So Roman Polanski was snagged in Swiss territory and now there’s a whole lotta hullabaloo over the nerve to extradite him to face charges.

And why, because he is an “artist”? As an artist myself — a term that I never, ever apply, btw, but hey, if he can hide under the umbrella, then I can take some shelter as well — I call HOGWASH!

I mean would we see international film superstars lobbying for Burger King fry cook in a similar situation? I doubt it. Of course, we all know justice is supposed to be blind, and we all know that though it purports to be blind but much, much data is out there to suggest that it isn’t — yet at the end of the day, why do “celebrities” think that the law doesn’t apply to them? That’s what irls me about all of this.

I mean why do the likes of Scorcese, Woody Allen, Harvey Weinstein and the such think that just because the Mr. Polanski is a irrefutable cinematic giant feel that he should get a free pass on the accusation of “drugging and raping a 13-year-old child”?

(For those of you that do not know, Roman Polanski is accused of feeding a 13 year old girl a qualude and some champagne then filming himself having lewd sex acts with her while she’s in a stupor? Owch, right?)

And how does going on the lam for a few decades lessen the crime/guilt? I mean why don’t these filmakers encourage all people accused of like crimes to become fugitives? Especially if they can win an Academy Award. Then they should get off on little stuff like this, right? (Note: last sentence = dripping with sarcasm).

I mean I don’t even see the other side of the coin. It’s not like anyone is making the argument he was railroaded. It’s not like anyone is claiming he didn’t, as an adult, get a 13 girl drunk and have sex with her. And he did flee as oppose to face the courts in this country, regardless of the supposedly spotlight seeking actions of the judge.

But now that he is finally in custody — like over 30 years after the incident — the industry of Hollywood wants him to be set free. Why? Part of their statement/petition about this matter says, “The arrest of Roman Polanski in a neutral country, where he assumed he could travel without hindrance … opens the way for actions of which no one can know the effects,” said the signatories, who also included actresses Monica Bellucci and Tilda Swinton and directors David Lynch, Jonathan Demme, John Landis, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and Wim Wenders.

What kind of actions? And are they worse actions than feeding a 13 year old a qualude and champagne then filming lewd sex acts with her while she’s in a stupor? (Allegedly.)

I just don’t get it. If Polanski washed cars for a living and it was one the 13 old daughters of one of these Hollywood establishment people, they’d be the first to sign a petition saying a man like this should be extradited regardless of our international agreements.

And if it was a teacher, forget it.

Walking to the parking lot after school today I cruised right past our girl’s softball team. As they headed out to the field to play a game, dressed proudly in Lynwood Knights gear top to bottom, I heard an enthusiastic, “Hi Mr. Alan,” from one of the girls on the team.

I looked up and saw Patti. (Not her real name.)

“Hi, Patti,” I replied with a smile. She shyly looked down and continued on. Me, I went to the car with a smile on my face as well. Why?

Because a year ago at this time, I was seriously worried whether or not Patti would still be a part of Lynwood High School. She had “drama” going on like no one’s business. Friends who got jumped, she ditched/missed a ton of school, had an older sister who she went to the abortion clinic taking Patti with her for support (a sister who had already dropped out of Lynwood and was NO WAY going to share the news with her parents) and on and on. Patti was someone I felt a great deal of concern for. Bright, but troubled. Intelligent but tempted. Good but attracted to being bad as well.

She was already at one of life’s great forks, at a mere 15 years old.

But there Patti was, getting ready to go play girl’s softball against one of the local schools in, what I am sure would be, a fierce match.

That moment reminded me of why sports are so great. I have no idea what turned Patti around — or if it’s gonna stick — but seeing her doing something so “regular kid like” brought warmth to me today. Playing sports helped to save me when I was a teen, I am sure of it. And then, as I got older, the personalities of various sport’s stars and a deep discovery of the mental aspects requisite to really succeed in sports helped get me through the next series of wild frontiers in my 20′s.

Some people think things like girl’s softball is just, well… girl’s high school softball. Other people know it can be all the difference in the world to a young person’s life.