Blame Lies Closer To Home

Posted Jan 24, 2006 by Vidisha Priyanka

Updated Jan 24, 2006 at 05:08 PM

I was reading an article where Jack Abramoff’s father lashed out at actor George Clooney for making an off-color joke at the Golden Globe awards ceremony about his son.

Frank Abramoff said that the comment made his 12-year-old granddaughter, who was watching the award ceremony, cry. Mr. Abramoff went on to shame the actor for his “glib and ridiculous attack.”

(This is what George Clooney said: “I want to thank Jack Abramoff, you know, just because. I’m the first one out, lets get this thing rolling. I don’t know why. Who would name their kid Jack with the last words ‘off’ at the end of your last name? No wonder that guy is screwed up. Alright I just got bleeped.)”

The thought of public humiliation and ridicule is one of the reasons a lot of people don’t commit crimes. Another could be that they are good moral people with an acute understanding of right and wrong. Some simply follow the rules of the society they live in and don’t break the laws that make it work. There may be several reasons why people are law-abiding citizens.

By pleading guilty to three counts of bribing officials (the legal jargon translates simply to bribery), Jack Abramoff not only earned a jail sentence, he also laid himself open to ridicule by a public that might have suffered due to his efforts at corrupting an institution. And by doing what he did, he left his family vulnerable.

I agree Clooney’s remarks were unwarranted - so were Mayor Nagin’s (asking for a chocolate city) - but one can’t blame someone for being tactless or showing poor choice of words. Jack Abramoff reaped a lot of benefits by doing what he did. He didn’t do the right thing, or it wouldn’t be a felony.

If his father and daughter do blame someone, it should be him, not Clooney. Jack Abramoff should have thought about his legacy and maybe Clooney will do better the next time and think before he speaks.