Blog by Sean Gehon, Friday, June 01, 2007
If you learned everything you need to know in kindergarten, why do you continue to learn for the rest of your life? Since the day we first arrive on the planet, we begin to take in the world around us; absorb, grow, and form ourselves into the person we were meant to be. Through the teachings of our parents, teachers, professors, and eventually life itself, we learn what is right and what is wrong. For some people these lessons are harder to take and harder to learn than others. But in the end, even if you don’t want it, every lesson can have its own rewards.
Paris Hilton has been given a harsh reality check recently. After driving drunk and without a valid driver’s license, Paris was sentenced to forty five days in jail. Miss Hilton got lucky with overcrowded prisons, and had her sentence shortened to only twenty three days in prison. For the girl who’s had everything handed to her on a silver platter, I’m pretty sure she wasn’t expecting to end up in handcuffs even if she did break the law.
When you’re famous and you’ve done wrong, your famous ‘friends’ love to come out of the woodwork and lend their voice to the cause. Recently it was Simple Life costar Nicole Richie and younger sister Nicky Hilton that stepped out to speak on behalf of Paris. Both Nicole and Nicky have stated the Paris is being treated unfairly and that sending her to jail is absolutely absurd. Paris’ sister Nicky went as far as suggesting that being sent to jail for a ‘traffic violation’ was pretty absurd. Perhaps it’s time for Paris and Nicky Hilton to go to law school in order to better understand the way things work.
What Nicky Hilton wrote off as a simple ‘traffic violation’, is actually more than that. A traffic violation results in a fine, endangering the lives of those around you results in a suspension of a license. Repeatedly throwing around the fact that you’re rich and think you can get away with anything, may just get you thrown in jail. I can understand how being given everything you’ve ever wanted at any given time during your life can give you a warped sense of reality. However, that warped sense of reality should come crashing down around you the minute you’re in a court room. Nobody is above the law, and we all may have to answer to it at one point in our lives.
However, being rich and privileged can have its disadvantages when dealing with the courts. Many people believe that being rich and famous provides you with special treatment in the eyes of the law, and perhaps sometimes it does. But it’s those circumstances that can really act against a person’s best interests. Take for example a situation where a celebrity is made an example of, instead of being given the kinds of courtesies a regular offender may be given. It isn’t always a celebrity that gets off easy sometimes us regular folk can be given a second chance. I’m not saying Paris deserves a second chance. Lord knows she’s already had it, I’m just saying… maybe they aren’t entirely wrong.
Paris Hilton is going to jail. Does she deserve to go to jail? Only the law knows that answer for sure. What I do know, is that Paris isn’t above the law and really does need to learn this lesson. We’ve seen the likes of Paris and Nicky Hilton, Nicole Richie, and other young socialites getting away with underage drinking, constant partying, and appearing to get away with it all. Finally, and unfortunately for Paris, one of these socialites is being given the chance to pay for her crimes. Maybe they’re right and maybe it’s unfair, but we’ve all got to learn our lessons. Sadly, some of us have to learn them without dropping the soap. Good luck, Paris.
Sean (I don’t think she’ll be in jail for more than twenty four hours. Just a hunch.)
