Cokie Roberts On Polanski: "Just Take Him Out And Shoot Him" (VIDEO)

A surprising number of celebrities and media figures have come to the defense of Roman Polanksi, arguing that the famous director should not have to face justice for raping a 13-year-old girl. Journalist Cokie Roberts veered way off in the other direction on Sunday, suggesting that he be killed.

"Roman Polanski is a criminal," Roberts said on ABC's "This Week." "He raped and drugged and raped and sodomized a child. And then was a fugitive from justice. As far as I'm concerned, just take him out and shoot him."

Watch [at the 1:45 mark]:

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Comments

[simms]

Cokie, I love you.
Finally, someone has the bravery to say it! Hooray, hooray, hooray!
Finally, someone in the media expresses the outrage that so many of us feel at this child rapist going free all these years and living his charmed life of luxury at the expense of the victims whose lives he damaged so much (and I can assure you there were certainly more than this one as he was a repeat child rapist/pedophile).
Stop putting the victim and her mother who didn't even know that her daughter was alone with Polanski as Polanski sent home the daughter's friend who was going to accompany her to a "photo shoot" with a famous and celebrated and charming director.
That is pure blame the victim and pure misogyny. Her mother committed no crime except to trust and believe a famous and charming filmmaker was actually going to do what he said and didn't intend to take pornographic images of her daughter and rape her.

[seer60]

Ah yep...

Seems I have yet to encounter gossip on any blogs of any alleged activity with pre-pubescent gradeschoo­lers... that tosses out pedophilia.
Polanski was several years ago awarded monetary compensation in a slander suit alledging advances toward a minor young woman.
Regarding Natasha Kinski & Tatum O'Neil, at ages 15 & 14, they were legally minor young women entitled to sexual activity with a middle aged Polanski and he with them by the laws of most all of the countries of Continental Europe. Natasha is European, as Polanski. Rather at a loss to indentify pedophilia with the consentual romantic relationship of the under age 18 actress starring in "Tatort", "Stay As You Are" & "To the Devil a Daughter".

[billreef]

What do you call a man who sleeps with teenagers. An American. The settlers of this country married, bedded and abused young women as a matter of principal. I was born in 1955 and when I could reason the ages of consent in most states were 14 or 15. This whole outrage is ridiculous. We are now locking up 17 year olds who sleep with 15 year olds. What does that serve? Put the uneducated in Jail. Now we have the screaming man haters condemning David Letterman for sleeping with one of his 20-30 something employees. Will that be the next law? Are we going to change the age of consent to 30 now? Are we a country of victims? The girl in Roman Polanski's hot tub knew what she was doing. She was going to bang a Hollywood director. I've met a ton of these girls. Our society has created them so we have to blame someone rather than look at ourselves and take responsibility.

[Boadicea]

Polanski himself stated on record during his trial that the girl had no idea what he was planning and objected strenuously. He stated that she was totally innocent, that she didn't want to go to his house but her mother sent her at his request He then drugged her so that she could not protest anymore, and then he raped and sodomized her.

[SonnyRice]

Was she ready for that close-up Mr. Polanski?

He harmed a child in horrible ways. Does money or time buy forgiveness? He has never shown any remorse. His life has been a charmed one for all these years. A dream come true many would say. Going about his life without a care in the world. Life is good. Unless you were that innocent thirteen year old child, to you he was the nightmare come true. The actual Bogyman in the flesh. Older flesh intent on taking her innocence evermore cried the raven. . She would find no relief from waking up, and the world being the same as her few yesterdays. Could he capture that in his work and be even greater in his mind. He took what can never be replaced or undone, then ran a world away. She stayed and lived a very different life for one so young. Her life was directed by Polanski from that moment on. Was she ready for that close-up Mr. Polanski? I think not.

Today she expresses words of forgiveness for his grievous sins. She forgives while he forgets and believes he shouldn’t have to be bothered. Other soulless one’s agree publicly with him. Her feelings I can understand, she is human. My feelings would see him share her pain. Do these supporters need to learn decency and morals in some script. Let him baby-sit for all their children.

[seer60]

It's a lot about "wink wink"...
As any professional group international "Hollywood" has it's own good ole' boy fraternity so it's kinda difficult for the American side of Hollywood to get too worked up over what is to them traditional "get a pass" behavior of adult male actors, directors & producers with underage (age 18 in California) girls... Errol Flynn, Elvis Presley, and the casting couch system of female actress wannabes including 16 & 17 year old high school dropouts and senior hi grads anybody?
On the European side you have this fondness with Polanski's fellow contemporary French & Spanish etc. film directors of the 70's & 80's with producing R rated sexually oriented fare where the middle aged male lead has as his main love interest pursuit a teenage school girl.
Add to the fact that they routinely produce films featuring middle aged males in sexual stuations with under 18 minor actresses & actors (The Godfather, Blame It On Rio, The Name of the Rose, Pretty Baby, The Tin Drum to name a handful of many). Qualudes aside, for a 13 year old who had previously engaged in intercourse a couple of times earlier in life, drinking alcohol & getting naked in a hot tub of swingin' actors for sex in most all of the Continental European countries is/was legal, or within a year or two of being legal so they actually believe it was nothing worth of a "lynching".

[mule66]

wow never thought I'd agree with Mr.Will

[pipetoe]

Hollywood sorts are treading on thin ice with this one.

[joependleton]

This thread is concerned with Cokie Roberts' advocacy of vigilante justice. Is the rebuke of that advocacy "treading on thin ice"? If so, please explain.

[wizegeye]

Having watched Cokie Roberts over the years, I don't think she was actually advocating vigilante justice. She was likely expressing her anger over this situation is an extreme way. Poor choice of words? Absolutely. Does she really believe what she said? Not likely.

[gallonjug]

Thought question for the bald journalist:

If you were reporting a case in rural alabama and the friends and co-workers of the accused all rally behind the accused for support-- as they probably would-- who you say:

"Friends of the accused are coming together to offer support for their friend whom they have known and respected and worked with for thirty years.

Or would you say:

"See, this is indicitive of the attitude in rural alabama that the law doesn't apply to us.. But, if it was hapening in newyork or LA, go after them go after them. "

[ocotilla]

What an incendiary comment from someone who ought to know better, having been brought
up by nice parents in the South. CR is just another media wag who likes to get her name
out there...an­d it worked ! Hyperbole ruined her credibility on this one, when it seems she
simply meant to show support for bringing RP to justice. Why do so many Americans
have to express themselves in gun talk ??

We can ignore CR, but we cannot ignore what Polanski did and what he stands for: an
unrepentant, arrogant, entitled male rapist used a young girl for his own prurient purposes. Repulsive. The girl was having an asthma attack and
instead of helping her, he gave her champagne and a qualude, showing an appalling
breach of decency .You would think that after his own pain of having his family subjected
to Nazi cruelty and random murders, RP would have been sensitive to her pain and humanity
rather than robbing her of her dignity.

Beyond that atrocity is his contempt for the rule of law. After all this
time, he apparently thought he had gotten away with running away, like a coward. It is time
for him to be held accountable. He did the crime. He must do
the time. Otherwise, it makes a mockery of the legal system, and those who do have
to pay society for their crimes.

[anitaj]

Perhaps you have not spent much time in the South. I can assure you that the "just shoot 'em" mentality is quite common.

That aside, Mr. Polanski should be held responsible for his actions.

[bet0001970]

Considering that even convicted criminals have a special hatred reserved for child rapists, the idea of "take em' out back" justice shouldn't be shocking to ANYONE. And anitaj is correct. It's extremely prevailent in the south. So don't expect much support for those who jump all over Cokie Roberts.

However, during this segment, I'm sure CR was only voicing the anger of most Americans that a child rapist had been allowed to prance around Europe with impunity. In fact, I would go so far as to say that she stated what many Americans were thinking. As Wisegeye said, I seriously doubt she was suggesting we ACTUALLY do that. And those who are making an issue of this seriously need to tone down the drama.

[NevadaPatriot]

This is not a political issue. It is a criminal justice issue.

Polanski is a convicted Child Predator. In fact he manipulated Natasha Kinnski 15 years old into having an affair with him. This demonstrates a pattern of serial child abuse.

Defending Polanski defends Child Predators.

[joependleton]

Your inability to spell Kinski's name causes me to question your knowledge of Polanski's relationship with her.

[wizegeye]

Yes, unless you can spell every word you use correctly, you can have no knowledge of a situation and no credibility.

[wizegeye]

By the way, NevadaPatriot's statement is pretty much correct. It's common knowledge that Kinski and Polanski were romantically involved in 1976 when she was only 15. She admitted as much.

[seer60]

I just hope it's not a case of the Obama Administration wanting to throw a bone to the Religious Right/conservative Republicans hoping they'll like him more or be more approving of his administra­tion... cause it ain't gonna happen.

Someting akin to Clinton and the Reno Justice Department­... "See we're doin' something about pornography, child predators and family values etc.."

[NevadaPatriot]

I cannot stand Republicans and members of the Right Wing.

But I am extremely shocked and saddened by the outrage on this thread about these comments. It is ridiculous.

Polanski is a child abuser. He was convicted and he was lucky to receive a very light sentence. Then he fled becoming a fugitive from justice. What he did was wrong, PERIOD!

If it were my daughter only god could help Polanski. So I have no problem with Robert's comments. Obviously, Polanski is not going to be "shot," so that is a bit of a stretch, but I think we can understand her indignation for Child Predators. Child predators need to be punished.

I am sickened by the Polanski apologists on this thread. It seems that they are more interested in protecting a Child Predator, then freedom of speech in this country.

[IndyGirl19]

I don't think it has anything to do with being right wing - it's understanding right and wrong.

clearly not all liberals are alike when some are bending over backwards to excuse a child predator.

and remember, it was conservative types, more often than not, who saw no problem in "marrying" off prepubescent girls with old geezers. ugh!!!!

it is a sick world.

[IndyGirl19]

I don't think it has anything to do with being right wing - it's understanding right and wrong.



clearly not all liberals are alike when some are bending over backwards to excuse a child predator.



and remember, it was conservative types, more often than not, who saw no problem in "marrying" off prepubescent girls with old geezers. ugh!!!!



it is a sick world.

[seer60]

Granted he at least "date raped" her in his own way (Sodomy being a serious felony for anyone including married heterosexuals in California at the time) in a statutory rape sense... but as statutory rape occurs in one form or another in million(s) of incidents a year in the USA coupled with the fact that it is a state crime (as ages traditionally varied widely in history and state by state) how was it actually legally justified to nab him federally with international warrant. Airlines were Federalised before Reagan?.. perhaps interstate travel across US airspace?

[raker]

Today my local NPR station made a pitch for a pledge by boasting that Cokie Roberts is one of them. Imagine.

[chicgirl]

Woody Allen gives me the creeps too.

[joependleton]

Unfortunately there's no extradition treaty between New York and Middle America.

[laocoon]

google Pretty Baby a 1978 Louis Malle film. a 12 year old Brooke Sheilds plays a pubescent girl who grows up in a brothel. a 12 year old sheilds is carried in on a platter naked to be auctioned off to a room of johns. Brooke had been posed nude at 10 by her mother and the photos run in a magazine. she does a number of nude scenes in the movie. this is pretty much contemporaneous with the Polanski situation. not an excuse but a circumstance one should rightfully consider in deciding punishment. is it possible the mother here was thinking she might promote her daughters career by setting this up. or maybe even the civil suit was planned from the outset. we just dont know. certainly if he forced himself on her it is one thing but how does anyone know who to believe. i think most believe what they want. i doubt any of you know. i dont.

[seattle music]

That is WHY we have a judicial system.

The grand jury heard all the testimony and handed down six felony indictments.

The prosecution and defense negotiated a plea agreement -- an agreement which is NON-binding on the judge. Obviously the defense thought this was in his best interests, given the grotesque testimony against him in the grand jury.

The judge was too trusting of Polanski and allowed Polanski to be out on bail between pleading guilty and sentencing. He also allowed Polanski to retain his passports while he was out on bail -- another mistake of trusting Polanski to be a man of his word. Polanski repaid this trust by taking off for France and living as a fugitive from justice for over thirty years.

There was no vigilante justice. The system worked until Polanski voluntarily commited another felony and became a fugitive from justice.

The ONLY person who took the law into his own hands was the convicted child abuser, Polanski.

[kuwaitamoment]

I wasn't aware that it was regular behavior in the 70's for 43-year old men to drug, rape, and sodomize 13-year old kids but maybe this was considered "normal" behavior in your world but not in the U.S.A.

There is no "debate". The girl testified and there were witnesses to collaborate her testimony. All documents are on-line. Polanski was given a plea deal due to his wealth and fame, in addition to saving the girl from going through a circus of a trial.

[NevadaPatriot]

AMEN

THIS IS A CRIMINAL JUSTICE ISSUE NOT A POLITICAL ISSUE.

[NeverRepublican]

The problem with your Booke Shields example??.­...

It was a MOVIE...

Get it?...

A movie is MAKE BELIEVE...­.

It's not real...

How can you come up with that as an example???­...

Try reality for a while...

In reality we live by laws...

[Trueheart]

You've got a point, but so does Laocoon.
It was a film, but a REAL LIVE LITTLE GIRL was used in that film.

I thought Pretty Baby was a terrific movie, and a very disturbing one--not only because the plot involved a much older man becoming obssessed with a little girl prostitute, but also because Brooke Shields was so very, very young, and there was an aura of exploitation around the film.

There are times when I worry about the effect that being in a film has on a child. Like horror or disaster films. Even in Popeye, with Robin Williams, I was really upset during the scene when Lil Sweet Pea was threatened by a sea monster. You could tell that little baby was scared out of his wits, and the tears were real. That's exploitation too.

[joependleton]

Polanski was treated a a suspect in his wife's death largely due to the themes in "Rosemary's Baby". That was also a movie.

[MountainPenelope]

Cokie! You go girl!

He should have been pursued and imprisoned years ago.

[mateoconifer]

My hat is off to her. I'll never watch another movie with any of roman's supporters on the bill.

[bettylogan]

Hands up for those whose life this will effect?

[Horse Badorties]

It's "affect", not "effect". And if enough people agree to do this, perhaps some of the Polanski sycophants will notice.

[TommyMcCarthy]

Heavens Cokie!....­Don't sugar coat it...say what you mean. (She usually does)
tm

[joependleton]

Apparently you missed the seminar on hyperbole.

[TCPITS]

Chill out folks. This is a squabble in the upper reaches of the Bourgeoisie. "Cokie" is a shill for the ruling class. her idiot husband is on NPR because of the same nepotism that got her a job. To the manor born and no friend of the common person in the streets... Please don't get all exercised by these irrelevant distractions and focus on the wars and need for health care.