Paris

no... not the city. I just had to write about her.

It really has been a roller coaster ride hasn't it? First, she gets sentenced to jail. In California a celebrity getting found guilty and sentenced is a very very very rare thing. We know which side our bread is buttered on and we give them the slack they need to live the excessive lives we all wish we could. Then she is released because of "medical reasons." Say what? I'm guessing that a significant proportion of the inmates in the LA county jail have drug problems, or mental illness, or severe anxiety about the place they are (most people don't get excited about going to jail and it is a scary place).

I have to admit that at first I felt like cheering when she went back to jail... spoiled little rich girl needs to learn a lesson... but the more I thought of it, I began to think that maybe... just maybe she should be released.

We have incredible over-crowding in our jails. All kinds of people (Paris included) end up there when some other setting would be much more effective at dealing with their problem. Perhaps she should be doing community service in a physical rehabilitation facility that deals with folk injured in automobile accidents. Or maybe she should be spending her time helping homeless alcoholics. Something... anything... to help her learn what a spoiled brat she is and turn her life outward.

And there are those who are there because of who they are. Racism is still operative both in our laws (look at the laws for crack abuse - mostly a crime of poor minority folk - vs. powdered cocaine - a drug of rich mostly white folk) in enforcement (lots of my friends have been pulled over for DWB - driving while black), and in sentencing. Of course there are issues of personal responsibility but there are also issues of culture that cannot be dismissed. There must be something wrong wen we are second only to Russia in the percentage of our population in prison.

So Free Paris! And if you want a little pink bracelet that says just that, for only $9.99 you can order one here