December 13, 2007

IT WAS LIKE THE GODFATHER AS THE SYSTEM SETTLED ITS FAMILY BUSINESS IN ONE DAY

       It was as if Michael Corleone whispered into the ears of the law that all family business must be taken care of today.   In one monumental day we learned that Robert Pickton would spend the rest of his life in prison for his crimes, that Conrad Black could serve 78 months for his illegal business dealings, that Michael Vick would have nearly two years to think about the evils of dog fighting, and that Madison Square Garden and Isiah Thomas had agreed to pay out a monstrous fine for their misdeeds and misconduct.  In one fell swoop the system cleansed itself of a sizeable share of grime.

       Mass murderer Robert Pickton, a maniacal killer who quickened his pace at the end in order to reach fifty dead (he supposedly missed by one), was found guilty and condemned to spend the remainder of his years in prison.  If he ever sees the light of day again it will be an absolute mockery of justice. It would be proper if he were to face charges for each of the women he murdered—and it is unfortunate that in reality it is not feasible from either a time perspective or a financial one.  For the relatives of those that were legally vindicated, and for those who were not, I hope that they can--in some small way--feel a scintilla of justice knowing that this reptile will spend his remaining days crawling around in the same dirt that spawned him. 

       Later that day Conrad Black was sentenced to 78 months in jail for business crimes.  His is the story of a prideful and ambitious man who sought out riches and gained them.  A long and glorious ride that also netted him power, a prominent wife, and a title—bestowed upon him by the Queen—worthy of his stature and his ego.  The story turns, however, when this man who rarely tasted defeat went to great lengths to avoid it and ended up being convicted and sentenced like a criminal for his actions.  Is he evil?  No.  Is he perhaps a man who became a prisoner of his own arrogance and is now a prisoner of society?  Yes.

      Along the lines of arrogance comes Michael Vick, a gifted athlete that could have seen greatness but, because his head was stuck so far up his own ass, couldn’t see the road through the storm.  His was a courtship of riches—a supremely talented individual, one many teams would have loved to have as their franchise player--who fell because he couldn’t conquer his serious addiction to a cruel and vulgar business he called a hobby.  Michael Vick’s punishment would on the surface appear to be relatively uneventful--less than two years living in a low security facility--but his actual pain will likely come later when he realizes that there is a dark shadow that follows him, and will until the day he dies.

       The final piece of business--Madison Square Garden and Isiah Thomas paid a bill of more than eleven million dollars.  The receipt for that bill will decree that their former employee desists from any further pursuance of the matter.  Quite a bright bunch of boys down at MSG—first to be caught with their pants down and then stand firmly, with arms crossed, and forcefully deny the accusation right into the courtroom.  It was a small matter that if they, instead of minimalizing the threat and deeming it unworthy of their time, simply admitted their error it would have cost them perhaps a couple of hundred thousand.  Instead they forked out $11.5 million.  Good job guys.  And Knick fans wonder why their team is such an embarrassment.  It’s because the organization is screwing up so many areas, including those that are much more serious than professional basketball.

Next week--the contradiction that is the Mitchell Report.

Preview my new fictional novel A Walking Parody at www.michaelghobson.com

Listen to my weekly guest appearance Friday nights on Norm Rumack's show at www.fan590.com