Robert Downey Jr. says "pardon me." California does.

Robert Downey Jr. has been pardoned.  The two weathermen excused one another.

Weatherman  1 : That actor Robert Downey Jr. has been pardoned in California.

Weatherman  2 :  Pardoned for what?

WM 1 : He was found with a gun and drugs in his car back in the 1990s.

WM 2 : I guess it was the drugs which upset them more – everyone has a gun in America thanks to the second amendment to their constitution.

WM1 : That’s the one lawyers argue about isn’t it.

WM 2 : Yes.  The right to keep and bear arms bit originally referred to militias and was reinforced by several court judgements. But then not so long back the Supreme Court said it referred to individuals and since they had guns anyway, the people could hang on to them.

WM 1 : I bet Robert wishes there was that amount of indecision surrounding drugs.

WM 2 : It used to be cool to take opium based products as painkillers, but the law decided eventually that was a bad idea as there seemed to be  a lot of pain around.

WM 1 : In a different era Robert might have been okay then. Maybe that’s why he was pardoned.

WM 2 : A pardon is an act of forgiveness. They were saying “let’s bury the hatchet” – he must have turned his life around.

WM 1 : He has. He’s been to rehab and paid his debt.

WM 2 :  Forgiveness is a victim-led process whereby you let go of negative emotions towards someone over an incident. California was the victim.

WM 1 : He must have been a state-disappointment. A fallen Oscar-nominated star. He’s supposed to be reinforcing Hollywood’s ego and instead he’s snorting Cocaine. And although they forgive him, they don’t forget. The conviction still sits on his record.

WM 2 : So he’s not excused. There’s still a state finger still pointing at him, it’s just not wagging anymore.

WM 1 : And if I understand it correctly, Robert had to ask for it. California doesn’t go around seeking out redeemed sinners – they have to flag it up themselves.  

WM 2 : Why would he ask for it?

WM 1 : It means he can do jury service.

WM 2 : Aha, if you have been judged, it’s a vindication to get to do the judging. He can find someone else guilty of drug taking. It’s like people who stop smoking. They did 20 a day and now they are some of the most vehement opposers of the habit.

WM 1 : Isn’t that hypocritical?

WM 2 : It’s more a shifting of position, and in so much it’s like the argument over  whether or not the second amendment refers to individuals. One ruling says it does, another says it doesn’t.

WM 1 : And he can get his gun back.

WM 2 : Until the Supreme Court changes its mind - then he’s a baddie again.

WM 1 : So is what Robert did intrinsically wrong?

WM 2 : The ten commandments are in tatters. Adultery is rife, we covet all sorts of things including other men’s wives, we ignore Sunday as a Holy day....it didn’t mention guns; they weren’t invented. Today’s right may become tomorrow’s wrong and vice versa. Who knows.

WM 1 : They can still deport him.

WM 2 : Unlikely. As long as he’s selling movies they’ll keep him...until they criminalise film making. Come to think of it, there should be a law against some of the drivel that comes out of Hollywood.