Why wasn't there outrage over the 'Baretta" verdict (Robert Blake)?

[Liberal_in_LA]

??? why the selective outrage. Race of perp?

[baldguy]

1. Yep.

[bellasgrams]

21. I watched almost all of the OJ trial

From what the jury was allowed to see and hear I would have found he not guilty also, amd if I had money, I'd wager he'll be found guilty of what ever charges are brought against him, regardless of evidence or legal reasoning. And I'm not black. People talk about him like they do Hillary on DU.

[hang a left]

31. I watched the entire trial over months. I had my baby in June of that year.

I was about 3 days before labor when the white bronco chase took place. I was at home with the baby and watched every single day. I don't think there was an attorney in this country that didn't make an appearance on CNN to give their opinion on the case and the evidence presented to date.

It was a circus and a travesty of justice.

The defense dragged on and on and fucking on. To the point it was exasperating and nonsensical.

That jury was down on the not guilty when the state pulled their STUPID glove trick. If I remember correctly that was around the first 3 to 5 days into a year long trial. I remember that day, vividly. "If the glove don't fit, you must acquit".

The defense knew that. That is why they had the trial moved from West Los Angeles. They knew they would draw a predominately black jury that would be prejudice against the investigators.

Not blaming them, I hate cops myself and don't trust them either. In particularly investigators. But the Black community in Central L.A. has seen the worst of the worst of police corruption.

That jury was sequestered forEVER. They wanted the fuck out of there. They weren't listening anymore. And they took it out on the prosecution.

There is NO fucking way you could have set attentive to all testimony in that trial and not come back with a "guilty" verdict.

IMO

[KingFlorez]

2. That's the reason

[AlCzervik]

3. wait until tomorrow, the Phil Spector jury is dead locked. And what ever happened

to the cops the beat up Rodney King?

[Liberal_in_LA]

4. The got various light sentences I think. They were treated like returning heros by their communitie

[regnaD kciN]

5. ...and race of victim.

You don't think there would have been such an uproar had the late ex-Mrs. Simpson been African-American, do you? Probably, you would have gotten some people claiming that she "asked for what happened to her" because she was "carrying on like a ho"...or that someone else may have committed the murder, since she was do doubt involved with drugs and gangstas. :eyes:

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

6. Oh Yeah, That's It!!

Brilliant observation. :sarcasm:

So I guess carrying on like a ho would justify being brutally murdered. And what about the innocent bystander who came upon the scene. He too brought it on himself.

TWO PEOPLE WERE FUCKING MURDERED, and that's all I would care about, regardless of His race, or the race of those killed. Get a clue.

[LisaL]

12. Oh yea. That makes tons of sense, considering Mrs. Blake

was also white, just like Nicole.
:eyes:

[Chovexani]

26. I've been saying for years

If it'd been Mike Tyson killing Robin Givens and Random Black Dude, no one would give a shit.

[ljm2002]

28. I followed the OJ trial closely...

...on a couple of online newsgroups. And I can tell you categorically, at least 25% of the people on those groups raked Nicole over the coals for her so-called slutty behavior. Things like: gee, once she had a boyfriend over and had sex in her living room while the kids were upstairs asleep. (note, the only reason we knew this was that OJ had stalked her and been peering in her windows -- which means he had to go over a fence since it was not visible from the street). Or: well, if it was your wife sleeping around, it might make you real mad too. (there is no indication she ever played around on him when they were married, and once they were divorced, well it was none of his damned business. Also, he had not only played around when they were married, he had brought women into their home and even into their bed, while Nicole was home!). Or: well, obviously Ron Goldman was over there for a romantic encounter, because there were candles burning around her bathtub, and what other possible reason could there be for that? (his coworkers said he was returning some glasses, and I don't know about you, but I've taken plenty of candlelight baths just to relax, having nothing to do with any potential romantic encounters)

There was an amazing amount of vile racist ranting, some subtle and some not subtle at all. I've rarely seen as much racism and misogyny altogether in one place, actually. Anyway I hope you take my point: this sort of attitude is most certainly NOT reserved for women of color.

[TahitiNut]

7. Robert Blake isn't on the Mark Fuhrman Fan Club's agenda.

:shrug:

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

8. It's about grabbing attention. And, anyone who says there's no racism in this country

needs to put down the crack pipe. MKJ

[Annces]

9. You don't see any other differences in the case?

[nini]

10. who was a bigger icon in the minds of Americans?

OJ was beloved by most Americans. Blake was a has been child actor. That had a lot to do with it.

Plus the Goldmans fueled much of the hysteria - whether one agrees with them or not they did not let the story die.

It was also one of the first celebrity cases where the trial was shown on TV.


I was just as disgusted with Blake getting away with murder as OJ. I am equal opportunity despiser. ;-)

[Bluebear]

11. What "verdict" are we having selective outrage over?

[tyedyeto]

13. You called it.

This coming from a WASP who really didn't give a shit when either crimes occured. Apparently, many here feel that OJ is guilty of every crime that has occured since he was found NOt GUILTY.

[MadMaddie]

16. No I don't think that OJ is guilty of every crime that has occurred

but if OJ had been a poor black man....we really wouldn't be having this conversation at all.

The similarities between OJ and Blake they are both rich as hell and could afford top attorneys.

The difference between OJ and Blake...since blake was found innocent he has stayed out of the public eye....

OJ on the other hand...he looked a gift horse in the mouth and kicked it in the teeth...he is a publicity and attention whore.

I am probably one of the few black Americans that think he was guilty of killing Nikole and the young man.. but that's another conversation.

[cherokeeprogressive]

14. Robert Blake never rushed for 2000 yards in a single season. n/t

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

15. Speak for yourself

I've said all along, celebrities get special treatment. OJ, Blake, Spector (it's coming), Paris Hilton, etc.

The big thing in the Blake case was the victim had this prominent checkered past of being some sort of con artist. I thought it was disgusting to bring that into it, because murder is murder. The same way it was disgusting how Nicole Simpson's supposed promiscuity was tossed around in a not so subtle manner by OJ's dream team.

I'm still waiting for the inevitable "institution racism vs. possessive misogyny" debate in regards to OJ......pick your sides people.

[kskiska]

17. Unsympathetic victim

Bonnie Lee Bakely wasn't exactly Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm. She may not have deserved to die, but she was a grifter, extorting money through a lonely hearts sex fraud, passing bad checks, and setting up celebrities. She also used her 13-year-old daughter to seduce men for fun and profit.

(snip)

"…she spoke to others about the 'dangerous lifestyle' she lived, and even 'said that she would probably meet a man one day who would end up killing her.'"

more…
http://www.bakleymurder.com/part1.html

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

23. I met her out here...

Since I live in the area she came from and grew up just "down the mountain" from her, and I knew of her as well. She started out putting ads in the loacal pennysaver mag, "The Want Ad Press", openly looking for elderly sugar daddies. Her ads were her, with her platinum bleached hair, in hotpants, halters and that's about it. Some shoes. Looking for "elderly, generous men". Word was she had a few.

One night, the band I was working for, Blackfoot, had finished a gig at a local club, The Final Exam. I was breaking down the gear onstage when the drummer came up to me and asked for my help to get this crazy woman out of the dressing room. I went to see what was up. It was Bonnie. She had decided to try groupiedom. She was not cut out for the job. She was extremely strange, very demonstrative and histrionic and loud and quite scary. Bizarre is a word that comes to mind.

When it all finally went down, I was not surprised in the least. Sooner or later, she had to push the con too far. And she did.

[kskiska]

34. There must be so much more to this story

Thanks for your personal observation. I was surprised the media didn't cover this trial, opting for Michael Jackson instead. Seems to me it would have been a natural, chock full of prurient details of the life of a Hollywood con artist. Surely there'll be a book.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

18. Why can't we let the courts deal with such crimes and not the media?

That's what's outrages to me.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

19. Yes, We're All Racist Bigots Who Only Target Black People. You Nailed Us Good!

:eyes:

[never_get_over_it]

20. Was the Blake trial on TV

24x7 - or this Spector thing - or Michael Jackson for that matter

I don't really watch much TV anymore and have no idea what the coverage was for Blake, Spector or Jackson - but I sure as hell WATCHED HOURS OF THE OJ TRIAL

when the murders first happened I REALLY BELIEVED HE WAS INNOCENT - I sat on my couch during the slow speed chase PRAYING he would not kill himself - once I learned that Ron Goldman's blood was in OJ's bronco or whatever the hell it was I KNEW he had done it and I have grown to WISH he had freaking offed himself so we would never have to hear from this freak again.

so my outrage is due to the hours invested in watching all that crap - and that I thought he was and WANTED him to be innocent - also that the jury only deliberated for four hours was appalling to me - AND then there is OJ's arrogance - oh I'm going to spend the rest of my life searching for the murderer - and then there were the two little kids whose father murdered their mother and then and then and then

Lot more complicated than just race....

[WinkyDink]

22. Guess what? O.J. happens to be more famous, then and now.

[pitohui]

24. "she had it coming" in the words of the song

the world is not a poorer place for the removal of this con artist from the planet

i think blake should have done some time, if only for manslaughter, but jesus, a person has a limit, and you panic when you think you have no way to get the con artist/eztortionist out of your life ever (usually you CAN get them out of your life, but they get you so tied up in knots you can't think) -- blake did wrong but i've known some professional con artists and they do destroy lives and most of them pay very little of a price compared to the harm they do

[Grandrose]

25. Partly race.....

OJ is crazy as hell (no excuse) and brought this on himself! As a African-American he makes me....tired.
MSM and most White people never accepted the verdict and want retribution and he has given it to them! :eyes:

[Quixote1818]

27. Robert Blake had disappeared for 20 years

he wasn't that famous to begin with. The Blake murder was done in a less interesting way. No slow speed chase in LA. Certainly race played a part too.

The O.J. case had all the elements present for the general public to get hooked. Sports icon, race, good looking people, Johnny Cochran, Kato Caylin, (not sure about the spelling), hell O.J. had a legal dream team! It was the case of the century with one hell of a cast!

[Liberal_in_LA]

32. OJ wasn't that famous to me when case happened. Only knew him commercial where he runs thru airport

Had no concept of how famous a football player he was.

baretta was a different case - I loved the TV show.

[western mass]

29. Robert who????

Pick a black "celebrity" as obscure as Robert Blake and I guarantee nobody will give a crap either. The media frenzy over Paris Hilton & Lindsay Lohan: damn, this racist society just won't give white girls a break.

[LibDemAlways]

30. OJ was a football hero turned likable sometime actor and

tv pitchman. That he could kill his ex-wife and her friend in cold blood with his two children just inside the house was hard to believe. From the Bronco chase to the televised court case with its own unique cast of characters including OJ's "Dream Team" of lawyers, witnesses like famed forensic expert Dr. Henry Lee and possibly racist cop (OJ's lawyers' characterization) Mark Fuhrman, the prosecution team of Marcia Clark and Christopher Dardin, and Judge Ito, and moments like OJ trying on the gloves - it was riveting, must-see tv.

Just this morning I learned that the neighbor who testified to hearing the "plaintive wail" of a dog the night of the murders is the ghostwriter of the new OJ book, "If I Did It." Bizarre.

As for Blake, when it happened he was already pretty much washed up career-wise, his Baretta days long over. His wife was an unsympathetic con artist. The trial wasn't televised. The case wasn't all that compelling, and I don't think most people cared if he was found guilty or not.

[cgrindley]

33. I don't think anyone really felt sorry for her (nt)