Nothing elucidates a fall from grace like the life of O.J. Simpson.
He was the dashing handsome running back all of American's seemed to love. He came to fame during the last stages of the Civil Rights struggle. His name was held high with Cassius Clay and Lew Alcindor. Men who all young African Americans my age could set as genuine role models. Placed on the alters of hope and future aspirations. To many White children my age, O.J. was the Black man they could look up to as a role model without concerns of the intolerant society of the time. I recall the death of one of his children in a drowning accident. The whole nation seemed to mourn with him. He was adored by all.
Then in June of 1994 his whole world came crashing down like a Russian meteor from hell. Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Lyle Goldman, were found murdered in an upscale neighborhood in West Los Angeles, called Brentwood. I actually walked by the restaurant where Nicole had her last meal, and Ron made his last dime. I asked a waiter to point out to me and a date where Nicole had been sitting. He silently pointed to a table near the front entrance.
There was this global gasp. I did not even know that O.J. and Nicole were separated at that time. I stopped paying attention to his love life after he divorced his wife quite frankly, so the details of the volatile relationship was news to me. I dare say to many others, because O.J. was really nothing more than a commercial jockey by then. (It would have been interesting to see, if his reputation had survived to Reality TV)
Then came the words that changed O.J.'s life forever. SUSPECT! OJ was now subject to the word that most Black males in America fear including myself. Because it was commonly felt, right or wrong, in the Black community any Black man suspected of killing a White woman was guilty as sin by most White folks. No trial, no jury needed. I also think that 80% of the people who think he is guilty made up there minds when he decided to do the car chase thing. Had he not done that the percentages would be significantly lower.
There was a trial, THE TRIAL OF THE CENTURY . The world had never seen anything like it since the TV era. Probably the closest trial of the 1900's to compare was that of Bruno Richard Hauptmann and before that Lizzie Borden. I actually believe the OJ trial gave birth to FOX NEWS, which was launched in 1996 during deliberations.
I don't have time to go over all the facts of the trial as I see them, but the prosecution lost me when it opened up the trial with the, Barking of a Dog. In fact the same night I walked passed the restaurant in question, my date and I were in the same neighborhood of the murders. Suddenly a dog barked and I joked, "Listen Honey, a Black man is killing a White woman." Now there is even a case out for a serial killer, who may have done the dastardly deed.
My main reason for believing OJ did not commit the murders is for this reason. He is to stupid to get away with such an elaborate crime.
If OJ had committed those murders the police would have found more, than a glove that did not fit, and scratch on his finger, and spots of blood here and there, and his DNA at the house of his ex-wife and children. He is so dumb they would have found him dressed in bloody clothes, the knife, at the scene, saying "Blood? What Blood? Bodies? What Bodies?
There are a lot of other things I can point to towards his stupidity, I have already mentioned the car chase. The one that sticks out the most is the book, in which he details how he would have done it if he did it. How stupid is that.
Finally, here is a man who is considered worst than Jack the Ripper in many American's minds and he remained in the country. He could have moved to Jamaica, Africa, even Europe, where most people were still objective towards him. But NOOOOOO! He remained in the U.S., where he got set up in a sting and now may spend the rest of his life in jail. (He ain't looking to good these days). Anybody who has read the legal disclaimers on the back of a cereal box can see the trial in Las Vegas was a farce. Yeah OJ you finally got your "UP COME-ENCE". You uppity person you.
I always say if I was a criminal court judge, I would give out "Stupid" sentences along with the regular ones.
"5 years for car theft, 1 year for stealing it at a police station," that sort of thing.
I gave OJ a pass on his first trial. But the second one, he earned, he earned Big Time. Being arrogant and dumb.
