The prosecuting attorney got caught up in this act of ritual sacrifice

The prosecuting attorney got caught up in this act of ritual sacrifice. “The victims in this case are

the entire American public,” he intoned. He then added: “when we first indicted this case, we said

that it was all about lies,” and “no matter who you are, if you’re Martha Stewart or Joe Q. Public,

we’re going to go after you.”

The prosecutor failed to note, of course, that those who tell more dangerous lies out of the White

House, and those well-placed business interests who profit from the consequences of those lies, will

remain untouched. That “the entire American public” has been victimized by government policies that

have been “all about lies,” will unlikely move this man to indict Mr. MBT and his cohorts. Martha

will serve as a convenient scapegoat for the dishonesty and corruption of a political system that is to

remain beyond criticism.

That Martha’s conviction serves to vindicate purposes irrelevant to the crimes with which she was

charged is seen in the numerous attacks upon her personality following the verdict. I have heard people

who should know better defend the jury’s decision on the grounds that Martha is “obnoxious,” or

“arrogant,” or a “bitch.” Such responses lend credence to the mistaken view of many feminists that

this case was only about Martha as a woman. There are doubtless many people – women as well as men –

whose personal sense of identity looks upon the proper role of women as inheritors, rather than

generators, of great wealth, and to such persons Martha becomes a useful scapegoat.