RE: O. J Simpson passed away.
Michael > April 15th, 2024, 01:44 AM
I'm not sure everyone shares that sentiment. But even in death he has stirred up controversy and discussion.
I'll say this - and it continues a discussion I participated in on Mastodon the other day: OJ Simpson's murder trial helped to highlight the racism that is pervasive in the U.S. criminal justice system.
I would like to think things have improved since then, but the George Floyd murder (by a cop) only a few years ago makes the idea of that pervasive racism feel as raw and unnerving now as it was in 1994/5.
OJ was a hero to many people, until he wasn't. He made choices in life that others had to bear the consequences for (such as his children). But he also bore some of the consequences himself. Whether he committed murder or not (and not everyone is convinced his guilt was proven), he had to live with the stigma of that trial for the rest of his life.