Have Another O.J.

Well, it looks as though O.J. Simpson has finally had his comeuppance. Someday I’m going to write a book about the twisted, winding path of justice whereby people who get off scot free are eventually taken down simply because the collective indignation is just too great. Sooner or later they screw up again, and this time the people are ready to pounce. Of course, this doesn’t happen in every case – I’m still waiting for the Clintons, Janet Reno, Dick Cheney, and a few others to be frog-walked. But their day may come, who knows? You’ll notice that in all cases, people who get away with murder never retire quietly to a secluded spot, perhaps to do penance but at the very least out of a sense of propriety. No -- they keep showing up, strutting down main street at high noon, just daring anyone to do anything about it. They defiantly wave the “habeas corpus” and “double jeopardy” flags in our faces. They get “book deals” and TV appearances, and are asked for their opinion on weighty matters. They are, in short, celebrities. And I suppose in a way this is an American tradition – the outlaw, the gangster who “gets away with it” in full view is considered a folk hero of sorts. Add race to the mix and you have a heady brew. O.J. was not only justified in knocking off his ex-wife and her boyfriend, but his act qualifies as a political statement. But apparently, in this case, you only get to make one political statement of that sort – the rest fall under the usual, not-entirely-politicized justice system… and for that, we can be at least somewhat thankful.