February, 1999
...And That's My
OpinionŠ
By Sandy Goldman
The Rogers Park Community Curmudgeon
Bill & Monica and
Other Things
At a recent dinner with some friends of 50+
years, I asked, "Who does Bill Clinton make you think of? Instantly they
all said, "Eric!"
"Eric" (not his real name) was a
schoolmate of ours at Lakeview High School in the late '40s. He was tall,
muscular and very athletic. He was not particularly good looking, but he had a
dreamy masculine look that girls found irresistible. In fact, in later years,
my school friends, now much older, mothers and grandmothers all would confess
that they found Eric intriguing, compelling, inviting, and most of all,
sensual.
Those of us who are male found Eric
enviable. Eric was a legend in his own time. His batting average (hits to
attempts) was far, far above average. His experiences were beyond our hopes or
capabilities. We talked and hoped; Eric did. He could have written the
for High School Students and added a few new things.
Eventually we all graduated. Eric went no
further. He married and he had children, but his roving eye and his need for
conquest never diminished.
He divorced and remarried several more
times. He was always out there at the batting cage. The funny thing was that as
he grew older, his playing field grew younger. His sleepy eyes continued to
captivate and arouse. Although he had trouble finding a home field, his batting
average stayed high.
Some reported having seen Eric recently here
and there, wherever the game is still played. Still swinging; still with a
.
Bill and Monica: John Profumo and Mandy
Rice-Davies, Eric and whoever. It's nothing new! That lifestyle) has been
around forever! There have always been boys who never grew to be men and there
have always been silly, giggly opportunistic girls willing to display their
underwear and be a .
After Eric, some of us went on to college.
Now and again we would "step to the plate and take a few swings".
While our interest in that game remained (once in a while we'd hear about Eric
- he never changed), our college life led us into more cerebral pursuits.
One of which were all-night philosophical
discussions, some would say bull sessions. Never about batting averages, but
about important life beliefs.
One in particular was the matter of the
death sentence. In my young and very liberal days I was against it. Not for any
ethical, moral or religious belief as were some of my co-thinkers. But because,
I pondered, what if the verdict turned out wrong. Then what?
Except for the most horrific crimes of
absolute certitude, imprisonment was better than death. The latter was an
irreversible action. Should the verdict be found erroneous there could be no
retrial. My philosophical opponents had great faith that the police and
judicial system could do no wrong nor ever be in error.
I could and did make exceptions for the John
Wayne Gacys, the s, Richard Specks, the Juan Coronas and other
evil killers of our times. Mine was not, you see, a moral issue vs. the death
penalty. Mine was an issue of guilt and possible innocence when guilt was less
then unequivocally clear.
As I grew older and more to the right side
of the philosophical continuum my ideas changed. Too many gang killings; too
many rapes; too many child molestations; too many motorcycle outlaws; too many
senseless acts of rage: sexual, domestic, and on the road; too much wanton
disregard for the lives of others; too much lack of civility.
I found myself adopting the old western
cowboy ideas of "string 'em up" and the new concept of "we're
better off without 'em".
I stayed that way for some time although I
must admit it often felt uncomfortable.
Now with the recent headlines of death row
reprieves and the formerly guilty found provably innocent; now with new
forensic tools available for better discovery; with astonishing revelations of
official and prosecutorial misconduct; I've come all the way around to the
thinking of my twenties.
Let it be clear that those guilty by virtue
of solid confessions or irrefutable evidence should be sentenced to death. For
in those cases that is the only just solution. In other cases, however, better
two in prison that one dead in error.
I wonder if "Eric" ever thinks
about these things.
And Other Things
Finally, just as Wally Phillips returns to
the air and normalcy begins to prevail THEY take away Frangos!!! Is there no
sanity? A pox on Dayton-Hudson (parent company of Marshall Fields) for making
this decision. Shame on Mayor Daley, the Chicago Plan Commission and the City
Council for not allowing Dayton Hudson the right to make what they consider to
be a sound business decision, albeit an unpopular one.
There is, you know, "The Golden
Rule". The man who has the gold - rules.
...And that's my opinion.
And I'm Sandy Goldman
Send
me your e-mail address or those of others who would be interested and I'll add
them to my rapidly growing distribution list.
To Email Me: smgoldman@ameritech.net