Why in the Hell Should Wesley Snipes Go to Jail?

Let's get a few things out of the way real quick:

I like Wesley Snipes just fine as an actor, but I wouldn't necessarily call myself a "fan." I mean, I enjoy his performances in many movies and so forth, but I can't say I have ever uttered the phrase, "Ooh - Wesley Snipes! Let's watch this." Further, I have never even seen any of the Blade movies!

I know, I know. What's even weirder about that is that I actually did a Blade submission for Marvel (never sent it in because I did mine approximately 2-3 months before they announced the release of their own "update," so I just chucked mine in the closet) - many, many years ago. This had nothing to do with it; Blade is just one of those movies that I always catch 20 minutes in or so, and have never sat down specifically to watch. Once they started the sequels, it became one of those "marathon" sagas for a future day (hopefully with friends).

Wesley Snipes was a full-blown idiot for not paying his taxes. I mean, there's simply no getting around that. Joe Blow from Kokomo who makes $6.00/hour selling tomatoes on the roadside might get away with it for his entire life, but a world-renowned movie star who makes millions per picture? That's just fucking stupid and there's nothing else to be said about that.

Further, Snipes' playing of the race card is what - in my personal estimation - really sealed his fate. I mean, you make tens of millions of dollars a year and refuse to pay your taxes, then claim the only reason the IRS is after you is because you're black!? REALLY!? REALLY, WESLEY SNIPES!? Maybe this cat is honestly just a bonafide moron?

At any rate, why in the hell are we trying to decide whether or not this guy should go to FEDERAL PRISON FOR THREE YEARS!?

It's without question that US prosecutors are bonafide morons, but more importantly, they are unabashedly Evil. They freely admit that they seek to prosecute this man simply to make an example of him, yet they are going to do it anyway. The true crime here is that their mothers didn't opt for abortions.

Face facts: these prosecutors have likely spent as much on prosecuting Wesley Snipes as he cheated them of in taxes. Further, he is paying his taxes now, so what's the point in all of this? Their point has been made with the continuing press coverage this case has received, and the professional and personal humiliation Wesley Snipes has suffered. Granted, he deserved it, but he does not deserve to spend so much as a single day in jail (Mike Nifong, anyone?).

Prisons aren't there to "make points," you dirty, self-serving, corrupt assholes; prisons are there to protect society from wanton, destructive criminals.

Wesley Snipes is an idiot, but he's not really a criminal and the "point" in this case has already been made - with an exclamation point!

© C Harris Lynn, 2008