Petition Supporting the Extradition of Roman Polanski
Over the past few days I’ve been watching the Roman Polanski story unfold. As much as I’ve been repulsed by Polanski’s 1977 rape of a 13-year-old girl, I’ve been absolutely flabbergasted and offended by the list of Hollywood elites and celebrities who have recently signed a petition demanding his release. Posting their names publicly in support of Polanski speaks loudly regarding their own lack of personal ethics and morality. Regardless of their friendships or professional affiliation with Polanski, by supporting him this way they are saying to the world that some of us are above the law. That some of us, due to artistic talent or past tragedy in life, or whatever, ought to somehow get a pass when it comes to the serious crime of raping a young girl.
Yesterday, for the first time, I read through the transcript testimony that Polanski’s victim gave shortly after he committed his crime. It is graphic and sickening. Although it is disturbing, I’d recommend reading through it should you have even an inkling of feeling of support for this man. Some of the relevant details can be found in this op/ed piece written by Steve Lopez over at the Los Angeles Times.
I’m just a small time blogger and have nowhere near the voice of Hollywood A Listers like Woody Allen, Martin Scorsese, David Lynch and others. But it’s hard for me to just sit by and not react to the brazen, public ethical and moral failure that their signatures on their petition represent. So I’ve decided to create my own petition that people can sign. My petition is one in support of the extradition and criminal prosecution of Polanski. If you’d like to sign it feel free to indicate so by signing your name as such in the comments here at my blog or on FriendFeed and I’ll append them to the petition itself. If you’d like to include a link to your blog or to an organization that you represent or are affiliated with as well feel free to add that too.
Petitions carry no real legal significance of course, but they can matter in terms of public opinion in cases like this. And even if I’m the only one who signs this, as a father of two young girls myself, I’ll at least have added my voice in some small way to the repudiation or Polanski and his supporters.
PETITION SUPPORTING THE EXTRADITION OF ROMAN POLANSKI
Recently we have learned of the arrest of Director Roman Polanski on a 1978 warrant stemming from his fleeing a sentencing hearing related to a rape he committed of a 13-year old girl in 1977. We are outraged that Polanski has been able to escape justice this long for his crimes and that has been allowed to live as a free man abroad for over three decades. Regardless of one’s artistic achievements, regardless of one’s life tragedies, regardless if someone felt that they could travel legally in a neutral country, regardless of whether or not someone is being honored with a lifetime achievement award at a film festival, the crime of raping a child deserves punishment and the perpetrator of such an act should be brought to justice.
Money or powerful celebrity friends or political influence or artistic accomplishment should not have a bearing on one’s culpability for one’s crimes. All should be considered equal in the light of the law and Polanski should be afforded no special consideration given his status as a celebrity and artist.
As such, the undersigned fully support the extradition of Roman Polanski to the United States where he can finally be properly sentenced for his crimes.
Signed,
Maureen Andersen
Anna K Anderson
Diana Aprile
Christine Arndt
Jordan Asfari
Stefan Baeurle
Johnny Barham
David Baron
Claire Batley
Andy Beal
Tony Bedell
Tresa Bennett
Shelly Bohannon
Daniel Brandt
Ramona Britt
Lauren Bruce
Christopher Budden
Amber Burrows
Gregory A. Butler
Glen Campbell
Kimberly Capece
Trevor Carpenter
Maria Castillo
M.C. Peggy Challen
Celine Chamberlin
Kombo Chapfika
Miriam Clarke
Fabian Corrado
Deborah Cowan
Dave Cridland
Sara Crowe
Richard Cutts
Joanne Dale
Mike Davis
Dr. Thomas E. Davis
Charles Delacroix
Mary Dempsey
Jeff DeVico
Carolyn Doughtie
Erin Duplessis
Holger Eilhard
Dr. Carolyn Erickson
Adriana Ericson
Walter Esparza
Kim Espina
Mikolas Fabian
Vinny Ferrari
Dorothy Figiel
Debra Fletchinger
Michael Foley
Todd Gillette
Dave Gilligan
Laura Good
Jeremy Goode
Rob Gorthy
Jeffrey Grant
Kim Grashoff
Donna Green
Jennifer Green
Sandra Grigoletti
Brett Hampton
Mary Hanrahan
Mahbuba Haque
Joanna Hardie
Steve Hauben
Thomas Hawk
Pamela Henderson
Ricardo Hernandez
Sarah Hewitt
Aaron Hilton
Anthony Homan
Mat Hughey
Richard Jervis
Sonia T Jonas
Ceridwen Keeley
Allison Kennon-Frink
Anthony Kerstens
Scott Kivowitz
Russell Klosk
Travis Koger
Scott Kuperus
Marcus Lancaster
Rob LaRosa
Reta Le Quesne
Alice Li
David Lloyd
Jose Lopez
Melanie Loudon
Gene Lowinger
Tom Lynch
Peter F. Madsen
Ivan Makarov
Jean Manning
Gladys Marquez
David Marsden
Joe Meiners
Andrew Metcalfe
E Mills
Shantanu Mishra
Candice Montgomery
John Moran
Amy Mortensen
Damian Moseley
Charlotte Mothers
Judith Murray
Matt Needham
Rhiann Nicole
Ernie Nitka
Chris Nixon
Julia Norton
Colleen Olsen
Christopher Adam O’Toole
Kate Paik
Kevin Palmer
Lauren Palumbo
Steven Parry
Steve Phillips
Nia Phipps
Jay Platt
Elizabeth Rainwater
Ian Randy
Ann Read
Bronwyn Reece
Tom Reestman
Justin Reho
Nicole Richter
Cole Rise
Brenda Rogers
Rebekah Ross
JoAnne Scherfel
Denise Shafer
Edward Shahzade
Daniel Shea
Susan Shepherd
Scott Shoemaker
Barbara Shores
Philip Silkoff
Gordon Smith
Julius Smith
Kenton Smith
Amanda Smothers
Niamh Soederlund
Erin Solaro
Tom Stauffer
Nicola Swaei
Mary Taggart
Kelley Thom
Kat Thomas
Bob Timmons
Robert Trama
Kevin Trotman
Dyanne Tsai
Mary Turner
Maria Virgen
Tahelia Wagner
Una Walsh
Anna Warren
Dick Whyte
John Wright
Chantal Zeegers
Suzanne Zelei
Lisa Ziems
On FriendFeed, this post was liked by 4 people and commented on 2 times
Hang ‘em high
AD MY NAME!!
Add my name please.
Add my name!
Thomas, I couldn’t agree more. I’m glad someones finally stood up and said it!
Please add my name to the list.
“..live as a free man abroad.. ”
I hate to be picky on a subject like this one, but he wasn’t abroad if he was living in France and had the right to live there – “abroad” is appropriate form the point of view of the united states, but presumably you are not only interested in support from Americans !.
add my name
Add me too!
Well done TH!
[...] @rpcutts http://thomashawk.com/2009/09/petition-supporting-the-extradition-of-roman-polanski.html [...]
Please add my name.
Add my name!
Please add my name to this petition! I agree with you 100 percent!!
Add my name please
Add my name please
Add me to the list!
Please add my name.
Please add my name, also.
I’d love to sign…
Add me too please!
Add my name please!
Fry him! He is a piece of crap and so are the actors/actresses and directors supporting him!
Add my name. Thanks.
Please add my name.
Add my name.
Add my name please, justice must be done finally.
Add my name, if you will.
Hollywood shows its true face! Protecting one of its own, even one who has openly admitted to carrying out such despicable acts.
These people who hold such power over the media, have a duty to defend the victim not this unrepentant repulsive excuse for of a man.
If Hollywood has grown so insular from and arrogant to society at large, its time they were knocked down a peg or two.
Please add my name to the list.
Steven Parry, England
Thank You
P.s. This is such an important matter of principle, and Hollywood are such a powerful political machine, I can’t help thinking that a dedicated petition website should be set up to help counter balance this machine and help persuade the politicians of the seriousness of this matter.
Although thankfully you have a true statesman in the Whitehouse who wont allow this case to be whitewashed by Hollywood’s elite. In fact I have such faith your President that I wouldn’t be surprised if he personally was involved with perusing this extradition.
Steve Parry
Thanks for putting this on your blog. Please add my name.
Please add my name. I’m shocked by the Hollywood elitists that feel they’re above the law. Glad someone is countering their petition with this one.
Add my name please
Add my name, please.
Please add my name.
Add my name.
Add my name
He should be returned to the United States and face justice. Add my name!
Sign me up for the petition
count me in. He committed a crime and should properly deal with the consequences
Please add my name. We should be outraged not only with Pedophile Polanski, but at the corrupt minded individuals supporting his release. This man needs to be held accountable not only for raping a young child, but for running like a coward and then hiding behind his career commendations and overpaid peers. Rot in hell you piece of shit!
Add my name. I would also love to see a petition of individuals agreeing to boycott the work of all those celebrities who have come out in support of Polanski. These people apparently believe everyone who is rich and famous should be above the law.
Please add my name.
Too bad this isn’t “news worthy” enough for the media
Please add my name.
Please add my name.
Please add my name. Thx.
Please add my name.
Please add my name. Thank you.
Gladly add my name to the list, please.
Please add my name. Thank you.
Please add my name. Thank you.
Add my name please: Dick Whyte.
Please add my name.
Add my name, please. He should be extradited.
Add my name, please. We don’t have one brand of justice for the rich and another for everybody else. Or at least, we shouldn’t.
Add me please!
Please add my name.
Please add my name. Thanks
Please add me. Thank you.
Please add my name.
I feel quite heartbroken to see the likes of Terry Gilliam and Sam Mendes on the list, both of whom have daughters themselves.
Please add my name. Thanks.
+1, please and thank you.
Your willingness to initiate this noble cause is greatly appreciated! Add me.
Please add my name.
Add mine too… at least this is somehow therapeutic.
Thank you for this. Please add me to the petition!
ajoutez mon nom svp aux signataires en faveur de l’extradition et de poursuites pénales de Polanski
I’m signing (here via Feministe: http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2009/09/29/getting-over-it/#comment-278766 ). Thank you for caring and making this petition.
Rape is rape, I don’t care how talented a person is. It is not a get out of jail free card. And raping a minor, Please add my name to the extradition to the U.S. request.
Judith Murray
Thanks for doing this. Please add my name to the petition.
Roman Polanski is a confessed child rapist and sodomizer.
He vilely, cruely and savagely sexually brutalized a 13 year old girl who he had hired as a fashion model – she begged “NO NO NO” but he raped her anyway.
Polanski then fled the country like a gutless coward and lived a life of luxury in his French and Swiss mansions for 31 years.
Polanski is a violent sexual predator and a convicted felon.
He deserves to spend the rest of his miserable pathetic life in a maximum security prison.
His degenerate Hollywood pals may think he’s a “genius” – but his fellow inmates will call him what he is – “BABY RAPER” – and will put him through a richly deserved living hell every single day of the rest of his rotten life!
GREGORY A. BUTLER
New York, NY
Please add my name.
Add my name please.
Please add my name in support of your petition
Add my name. Thanks!
Add my name.
ADD MY NAME PLEASE!!!
Add my name please. How one of my all time heroes (David Lynch) can support a child rapist is beyond me.
Please add my name.
Please add my name and accept my thanks and admiration for adding your voice to the outrage at the support shown for Polanski by people who should know better.
Please add my name as well. The crime was against both an individual and against society and its laws meant to protect all members. If we allow criminals to escape justice when we have the means to bring them to justice, then we are not a society of laws or justice. Moreover, he committed a second crime, that of fleeing the country. If people think he is a good man or has done good things (not including his films) that’s fine and good. However there is something that he did wrong, and Polanski must pay the consequences like anybody else would.
Please add me to your petition.
This whole thing absolutely disgusts me. Thank you for highlighting it, and trying to do something about it! Please add my name.
Add my name too a thousand times
Please add my name as well. Thank you for doing this petition!
Please add my name as well.
Another petition which calls for justice can be found here: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/art-does-not-excuse-rape-polanski-must-face-justice
Please add my name And Thank You for the opportunity
I will never read your blog again.
Goodbye.
Please add my name.
Please add my name. You can contact me at my work email if you need to verify my identity. Please, however, do not publish said email.
Add me.
Deborah
Add me to the petition! I am going to boycott the supporters of Polanski and try to spread the word about it. One of the directors that signed it was Wes Anderson who is coming out with a movie for kids in November called Fantastic Mr.Fox(or something like that). It blows my mind that someone could publicly invalidate a crime against a child yet direct a movie for children.
Please don’t add me and also remove all of the people above.
Thank you.
Add my name, what he did should not be forgiven.
Hope they lock him up for good!!!
Add my name, what he did should not be forgiven.
Hope they lock him up for good!!!
Please add my name.
Add my name please.
I do not support child rape nor any related crimes against the Human rights.
however since I’m not a regular man who reads the news “polanski rapes child” and says out loud “kill polanski” I’d say the man the world is judging is being misunderstood.
This man is truly guilty for his crimes, I would like for everyone and I mean everyone who read this post ask yourself a Question:
“if your true and only love was brutally murdered by followers of charles manson while you were out of you’re house and later coming to home to see your love of a lifetime laying down dead, would you continue the same person and then say nothing really happend that night?”
any behavior this man shows has all the rights to exist, this man is guilty for having a trauma with the weight of the world on him.
he’s guilty for child abuse but by all means put yourself in his shows before judging him without knowing who he is.
thank you for this – also here via feministe
I have been a fan of terry gilliam & tilda swinton for DECADES – both of whom have daughters. . .
beyond being able to understand, a door slams shut.
Please add my name to your petition. I am a woman and a mother and I expect him to pay for the crime he was found guilty of.
Please add my name to this petition.
DP, how does personal trauma justify child rape? And how does finding someone you love brutally murdered lead someone to become a child rapist? Of course trauma changes people, but it does not justify his immoral and illegal actions against a child. Where is your sympathy for her? And by your logic if she commits a violent crime against another, would she then be free of judgment?
Add my name.
Erin Solaro, author, Women in the Line of fire: What You Should Know About Women in the Military (Seal Press, 2006)
Thanks.
I have a question, because i do not know US laws: Why Polanski was not sentenced in absent?
I am still glad, that I signed this petition, but when I read about victim who desires just the end and her own peace, I support this desire more even if it means free Polanski, because this woman is important, not him. I think that Polanski is already dead, his career ended and his life is definitely wreck.