Roman Polanski

I have never seen the Pianist or Chinatown, but I know that Roman Polanski is a lauded director of ingenuity. But I also know him as a dispicable rapist.

He is currently behind bars in Zurich, the decision of whether or not to allow him to go free on bail still hanging in the air for the next 2-3 weeks. What angers me even more, however, is not just his violation, but also Hollywood’s reaction. Many big-name celebrities such as Robert De Niro are avidly speaking out in support of him; in their eyes, his artistic talents apparently transcends his pedophile nature. By the time Natalie Portman announced her support, I had to accept that world has come to an end.

Why is no one speaking out against Polanski? Are Hollywood celebrities really that dumb as to remain silent to an obvious act of harrassment? Why are self-proclaimed feminists such as Meryl Streep, Keira Knightley, Kate Winslet and Ellen Page keeping quiet? I don’t know if their silence comes from the fear of insulting one of the most lauded directors in the history of Hollywood or ignorance. Either way, it doesn’t matter. Raping a thirteen-year-old girl is wrong -it has been, it is, and it will always be wrong. Artistic talent, social status, or economic power have no power to justify what is clearly a violation of a woman’s right to self.

No one is boycotting Polansky’s films or questioning his genius (if some are, it’s on individual basis) -only Justice is doing its duty to preserve rights of the victim. When Polanski walks out of the prison, we are putting ourselves in prison of injustice: we are telling young boys and girls that rape is acceptable -that rapists can roam about streets and that justice will never serve them right. That is certainly not the world I believed it to be, not the world I want to be a part of, and definitely not the world I want my future children to live in.