I'm saying it was the seventies in Los Angeles, a time and place that was extremely loose and experimental and had an anything goes atmosphere about it, especially in the circles in which Polanski traveled.

Just to be clear here, it wasn't consensual sex that people are calling rape because of the statute. He forced vaginal and anal sex on a 13 year old who was saying no, who he had given champagne and qaaludes. I don't think a western culture in the 20th century finds forcible sex of an adolescent "ok."

You read any biography or memoir or historical reference to the time and place and you see it was just not anything that the majority of us would even have a passing acquaintance with. I'm not using it as an excuse for now but rather for the attitudes and mores of that particular time and place.

I guess this might explain why Polanski ran, or thought he could get away with it, but it doesn't, for me, mean that he shouldn't be punished for something that was clearly wrong.

Nope, no sympathy or pass or anything for that guy.

There are plenty of people who commit crimes who have the money and connections to free the country and stay gone. That's the only "very similar case" that is relevant.

With the addenda of the victim saying "I consider it resolved." Then you have a very similar case. If the victim is saying "Nail the bastard already", it's not a similar case.

I, for one, don't believe in one size fits all justice. But I also know this is an imperfect world where all the judges and lawyers are not honorable people.

It's okay, Steph, you went to parochial *school*!

Man, I walked right into that one.

(Right?)

You betcha!

With the addenda of the victim saying "I consider it resolved." Then you have a very similar case. If the victim is saying "Nail the bastard already", it's not a similar case.

Allowing the victim's wants to have that much sway gives way too much power to the accused to either pressure or pay off or threaten or otherwise coerce the victim into saying that. Which, once again, gives the advantage to whoever has more money and power. The criminal justice system works on behalf of society, not on behalf of victims.

And besides, he has already been convicted of the rape. Just hasn't been punished for it. At this point, it isn't between him and her; it's between him and the state of California.

Tech-minded Buffistas, how can I tell if I have 32-bit or 64-bit Windows XP?

Win+Pause is the keyboard shortcut to system information.

If that were any kind of standard, a great deal of child molestation, family abuse and both stranger and acquaintance rape would never be prosecuted.

Win+Pause is the keyboard shortcut to system information.

You can get that by right-clicking on My Computer, but I can't see where it says 32-bit or 64-bit.

This keeps bugging me:

My biggest issue is that they're continuing to make the victim a victim, when she clearly no longer wants to be seen as such.

No, HE is. His actions kept her in the limelight. He's at fault.