. Polanski may have served his time but that is for a court to decide, when you flee your punishment that does not count toward your jail time, it may indeed add to your jail time. Honestly I can’t even understand who your arguing against. Polanski is a convicted rapist plain and simple, regardless of the victums forgivness or the time that has passed since his conviction. The social compact that we as members of this society have entered into demands that those who break such laws be punished. How is this debatable?
December 13th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
Just as I thought. Nothing new here. Re-read my first post. This is a waste of my bloody time.
December 13th, 2009 at 8:03 pm
Steve,
the point that i am trying to make really doesn’t depend at all on the legalities of the case. the greater point i was trying to make is in regards to the basics of human nature and how forgiveness fits in.
thankfully Andy Cochran was very honest with his instincts and impression of what his own reaction might be if this happened to his family. let us all be warned, for at the base nature of humanity, cruel and unusual things can take place. just as wrong sexual actions may take place, so might the wrong reactions of justice or vengence take place.
your point is well noted that polanski does not fit into the classic profile of a repeat offender, and thus he may not be a threat to society. however laws are not put in place to catch repeat offenders. they are put in place to prevent and punish offenses.
i really need to make myself familiar with the intracasies of the case before i cast an opinion on the case itself. in this article i was simply attempting to address the key universal elements, and a broad fashion, in order to address the nature of forgiveness in a situation as tough is this one.
i feel that Tyler Perry does a fine job in addressing his own experience as a victim, and his own choice to forgive. i’ve not found any quotations from the girl raped by Polanski in regards to her forgiving him. i would appreciate any information you could provide in regards to this. i would really like to know if she has forgiven him in her heart of hearts, or if she is just trying to move on… either way i am not speaking to her situation, but to a general condition of the human heart…
the more i read of this case, in terms of a Polanski being allured by this girl, or the girl being raped by Polanski, i am left with an appreciation for the words written in the New Testament in regards to modesty and lust and the depravity of mankind. perhaps he or she failed by being in the situation at all. perhaps the homeowner could have had better diligence in what was happening in the home. i would argue that their common culture had no regard for such precautions. to me, the very sad thing, is that i believe a girl of her age should have been protected by the adults in her life. and i believe it is our honor and responsibility to protect the young men and women in our society.
i believe that as a culture we are using the lusts of humanity for our own selfish gain. i believe that by engaging, what i call, the sin nature of humanity we are tempting negative consequences…
the forgiveness of God is what i was trying to point to most in this article. that humans are messed up beings who were originally created to be perfect. in that perfection we were given free will, and with that free will chose to dis-obey the intentions of God… later in the story of man, God gave up the only earthly incarnation of Himself to be killed by man… the Creator at the hand of the creation… and for whatever reason, there is power in the blood of the lamb… and Jesus Christ was the last lamb to be slain to atone for sins… now this may sound like crazy talk to some, but the more i study the Bible and history and the present, the more i am convinced that these things are real… its crazy to the limited mind of man, but the power of forgiveness is evident in lives all around us… the power in not forgiving is evident as well
December 13th, 2009 at 8:12 pm
Steve,
as for Aga K, it is evident to me that this individual may not speak english as a first language, and in their translation was mistaken in how to deal with a noun such as nonsense… in literal terms Aga K could actually be correct:o) we english speakers are famous for our foibles in syntax
December 13th, 2009 at 9:11 pm
I see your point a little better now. First of all, the girl — now of course a woman — has forgiven him. Whether this is a sincere, profound sense of forgiveness or simply her way of pressing ahead is something only she can answer. She received a settlement about a decade ago, and that was rumored to have been pretty handsome. Here’s one link, you can google for more: http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20124052,00.html
The incident in question occurred in Jack Nicholson’s Beverly Hills home. Nicholson was away on vacation. The girl’s mother had been a romantic interest of Polanski’s for a brief period. There can be no doubt that this woman was well familiar with Polanski’s notorious appetite for the Hollywood high life. And yet, when Polanski asked to take the girl to the house and take photos — nude photos — the mother was okay with this. The mother was culpable in this, plain and simple. My mother would NEVER have allowed something like to transpire. Never. So there’s that.
I’m not at all religious, so that aspect of the discussion has no bearing on my feelings. But I reiterate that it doesn’t seem to me as though society needs to forgive Polanski. I think it’s a private matter. The justice system DID fumble here; Polanski served his sentence, per the plea agreement, and the presiding judge lost his mind. That’s according to Polanski, his lawyer, Ms. Geimer, her mother, their lawyer, the LA county prosecutor’s office, etc. The judge was wrong. He had no jurisdiction.
This leaves the matter of whether Polanski should have skedaddled. Good sense says that he should’ve stayed on and loosened all these knots, but there we’re talking about formality, NOT morality. Polanski was punished for his crime. What the prosecutor wants to do now is punish him for making a fool of them. But I maintain that the LA justice was foolish in this matter. Foolish and greedy.
With all due respect, I think you should’ve researched this a bit more before writing the article. Totally not trying to be rude, but as someone who’s read about all there is to read about Polanski, and seen all his films, and witnessed/heard/read all the interviews, I think you’re off-base. Do I think Polanski’s a great guy? Not really. Frankly, what he did is awful. But essentially, I guess I’m saying it’s not really our business. His debt to society is paid; this publicity stunt by the greedy prosecutors is embarrassing. If you want to think about whom god should forgive, what about those jerks?
Just my own two cents.
PS: I know that Aga doesn’t speak English, but if she’s going to insult me the least she can do is dust off her English textbook and speak in a fashion that is grammatically sound. When you’re trying to make someone look foolish, it’s best not to SOUND foolish, am I right?