John Grisham Thinks Child Porn Punishment Unfair

UPDATE: Since coming under fire for his words about child pornography, John Grisham has issued an apology. Said the best-selling author in a statement:

Anyone who harms a child for profit or pleasure, or who in any way participates in child pornography — online or otherwise — should be punished to the fullest extent of the law ... My comments made two days ago during an interview with the British newspaper The Telegraph were in no way intended to show sympathy for those convicted of sex crimes, especially the sexual molestation of children. I can think of nothing more despicable. I regret having made these comments, and apologize to all.

EARLIER: Being that we all know how hard* it is to be a rich, middle-aged white man in America, it's no mystery why the hearts** of our great nation are going out to bestselling novelist and Super Rich White Dude John Grisham this morning as he laments the "unfair" punishment of people who watch child porn. Well, specifically, he's upset that "[we] have prisons now filled with guys my age...sixty-year-old white men." (Actually, no, that is not who are prisons are filled with, but cool story, bro.)

"We have prisons now filled with guys my age. Sixty-year-old white men in prison who've never harmed anybody, would never touch a child, But they got online one night and started surfing around, probably had too much to drink or whatever, and pushed the wrong buttons, went too far and got into child porn."

Grisham cites the case of a "good buddy from law school" (fun fact: if rich, old, white dudes don't refer to a "good buddy from law school" at least once a week, they die. Like, they literally stop living.) who was imprisoned after a child porn sting in Canada. Basically, Grisham says that not everyone who watches child porn is a pedophile so they really shouldn't be treated as such. No, in case you thought he might have addressed it (you didn't), Grisham did not mention the fact that watching child porn is, in no blurry terms, supporting an industry that is built on the exploitation and abuse of kids. But, I mean, NBD, right? Ugh. Leave it to a Super Rich White Dude to be utterly detached from how the actions of people like him subsidize the bleak, horrific world so many other people live in.

So watch the video, throw up a little bit, try to resume your life. I'm sorry for all of us that this guy exists, but infinitely more sorry that his views are representative of a total out-of-touchness that plagues way too many of the people who hold the money and power in the country.

*please

**disdain, disgust, and side-eye

Image: Getty Images