Disclaimer: If you're tired of reading about Paris skip this article. There are other, important things to be reading about.
The media, the Los Angeles Times in particular, followed by TMZ, has bought into the absurd notion that Paris' sentence is unfair. And this is the line the sheriff's spokesman follows at the press conference outside the jail yesterday, that Paris is doing more time because she is a celebrity.
Why would the sheriff's office be concerned with that?
But more importantly, this is a myth. Paris is not doing more time than she is supposed to. The judge is allowed to take things into account when sentencing. Yes, it's a long term for someone caught driving on a suspended license, but this was the second time since Paris' license was suspended that she had been pulled over. She had a signed notice in her glove box stating she knew she was not allowed to drive. She was not accused of drunk driving, but her car was seen weaving. She was driving recklessly, dangerously. These are all things the judge can take into account when pronouncing sentence, none of which figured in the LA Times analysis.
Also, she was not on her way to work. Many people caught driving on a suspended license at least have a reason for why they are doing it, the difference between a half hour or hour and a half commute, for example.
Paris now pleads for privacy, though she has built her life around the pursuit of celebrity. She suddenly thinks the media should be concerned with other things. Nicky Hilton just wants everyone to be treated equally. Really? Does Nicky really want us all to be treated equally? Has she discussed this position with her gardener? Her cleaning lady? An heiress, born into millions, never having to work, is suddenly obsessed with fairness. Should every inmate be granted a PR machine and a million dollar lawyer?
Here's fairness for you. Out of 2,200 inmates at the women's jail in Lynnwood, Paris Hilton is only one of eight in the medical ward. She is the eighth sickest patient in the jail. I spoke to some women being released from the jail yesterday. They were on their way to a six month in-patient drug treatment. The sentiment was that you had to be bleeding to death to get in the medical unit which is considered a big step up from the tiny two person cells and the thirty inmates who had to sleep on triple bunk beds in the day room due to over-crowding.
The woman I was speaking with had all her earrings pulled out in a gang fight. The other woman was missing her front teeth. In fairness they should be given access to the Hilton's personal doctor, who is a plastic surgeon.
I know people are sick of hearing about Paris Hilton, but it's not a story about celebrity. Celebrity is just the hook. Paris is no longer a person, but that's not what she aspired to. Paris has become the symbol she always wanted to be. This is a story about the rich and the poor. I hope it keeps playing for a long time.