Defending Polanski?

I don't understand many of these people in Hollywood who choose to support a man who raped a thirteen-year-old girl in 1978. (Yes, Virginia, she was raped. Read the transcripts on THE SMOKING GUN. And Whoopi, there's no such thing as 'rape-rape.') They also rally behind this man who fled to France before he could be punished for his crime. Don't they believe that laws apply to all people. To paraphrase a line from CHINATOWN: It's Hollywood, Jake.

Ironically, Polanski's ego proved to be his downfall. In Switzerland to accept an award, he was apprehended by law enforcement. Even so, it shouldn't have taken thirty-one years for his arrest.

He scared us with ROSEMARY'S BABY, humanized us with THE PIANIST, and entertained us with CHINATOWN. Roman Polanski is a brilliant director, granted. However, if you strip away his profession and acclaim, he is just a man who must do the time for the crime he committed.