And by the way, to the both of you, I know you are terrific FReepers and I’ve long admired your posts. On these threads I have just been trying to assert my opinion that we have a legal system which is supposed to function for you and me and celebrities alike. In today’s climate, I can grab myself a lawyer and have him draw up papers that Yaelle interfered with my livelihood by stealing my best fishing spot, and grab a reporter I know to let her know I’ve filed suit and spill my (fish) guts to her about how I’m suffering. Similarly, I can get my same beleaguered attorney to file suit against Ansel12 because back in 1988, Ansel crashed into me at a July 4th party and now I have this ... This neck pain ... I’m sure it resulted from that.
All well and good. I’ve filed suit, and I know some media people who can get the stories out. Suddenly Yaelle and Ansel12 are fending off those pretty much idiotic reporters from my local paper. “DID you bump into JennysCool in 1988? Can you prove you didn’t?”
These Cosby accusations, of course, are MUCH more serious, but I hope you see what I’m getting at. Ansel12 needs a day in court to have a say about that day in 1988. Maybe it was all MY fault. Right now, just from the media huzzah, everyone thinks Ansel12 is a SERIOUS neck-assaulter. And that Yaelle? A total THIEF of fishing spots.
So where do we all go? Court. Not the papers, not the TV, and we figure it out there where Yaelle’s attorney can blow my case to smithereens (”Jennyscool, isn’t it true you were never even NEAR that fishing spot, because you have a pathological fear of water? AND fish?”) Similarly, cross-examination reveals that Yaelle could NOT have inflicted my injury in 1988 because Free Republic did not exist then which means we had never even SEEN each other.
My lawsuits have failed. I go on my way. Filing suit against Lazamataz the next day for contributing to my delinquency.
Getting serious a moment. My whole point here is that the media is never the place to argue guilt or innocence. We have courts for that. Giving TMZ or Yahoo or, hell, the New York Times the power of deciding the fate of someone — even someone you know is guilty! guilty! guilty! — completely ignores the whole legal system we have nurtured through the centuries. Media justice is FAST, and that suits our impatience for justice (”He held up his hands and said don’t shoot!”). But that simply isn’t the way we do things around here.
If Bill Cosby is a serial rapist, arrest him, prosecute him, let him be represented by counsel, and let the facts be decided in an actual court of law. That is his right as an American, and is also the right of his accusers.
Whoopi Goldberg and TMZ should have no say in how this case, or any case, goes.
Whoopi is a bit of a weird person to be in the mix, remember her talk about “rape-rape” and Mr. Polanski?
Intelligent people would filter Whoopi out. She is an entertaining noise box.
Get real.
Why do you think no one who knew Cosby for the last 50 years is defending him?
And how do you compare almost 30 women from different cities and states, and ranging from their 20s to their 70s making claims of his rapes and sexual assaults over a 5 decade period, and multiple police reports and an out of court settlement, with your silly claims that you can just accuse me of something?
I agree.
Cosby smells guilty, but that is Court of Public Opinion stuff.
For non-shunning punishment, like prison or fines, he has to be prosecuted with the legal system.
Great post! One of the best I have seen on this subject.
Of course, it went zinging over mosts heads.
Although I promised myself I wouldn’t post on another Cosby thread...I had to.
I do lurk on them and am amazed at how many on this board should never be on a jury. And how many make up their minds on what is reported in the MSM...when we all know they make their own truths.