Am I the only one who feels sorry for Paris Hilton? Not because she has been sent back to jail. If she has committed an imprisonable offence, that is where she should be, so I am fine with that. My sympathy arises rather from the way she has been torn to shreds by the public. Yes, I can understand the anger when people feel that the laws are being bent in favour of the rich and famous. What I cannot understand, though, is the delight, nay, ecstasy, of some people in another human being’s obvious distress.
I have been reading the story on newspaper websites and forums, and following the comments left by readers. Most of the comments I have read from those taking pleasure in watching Paris Hilton being dragged back to jail, are along the lines of ’serves her right, the spoilt girl, she deserves being taken down a peg or two.’ So, in most cases, it’s not really about justice being served. It seems more to be about darker, unpleasant human traits: smugness, self-righteousness, Schadenfreude, and much, much worse.
The Paris Hilton case has revealed (although it was always clear to anyone who looked) an unpleasant and nasty element of society. True, the girl did wrong, and she has been punished for it. But answer me one question: would anybody who has been jailed, and who has the means and opportunity to do so, not use any lawful means at their disposal to get out early? It is up to the authorities to accept or reject applications for early release, and any blame for the early release should be directed at the officials who let her out.
What I would advise Paris Hilton to do would be to serve out with dignity her remaining days in jail. She should make no further applications for early release. She should repay every last coin of her debt to society, and then re-emerge from prison when the debt has been repaid. Then she can walk out with her head held high, knowing that, to her screaming and hysterical detractors, she owes not one cent. Were Paris Hilton to be released from jail without serving her complete sentence, this deeply unpleasant part of society will forever feel that she owed them something, a part of her soul, perhaps. They would make her life hell. And for someone whose life is lived out in public, that would be hell indeed. That, in my opinion, would be a far worse prison than the one she currently occupies.
June 9th, 2007 at 5:38 pm
As I have noted (see link), Lee Baca’s behavior is more disturbing than Paris Hilton’s behavior or Kathy Hilton’s behavior or whoever. Assuming the current “psychiatric” story is correct, Baca is pretty much admitting that his department was incapable of dealing with Hilton’s psychiatric condition. What does that say about the capabilities of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department? What does that say about how other people with mental illness will be treated, or not treated, in the county jail system?
June 9th, 2007 at 7:42 pm
Dear Bel
I think she could do with some of your straight talking. Too bad there isn’t an English barrister there who can deal with the applications as well as the client properly.
June 9th, 2007 at 8:15 pm
Apparently, not Bel, it would appear that half of America is rooting for her and the other half is glad that she eventually got her just desserts. I am afraid to say that I am with the latter group on this one. There are rich and famous people who are talented. She appears to lack this quality. However, it is the way that she treated the law with such contempt that makes her a legitimate target in my eyes. Now if this had been a poor little black girl, I doubt that the Los Angeles Sheriff would have been so bending over backwards to ease the pain of confinement.
In a British/Dutch comparison study of the Criminal Justice System it gave the view of a British prisoner in Holland. He said, that prisoners over there are treated like human beings. And, that once a sentence is served that is it. Over here, he said that they punish you once, then they punish you whilst they are punishing you, then they punish you when you are released, and lastly they punish you for the rest of your life.
June 10th, 2007 at 4:31 am
I am with you Bel; I don’t think that Paris has done anything that a lot of young people have not done or would not do today. I sincerely believe that people have turned on her because she is RICH AND GORGEOUS ! I am not a young person…I am 51 years old but love Paris….
Those who are happy over her situation are “sick minded individuals who would love to be in her shoes….not to say her purse”…….Like you say: Paris should serve with dignity and show everyone that hate her that there is a lot of good in her ready to pop out. I think that when she is done with her time, she will probably have built her own “fan” club behind bars…..
June 10th, 2007 at 7:41 am
John Hirst says on his blog that this miscarriage of justice makes the Birmingham 6, and Guildford 4 cases pale into insignificance. I also find it odd how some people appear to have lost all sense of proportion.
June 10th, 2007 at 10:41 am
Praguetory: It’s called sarcasm something which Dizzy Thinks tried and failed over the CIA secret prisons thread.
June 10th, 2007 at 6:24 pm
randon thoughts
sometimes there are those that seem to get through life without ever having to face the concequences of their actions, people see that as unfair and feel apleased if somehow those people are one day forced to face reality.
if somebody really has a mental condition where is the best place for them? in a prison, in a clinic, or in a mansion with servants?
there several aspects to justice, to punish people as a deterant to others, to remove harmfull people from society so they cannot harm at least for a time, to try to rehabiltate them to better behaviour. I’ve never really been convinced that the latter works possibly because its never really focuesed on. In the case of paris, I’m not sure any aspect has worked because NONE ofthem has been focused on.
How would i have handled this? short prison term maybe 30 days, in a low security prison, and finally and maybe not practical in the land of the free, i’d seperate her from the media. For paris hilton and her ilk maybe the best thing for her and the thing she dreads the most.
June 10th, 2007 at 11:59 pm
Well I’m a small “c’ conservative as well…but I think she needs to be more dignified and do the right thing here. Now, for a bit of Paris humor, I wrote a fun post on my blog about Paris Hilton…stop by and check it out:
http://rickrockhill.blogspot.com/2007/06/dr-wang-channels-conrad-hilton-beyond.html
June 13th, 2007 at 6:05 am
Bel
There’s nothing wrong with Paris (though drink driving is stupid and dangerous).
What is depressing is the public fascination with her. Have we really become so shallow that we can find nothing else to talk about?
June 13th, 2007 at 7:57 pm
I don’t blame Ms. Hilton. She can’t help it she’s a rich twit.
It’s the media who should be ashamed of themselves. And the people who eat this nonsense entertainment news up.
June 24th, 2007 at 5:14 pm
I just posted a new, fresh paris Hilton parody. thanks for everyone’s e-mails!
http://rickrockhill.blogspot.com/2007/06/dr-sidney-wang-contacts-paris-hilton-in.html