O.J.'s Halcyon Days

In a perfect world, not a single word would be uttered about O.J. Simpson ever again. No matter how wrong the verdict was, I would be perfectly content to have him sail off into the sunset and not have to think about him anymore. At best, he is a very lucky man, and at worst, he is a disgusting murderer. If all went well, he would realize that the majority of Americans will always see him as both, and he would retreat into permanent seclusion to enjoy his precious freedom.

Unfortunately, O.J. has taken a slightly different route. In the month since his release, he has treated his freedom as casually as he treated the life of Nicole, and he seems to believe that if he goes through the motions of resuming a normal lifestyle again, the public will forget the trial and the crime.

We can see right through him.

For instance, as would be expected from any devoted widower, O.J. has visited Nicole's grave since his release. However, the top secret photos taken by the National Enquirer at the time of the visit show that O.J. neither brought flowers nor wept. No doubt the folks at the Enquirer are continuing to exploit this case just as much as every other publication, but they might just be onto something.

Everything O.J. does is for show and for pleasure, and even spending a year in prison has not disrupted his shallow life. Upon his release, finding that Los Angeles was no longer enough fun--neither his neighborhood nor his country club welcomed his return--he simply left for Florida, girlfriend in tow, to party and play golf.

However, it turns out that Simpson only brought Paula Barbieri to Florida to show the tabloids that he was capable of a happy relationship, and forgot to actually have the relationship. Upon realizing she had been duped, Barbieri dumped him, in front of the nation, on ABC's "Prime Time Live."

On her part, this may not have been the shrewdest tactic for her to pursue either, since Simpson is suspected to kill those whom he can no longer possess. Of course, even if he did kill her, the bloody golf glove probably wouldn't fit him, and he'd be back out on the green in no time.

Simpson should be reading the help wanted ads rather than jetting around the world. He has been dropped from all his endorsement jobs, and is likely to lose upcoming civil cases, both of which will mean great financial loss. He may still have his Ferrari, but he should think about driving it to a regular job to start making some money to support his family.

Simpson has also made it clear that this support will only be financial. He has made no move to gain custody of his children, or to spend time with them for any reason other than a photo opportunity.

Of course, if Nicole's parents took Simpson to court, the obstacles to regaining custody would prove insurmountable: no one would feel safe knowing he would be the sole caretaker of two human lives. In addition, no one would want to take the children away from their new home, taking away what little stability they have in their lives. Lucky for Simpson, he can benefit from these excuses because actually having custody might make his new lifestyle of constant fun a lot harder to sustain.

Throughout all of the theatrics of the trial process, I have really wanted to believe that it is better for one guilty man to go free than for an innocent man to be wrongly convicted. However, Simpson's post-trial behavior is starting to make me think that wrongful convictions might be a necessary evil in order to make sure every criminal is punished Arriving at this conclusion sickens me but seeing Simpson enjoy a such a Lavish and foolish life sickens me more.

No one who commits murder should be relaxing in Florida a little over a year later. Certainly, the student who assassinated Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin on Saturday will be far from any golf course this time next year, and suspected terrorist Timothy McVeigh won't be lying on a beach Punishment for criminals who are so obviously guilty should be swift. It is inexcusable that Simpson has not been humbled.

Corinne E. Funk's column appears on alternate Tuesdays.