Comments
ACCORDING TO LIZ - Nine men and one woman were accused of planning and carrying out the armed robbery of millions of dollar’s worth of jewelry from Kim Kardashian in her high-end Paris hotel suite during Fashion Week 2016.
The billionaire influencer was terrified. Thieves dressed as cops forced their way through her door. She was held at gunpoint. She was bound. Some of the guilty had underworld connections.
Last week, the sanctions set forth in the verdicts for those found guilty called for no further prison time – although some served as much as two years’ detention prior to the trial – provided they avoid criminal activities in future.
Kardashian had the graciousness to express gratitude for the justice rendered – perhaps surprisingly so from the perspective of Americans steeped in the necessity of punitive justice.
"The crime was the most terrifying experience of my life, leaving a lasting impact on me and my family. While I’ll never forget what happened, I believe in the power of growth and accountability and pray for healing for all. I remain committed to advocating for justice, and promoting a fair legal system.”
How can such sentencing be fair?
Perhaps because Kardashian clearly understood the dichotomy between her image as a healthy, wealthy woman in her prime, who had $9 million in jewelry stashed in her upscale hotel room, and the defendants. Most in their 60s and 70s. Some wore orthopedic shoes; others carried canes. One is completely deaf, and a couple are seriously ill with Parkinson's and cancer.
And who really are the guilty?
The billionaire who has accumulated much of her wealth by flaunting it? Or the have-nots on the streets of every city and town left outside looking in at ostentatious affluence?
The flotsam and jetsam of America’s forever wars now further abused by Trump’s withdrawal of foreign aid and humanitarian assistance, the two threads that held many from sliding into the quicksand of terrorism? Or their victims from the World Trade Center to the New Year’s Eve revelers on Bourbon Street?
When the United States withdrew that humanitarian aid from impoverished countries around the world, did it help balance the trade deficit or reduce the national debt?
Or escalate resentment, not only of those who see America as the Great Shaitan but also of nominal allies which Trump continues to trash, larding tariffs upon insults?
And with the murders of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim as they left the annual Young Diplomats Reception at the Capital Jewish Museum, thrown yet again into peoples’ faces: the Israelis? Or the victims of the Nakba?
There is no clear answer. Nuances based on individual experiences affect every action and every response.
Kardashian had the expectation that, locked in her apartment, she would be safe. At least safer than walking around Paris at night as a high-profile celebrity. Her assailants were of pitiable means and were well on the way to being as old and infirm as they are today.
People in third world countries living a borderline existence who so appreciated what U.S. government organizations gave to make their lives just a little easier have no incentive not to turn to terrorist groups when that aid is suddenly severed.
Aggressive opposition to the legitimate Palestinian rights movement by both current and past administrations has done nothing but fan the flames of hatred for Israelis and Palestinians alike.
The Israeli embassy staffers came from a country that has bred terrorism for generations, from a culture where people are trained to watch out, where checkpoints are part of everyday life.
They had to have known that worldwide anger at Netanyahu’s genocidal actions has passed a tipping point. Embassy and museum security should have been on high alert during a public event under the auspices of the American Jewish Committee.
One irony being that Milgrim was known for her commitment to peace and her activism against hate and antisemitism.
But zealots look for symbols of the system, not the humanity behind the individual.
They pre-absolve themselves of any guilt by perceiving their actions as being for a greater good.
In the early morning hours of New Year’s Day 2025, a decorated U.S. Army veteran named Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove a truck into a crowd of people on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing 14 people.
A Coloradoan accused of calling for the assassination of the president has recently been charged with trying to firebomb the United States embassy in Tel Aviv.
They had their reasons. They had hatred. And they had the passion to act on their beliefs.
And it is that passion that is the most dangerous, and the most self-perpetuating.
Because it is curiously attractive to others who share at least some of those beliefs. And punishment imposed by a paternalistic judiciary based on a code that too often reinforces discrimination is likely to backfire, justifying the perpetrator’s actions and creating a martyr for others to emulate.
With regards to all of the foregoing, France may have the right of it. Taking the time to let outrage subside and finding a nuanced punishment satisfactory to all.
(Liz Amsden is a former Angeleno who now resides in Vermont and is a regular contributor to CityWatch on issues that she is passionate about. She can be reached at [email protected].)
