By Staff
I know I'm not completely over-exaggerating when I say that I feel celebrities get off way too easily. If you ask me, it's down right unfair to everyone else who has to pay a hefty price for their wrong-doings, when they are committing the same crimes these celebrities did.
When we think of tabloid headliners who have recently been given the "princess" treatment, three names probably come to mind – Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie and Lindsay Lohan. Ah, yes, the three party-hopping, club frequenting, "we make good role model," stating ladies who are in the media daily. Well, Richie has an excuse for staying away from the trouble as she is expecting her first child.
Riche was arrested earlier this year for driving under the influence of drugs.
If I were Richie, I would have cried my eyes out. A 30-day jail sentence turned into 82 minutes – 82 minutes! Man, I bet she had it rough.
Apparently, under a federal court mandate to manage jail overcrowding, arrestees sentenced to 30 days or less for a nonviolent offense are usually released within 12 hours, according to a statement made online by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
That's actually understandable, though. I can't see wasting jail-time for someone who really isn't that big of a threat.
Next we have Lohan. She sure put on a good image while she was in rehab, didn't she. The paparrazi captured Lohan on several occasions displaying good behavior. No drinking, no drugs, just being sober and having fun with her friends.
Rehab really helped her.
Just hours before Richie did her time, Lohan was charged with seven misdemeanor drunken-driving and cocaine charges for two arrests in the last four months, the latest coming just days after her release from rehab. Her attorney arranged a plea bargain and Lohan was sentenced to one day in jail, 10 days of community service and the mandatory completion of a drug treatment program. She was also fined and placed on 36 months probation.
Didn't she just do all of this? I mean, isn't this basically why she was in rehab to begin with. Could have fooled me.
Paris Hilton – well, I don't think I need to go on anymore. We all know she did a whopping 23 days in jail. She really got the full effect.
I'll give these three the benefit of the doubt because their crimes weren't as serious as they could have been. The only thing that upsets me is that an average American receives a much more harsh sentence than what these three did. Your "average Joe" would have probably done jail time or would have been given a boat load of community service hours along with probation. These girls got punished, but the severity of it was equal to a child eating a cookie before dinner – virtually no punishment. Just a little "you shouldn't have done that," lecture.
What message are we really giving our youth? You know, the ones who actually follow these celebrities and look up to them. That it's ok to break the law because you will only get this kind of punishment?
I would think a good old paddle would work just fine, if not better. Oops! I didn't say that. Now I will probably get a gazillion e-mails from people. No, I am not saying to use a paddle on someone, just using an example that a punishment like that would be more effective than wasting an hour in jail and learning nothing.
There are a lot of things I don't agree with. My list could probably go on forever. But celebrities have such a strong influence that it's hard not ignore something like this.
In my opinion, it all boils down to the old saying "Money talks." Either that or good looks do.