Shall We Try Fairness?
If Paris Hilton actually has fans, I'm not one of them. If she hadn't been featured doing her boyfriend in a video, she might well have remained pretty much anonymous. And she has played her notoriety for all it's worth, providing that maybe all you need is a publicist and you, too, can be famous for being famous. I confess to making jokes, when she was engaged to that guy, Paris What's-his-name, about how confused she'd get trying to have a conversation with him in which she used his name.
And then she got busted, convicted, and ordered to jail. Her stay was short, but she will actually be under home confinement for longer than the twenty-three days she was to spend in jail. She got credit for time served, as happens in many cases. And she walked out of jail to alternative confinement. Some people in the press are already writing their snarky columns about what a break she's getting. Maybe they're just upset because they were looking forward to twenty-three days of snarkiness about Paris in jail.
Let's be fair, though. Ms. Hilton walked into the jail late Sunday night with every expectation that she would serve every one of the twenty-three days she was ordered to serve. She didn't make a production out of beginning her sentence, although the press did. She had, in fact, shown up in the news only rarely between her conviction and reporting to the jail. Her statement sounded as if she might have matured somewhat.
The press is scoffing at the medical reasons for her change to alternative incarceration. It is not ours to question. Let's take what I believe they regard as the worst case: She was as one reporter said, "bent out of shape at being in prison." It's said that she cried a lot and didn't eat. That really sounds a lot like depression. Having suffered from serious depression myself on a couple of occasions, I can say with certainty that depression would interfere with any effort at rehabilitation, and if it's left untreated, it can become even worse. How much do you put someone through for traffic violations?
I've had a difficult teenager who narrowly escaped incarceration on a number of occasions. I've had a nephew who ended up doing a year as a habitual offender because he drove without a license repeatedly. Both have turned a corner, and I'm proud of them. And Paris Hilton may have, too. She showed courage and responsibility that I really didn't think she had. If she's trying to turn around, good for her. I may not be a fan, but if she's trying to be a better person, I'm willing to be a cheerleader for her.
And then she got busted, convicted, and ordered to jail. Her stay was short, but she will actually be under home confinement for longer than the twenty-three days she was to spend in jail. She got credit for time served, as happens in many cases. And she walked out of jail to alternative confinement. Some people in the press are already writing their snarky columns about what a break she's getting. Maybe they're just upset because they were looking forward to twenty-three days of snarkiness about Paris in jail.
Let's be fair, though. Ms. Hilton walked into the jail late Sunday night with every expectation that she would serve every one of the twenty-three days she was ordered to serve. She didn't make a production out of beginning her sentence, although the press did. She had, in fact, shown up in the news only rarely between her conviction and reporting to the jail. Her statement sounded as if she might have matured somewhat.
The press is scoffing at the medical reasons for her change to alternative incarceration. It is not ours to question. Let's take what I believe they regard as the worst case: She was as one reporter said, "bent out of shape at being in prison." It's said that she cried a lot and didn't eat. That really sounds a lot like depression. Having suffered from serious depression myself on a couple of occasions, I can say with certainty that depression would interfere with any effort at rehabilitation, and if it's left untreated, it can become even worse. How much do you put someone through for traffic violations?
I've had a difficult teenager who narrowly escaped incarceration on a number of occasions. I've had a nephew who ended up doing a year as a habitual offender because he drove without a license repeatedly. Both have turned a corner, and I'm proud of them. And Paris Hilton may have, too. She showed courage and responsibility that I really didn't think she had. If she's trying to turn around, good for her. I may not be a fan, but if she's trying to be a better person, I'm willing to be a cheerleader for her.
posted by amsterdr at 9:45 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home