Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Karma Chameleon on the Job


Boy George (George O'Dowd) on clean up duty to complete his community service.

In June, Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Anthony Ferrara issued a warrant for O'Dowd's arrest after he initially failed to complete the requirements of his plea deal. When O'Dowd appeared in court ten days later, Ferrara called off the warrant but warned the singer he could not escape his community service commitment.

"It's up to you whether you make it an exercise in humiliation or in humility," Ferrara told O'Dowd.

This makes me think a lot about how we punish people and what is and isn't "satisfying" as a punishment for some people. What was the offense? What was the goal of the punishment? Did the punishment fit the crime?

What about when the punishment does not fit the crime? What about when the crime of a small group of people is extrapolated to an entire group of people?


For the record, I've always been a big fan of Boy George's singing and songs.

6 Comments:

betmo said...

i don't have any idea what it was he initially did- drug related? that has to be really embarrassing for him though. he looks like hell.

1:12 PM  
PTCruiser said...

From now on, whenever I sweep up the shop, I'm going to imagine I'm a famous celebrity and I'm surrounded by cameras. Very glamorous for me, not so for him. That must have been a miserable experience.

5:11 PM  
coho said...

Hiya, Spocko!

The punishment not fitting the crime cuts both ways. South Dakota Congressman (and former Governor) Bill Janklow got 100 days (30 in jail, 70 of community service) for killing a motorcyclist by blowing through a stop sign while driving drunk and seventeen year old Kyle Sawin got (a mandatory) two years for six joints because he was caught within 4 blocks of a (closed for several months) school.

The crime (or crimes) of a small group extrapolated to a large group is called the War On Islam...um...I mean Terror.

PS. The dead motorcyclist's family was not allowed to sue for wrongful death in civil court because Rep. Janklow was speeding (his 20-something-th speeding offense and third recent accident) drunk while on official state business.

10:27 PM  
spocko said...

The crime (or crimes) of a small group extrapolated to a large group is called the War On Islam...um...I mean Terror.

(Man, do I have smart readers...Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner.Coho gets the prize!)

That Bill Janklow story just astonishes me! I wanted to say, "You're kidding me", but then I remembered that Stephanie Herseth was the replacement for him and I remember where I had heard her name. Oh yeah we bloggers helped get her elected, but according to the right wing we are 0-12 with our canidates.

11:02 PM  
coho said...

Hiya, Spocko!

Thanks.
What do I win? Is there cash? Prizes? Half-naked dancing girls?
Half-naked dancing girls carrying cash & prizes?

11:22 AM  
Masher1 said...

Oh i see this blog is going to cost me some time. And i will absolutly agree the guy can sing. Did anyone see this story on the Tube yet? You would think with the forest of mini-cams there it would be all over seeing how bad the news has been for USA,UK and israel.

12:15 AM  

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