To the Editors:
The Martha Stewart verdict exposed the latent hatred that some critics of The Passion of the Christ warned about. According to one of the Stewart jurors, in a statement that typifies the sentiment of most Americans, middle investors "may feel a little more comfortable that they can invest in the market and not worry about these types of scams where they lose their 401(k)s." The consensus is that Stewart is like the big Enron and Tyco executives who live lavishly at the expense of the little guys' jobs and pensions. Unlike the latter two, last week's verdict means that she will pay for her dishonest fortune.
Amazingly, Americans are ignoring the facts of the case; Stewart was not convicted of insider trading, and no one is suggesting that she stole money -- let alone hundreds of millions of dollars from the middle class. The only way to reconcile the majority's feeling that Stewart's trial has sent a message to the Enron's and Tyco's is to account for the "little guy's resentment of the 'ultra-wealthy.'"
It's well-established that many people in this country perceive Stewart as an elitist and that they strongly resent her and her money. Their hatred of someone so successful makes them powerfully glad to see her get her come-uppance. They are using Stewart's conviction of lying about receiving a stock-tip from her broker to justify venting their envy. Critics of Mel Gibson's film feared that Americans would use the film's graphic reminders that the Jews killed Christ, to express their latent hatred of "wealthy" Jews. So far, the critics' prediction of a new wave of anti-Semitism has not materialized, but the underlying hatred which they reference is ominously real.
The same juror called the Stewart verdict "a victory for the little guys." The little guys finally got their "revenge," and by that I mean they finally got to punish Martha Stewart for being successful.
Much of the world sees America the way many Americans see Martha Stewart, only with more passion. Look at their reaction to American casualties the last couple of years. As an American, I think we should be very careful about allowing our envy to determine our system of justice.
