It’s been a long time since you’ve witnessed someone publicly implode as Orenthal James (O.J.) Simpson did. After having Hall of Fame college and professional careers, movies, investment opportunities, and product endorsements, O.J. Simpson came as close to being an “honorary white man” as a black man can be. As much as black folk rooted for “the Juice” on the field, O.J. Simpson’s “off the field” reality was as white as you can get. The love affair ended after O.J “got away with murder” (in the opinion of most white people - most black people thought he didn’t do it), in a 1995 double murder case acquittal in what was termed “The Case of the Century.”

That subject is still the quickest way to break up a mixed company cocktail party in America, as racial tensions were centered in the racial perspectives of the case. Simpson was tried civilly, found responsible for the deaths of Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman, had a $30 plus million dollar judgment, and left the world wondering whether he did it. They took all his stuff (that they can find) in the process. Well, for many, the wait is over. O.J. Simpson is guilty, and going to jail (over stuff). This time he did it.

A Nevada Judge, before sentencing Simpson 33 years in jail, told him that he either had to be arrogant, ignorant, or both. Ignorant is doing something because you don’t know. Stupid is when you know and do it anyway. That’s more like what O.J. did, and he said it himself. Everybody said it. You can’t keep messing with white folk like that. Buying your freedom is one thing. Going out and getting another white woman that looked just like the one you were accused of killing, then proposing to write a book called, “If I Did It,” is another.

You knew if O.J. Simpson EVER broke the law and got caught up in the criminal justice system, they were going to put it to him. It’s been a long since you saw a judge run consecutive sentences on someone (they usually run sentences for multiple convictions concurrent), but she sure ran ‘em “bow-legged” on O.J. Do you really think O.J.’s going to be eligible for parole in nine years? Bank on seeing a 94 year old O.J. shuffle out first. “The white man” didn’t do this to O.J. This time around, Simpson did it to himself.

At one time, white people loved O.J. Simpson and he loved them. Like some kind of house pet one lets roam all through the house, being a “favorite Negro” gained him access to any and everything white, including the most prized of white society, white women. White men who would normally be looking to get a rope, would want an autograph instead. To them, O.J. was “the man.”

Thirteen years ago, O.J. was accused of committing the worse crime you can commit in America. That crime is killing a white person - we know that homicide of any person should be just as vile and despicable, but we know Blacks and Latinos are murdered in the streets of America every day and they rarely make the news. However, one white woman come up missing (anywhere in the world) and look for her for five years, do newspaper and television investigative exposes…well, you get the point. Well, O.J. was accused of killing two.

The most unlikely candidate to be a test case for equality in the criminal justice system, black people cheered when O.J. was acquitted - not because they thought he didn’t do it - but because the system didn’t prove it and for a change, the system worked in the same way that white people of means had manipulated justice for two centuries. The glove didn’t fit so they had to acquit.

O.J. had three things working in his favor; Johnnie Cochran, LAPD (Mark Fuhrman) and black jurors who understood what the police were capable of. O.J. got off, white people went ballistic but, unlike just 30 years earlier, they didn’t kill him. They just “took his stuff.” Now, you would think that O.J. would say, it’s only “stuff.” I still have my life. I still like white women (who like men with a dark side to them), and despite his checked past - people still willing to pay for his autograph, though he was now more infamous than famous.

Well, last week when the judge handed O.J. and his partner time like she was handing out lunch, you just kinda’ knew white folks were about tired of O.J. Quiet is kept, black people were tired of him too. Even black people know you don’t go in Las Vegas casinos and start some sh*t. They have so many cameras in those hotels that they see you when you lift your hand up to your nose to sneeze. When we saw that, we all said - “That was some dumb sh*t O.J. just did, he’s through.”

Somebody forgot to tell O.J. Simpson that Johnnie Cochran had died. Oh, that’s right - he was there. So that means he was just being a damned fool. And all we could say was, O.J., O.J., O.J.!!! He put himself in the shark’s mouth this time. And nobody’s really feeling sorry for him.

All one can say this time, is O.J. did it. To himself.

BlackCommentator.com Columnist, Dr. Anthony Asadullah Samad, is a national columnist, managing director of the Urban Issues Forum and author of Saving The Race: Empowerment Through Wisdom. His Website is AnthonySamad.com. Click here to contact Dr. Samad.

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