I'm Not Sick Of OJ

Before you start throwing peanuts at your screen... let me tell you why I, for one, am NOT sick of OJ Simpson.

Sure, he makes for good ratings. Sure, there's an element of Schadenfreude that's associated with him. But it's how every move he makes delivers one more ounce of justice to the people who have suffered the most by his actions.

For the last 13 years, the families of Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson have lived with pictures of a carefree OJ Simpson golfing his way around America, while hundreds of thousands of people applaud him, pay for autographs, and buy into his innocence.

Thanks to one of the worst examples of American jurisprudence in history, OJ was found not guilty of murder. But with every miss-step caught by the press, with every chapter penned about How He Would Have Done It Had He Actually Done It, with every sordid character he befriends, and with every snub to the bail system, public support for OJ Simpson has been hemorrhaging.

Back in October of 1995, a survey reported in the NY Times showed just 12 percent of black people said they believed OJ was guilty of murder.

Fast forward to this past September, post book deal and post arrest. The Washington Post conducted a poll showing that disdain for OJ Simpson had ballooned within the black community . A whopping 45 percent of black respondents now said they believe OJ was guilty of murder.

Is hindsight 20/20? Or has the spotlight on a reckless criminal revealed his lack of contrition, his propensity for violence, and his sordid lifestyle.

Thanks to relentless coverage of Simpson's travails, a window has been provided into this man's true soul.

You might call it a little clarity for those who were once blinded by his Heisman.

Comments

[Margalo]

I am an attorney from Los Angeles who watched the live broadcasts pretrial and most of the trial, and the evidence did not prove OJ guilty, because it was falsely planted or full of holes.

I was appalled then and continue to be appalled by the white broadcasters who were so sure they were right from the beginning,before there was any trial,that OJ was guilty and broadcast their opinion rather than the news. This has not stopped to this day, and the guilty newscasters were white, of course. It did not and does not matter to this day that the jury, who were present and examined the evidence found him not guilty. Prior domestic violence does not prove guilt of the murder. Of course, this trial is the complete opposite of every other trial reported, because every other convicted defendant (especially if black or brown) is guilty, guilty, guilty. These broadcasters do not miss a beat with that view, even when more and more convicts (of all colors) are released after years in prison on DNA evidence.

Thank you Jangelique for your concise description of the real evidence at trial.

If the white broadcasters were more likely to follow the Constitution and give those arrested the benefit of the doubt, particularly when they are black or brown, this would be a much less racist society. The pretense that this is news and not racist scandal mongering simply makes me very sick to my stomach every time I see it. You should be, too.

[flatus]

The OJ case was proof that justice is all about the lawyer(s) you can afford.

The gov'ment "B" team was just not up to the task.

[Ouroboros]

On one hand, I really miss Ashleigh Banfield and I think it's disgusting the way she was drummed out of the media for being honest. On the other hand, I don't think OJ would have gotten away with it if the LAPD hadn't corrupted the scene and been flat out racist thugs for all those years. There's lots of blame to go around.

[DHeil]

Ashleigh Banfield: Where have you been? No, I am not some fan commenting on your appearance. You were one of the most respected, most intelligent broadcast journalist around until you just, poof, disappeared. Last I remember seeing you on NBC was during the Sept 11 coverage and then leading up to the Iraq War in 2002. After that, nothing.

What happened? Were you blacklisted for questioning the impending invasion of Iraq? Sad, whatever happened. As a journalist, you are missed.

[bettyjean]

Hi to All,

I sense/believe OJ did a crime of passion/murder of his ex-wife and her male friend, way back when. This was after he was humiliated at a restaurant celebrating his daughter's school event.

If he had been allowed to plead guilty as he probably wanted to, he would have gotten 5/10 years and he could have gotten on with his life.

For some reason he as a black icon had an obligation to uphold his image in the black community and was talked into pleading not-guilty.

Because of who OJ was and is, one can't help but admire and love some of his qualities past and present as well as dislike his failings, especially possibly being a murderer in a crime of passion and writing that stupid book.
Him and his children have to live with the consequences of his actions from the past as well as the present.

Maybe I'm misjudging him but if he could relive his life knowing what he knows now, I'd bet he would confess the truth, be forgiven and loved inspite of the crime of passion, pay his debt to society and we could all go on with our lives - white and black - forgiving and loving each other.

Any who, that's my two cents worth.

[StanQ]

OJ was not convicted because the prosecutors were inept. I am an attorney. Law school graduates who become prosecutors do so because they cannot find work elsewhere. Do not blame the jury. Blame Marsha Clark, who could not figure out the evidence. The bloody glove was on the ground by the air conditioner. What would you do if you were rushing down a cobweb-covered path at night? You would put a hand up to shield your face. And when you ran into the air conditioner the support bracket might cut your hand. That is how OJ cut his hand. Did anyone ever check the air conditioner for blood? No. Ron Goldman's keys were on the ground. They did not hop out of his pocket when he was being stabbed. They had to have been in his hand. They were in his hand because he had a key to Nicole's front gate. That was what enraged OJ, who had been skulking around. Did anyone ever examine the keys? No. The beat goes on. So a lot of Blacks believe OJ is innocent. So what? Mitt Romney believes in the Angel Monroni.

[LeonBNJ]

Of course we are obsessed, perhaps out of our jelousey of the rich and famous, with those of celeberity who live such crazy lives and make stupid decisions we say we wouldn't make. It makes us feel better in our often miserable lives.
I do hope there is a fair trial as to OJ Simpson in Las Vegas and neither side abuses the situation whether to get a convicted or to be aquitted. I think we need a real trial, with the process to go through to figure out what happened as can be presented during a trial to reach hopefully the trugh.
Many want to see OJ Simpson go to jail as we feel the murder case of him was distorted by serious mistakes by the proscution, a very expensive defense for probably the first time by a black man, and the terrible race politics at that time in the Los Angeles area. This is a separate case and cannot be seen as a way to 'get' OJ for acts he wasn't convicted for.

[biglover]

I am just happy to hear from Ashleigh. I miss her on the television screen. First class all the way. Good to hear from you Ashleigh

[dadumdee]

For the last 8 years, the families of all the world, but especially Americans and Iraqis, have lived with pictures of a carefree President Bush golfing his way around America, while hundreds of thousands of (rich) people applaud him, pay for autographs, and buy into his innocence.
Ashleigh, you're a f-cking genious. I look forward to your relentless coverage of Bush's travails, that will one day provide a window into this man's true soul. Oh, and ask Black people if they think Bush is guilty of a crime. I'm sure the result will be more whooping than 45%.

[Number1]

And another thing. Is it really a coincidence that the year there is a realistic black candidate for President, all of a sudden we are asked the OJ issue?

Is anyone really sure there are no Bushies involved in OJ's prosecution? The very charge of 'armed robbery' is hugely overblown (how many robbers steal things that belong to them)?

[wrabbitt]

Don't our broken legal system tell us something is wrong? if you kill one person you get life. if you kill ten you get life. Hitler would have got life? The antiquated system does not work! Innocent until proven guilty, 6 month to a year before trial, if any then plea bargain from lawyer, if caught again the lawyer should be held responsible!

[Ravenlea]

I have the feeling that OJ is trying to get himself punished these days. His actions seem to be those of a man seeking to get caught doing something wrong.

I have to disagree about the trial in which he was cleared of murder, though. I had lost a sister to murder not long before and was somewhat obsessed with the whole process. I later came to think OJ was guilty, but the prosecution did not come close to proving it in that first trial and all the hype about him being treated differently and the victims being forgotten seemed to me to be just that. Victims in murder trials are very often forgotten. They are the catalyst for the drama but it doesn't matter any more (except to those of us who loved them) how wonderful they were. Trials aren't (oddly) about the victim.

That said, with the additional evidence presented at the civil trial, I think it became clear that OJ probably did commit the murders. The original trial, though, was a travesty only if you mean that the prosecutors failed to do their job adequately. It's a big deal convicting someone of murder if the proof isn't "beyond a reasonable doubt". Anyone who judges that jury should put themselves in their place.

[Steamboater]

It's pathetic still that only 45% of blacks think OJ was guilty of murder. The money that he just paid for bail should have gone to Goldman and Brown family and so should his house!

[ergoth]

kardashian, dead.
mr. johnny, dead.
shapiro, serious family troubles.
scheck and nuefeld, their day is coming.

all of the scheme team will pay the piper in some form or another.

what a bunch of scum sucking lawyers they were/are.

rosa lopez tell mr. johnny, no blanco bronco.

scum, all of them.

[jackstraw005]

look, im tired of O.J. for the same reason im sick of brittney spears and lindsay lohan, and all the rest. their sordid lives are not news at least to me. every minute of coverage of the trainwrecks that are their lives is time which could be used to deliver information that oh i dont know, could be important or relevant to what is going on in todays troubled world. Americas obsession with celebrity is obscene, in my view, and the only thing we seem to like more than putting someone up on a pedestal is knocking them back off. c'mon get a grip.