The Frank Deford column linked below provides some background into the saga of former Kansas City Royals star Willie Mays Aikens, out of prison after 14 years for a drug conviction that "trod the fine line of entrapment."
No one needs to break out the very tiny violins for Aikens, who made a boatload of mistakes that led to him ending up in prison, regardless of whatever sorry excuse for jurisprudence took place in the handling of his case. Yours truly comes at this from the perspective of, as a younger person, having heard a police officer talk about the concept of restorative justice — not punishing people, but looking for ways they could repay their debt to society and find a way out of shame.
Not to go all bleeding heart (OK, maybe a little), but exactly what purpose was served by having Aikens spend 14 years behind bars?
(Chuck Swirsky mentioned Aikens on The FAN 590 with a Toronto baseball writer. Which one? Hint: He spun the answer around to an anecdote about his days doing PR for the Expos.)
Related:
Free Willie (Frank Deford, Sports Illustrated, Feb. 21, 2001)
Free Willie (Frank Deford, Sports Illustrated, Feb. 21, 2001)
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4 comments:
Please don't post videos that have automatic sound starting as soon as I call up this blog. If people want to watch the video and hear the sound they should be able to do so by clicking. To simply start it is much like that negative billing Rogers Cable screwed me over with a few years ago before the legislators stepped in, or worse, it's like having a Steelback beer:)
Thanks.
Krister,
Which post is that, the Cracked one?
That's the one.
It's gone.
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