The Fixer

In this world, we, sadly, seem to forget that a person is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. That is one of the reasons why the trial system is such a joke. People, who only get their knowledge about current events from sound bites, are easily swayed one way or the other when they are picked to be jurors for a trial. That is one of the reasons why I have always said that there should be a job description of ''professional jurors'', a regular job sitting on a jury. These people who do this job would consist of retired lawyers and police officers, law clerks, or, anyone who knows the ins and out of the legal system and all of its dirty tricks. Only then, with a professional jury, would you get, mostly, appropriate and satisfactory conclusions for a crime. But, for the most part, until we have a system like this, jurors are the easy conned people, the people who see things only in black and white. And, as we know, the world is very much gray. Especially, when a crime has been committed....... I write these words because of the current problems surrounding the Chicago BlackHawks player, Patrick Kane. Kane, one of hockey's finest players, is being investigated for a possible rape in Hartford, Buffalo. The alleged incident may have taken place at his home after he met a woman at a local bar and invited her to his house. After that, we don't know anything further yet, except, that the woman went to the hospital the next day and claimed she had been raped by Kane. At the hospital, she took a test from the rape kit that all hospitals have, and later informed the police........ That is where the story is right now as I write these words. No charges have been filed. But, it is a full-blown media event because it involves a highly popular player locally. Patrick Kane has had a large following in this town, particularly among the female population. The news about a possible rape has shocked many of his die-hard fans........ But, for many other Hawks fans, like myself, it is not that shocking. Patrick Kane has had a rough reputation off the ice for several years. There was the incident in 2009 where he and his cousin beat up a cab driver in Hartford. The driver, battered and bruised, went to the police and Kane and his cousin were charged with assault. Later, a plea bargain was made and some money handed out and Kane got probation after being found guilty. Another incident with him involved a frat party in Madison, Wisconsin, where, according to witnesses, Kane was physically thrown out of a party for inappropriate behavior directed at some of the females at the party. A fight allegedly happened and Kane was seen with his hands around a female, mostly likely, trying to harm her. Police were called and in the melee, the police later reported that Kane went after some of the officers and had to be subdued by the cops. Also, some anti-Semitic comments were uttered by him. The charges were later dropped against him. Some speculate that money was handed out and pressure applied. There are other rumored incidents around town that usually happen in bars. Rumors of fights and rough behavior directed at women have followed Patrick Kane throughout the years. It is no coincidence that all seemed to be tied into his abuse of alcohol....... Now, the question is: Is Patrick Kane an innocent who happens to stumble into bad luck, or, is he, in fact, doing these things and they are covered up by powerful people? The latter scenario seems to be the case. The media gingerly has walked on egg shells around his exploits because he is a popular player in town and they don't want to rock the boat. The Hawks are winning and they are a good story. No one wants to piss on a good story, you would have the wolves at your door howling for your blood. So, the media plays a part in shielding Patrick Kane and his behavior. Also, the public as unwitting accomplices. Patrick Kane is a good-looking guy. Women flock to him. And, women [sorry if this sound sexist] will overlook and ignore real behavior because of the attractive public figure. Women fans see the cute face and shy demeanor and believe that they know him. He is a ''nice guy'', so they want to believe. It is the image that is nice and that image gives off the impression of getting close to him and really knowing the true Patrick Kane. This is, by no means, purely a female issue. Male fans are just as guilty at judging Kane incorrectly. The reason is that Patrick Kane and his fellow Hawks are living the frustrated male athlete dream. The males buy the shirts of their favorite athletes and there is an unconscious feeling among many fans that they are out there scoring the goals [or, touchdowns in football, or, home runs in baseball] and enjoying the glory of being a hero. That is why we idolize the famous, be it an athlete or a rock star or a movie star. Our dreams are fostered on their real-life achievements. So, the fans must be judged in the coverup of the behavior of Patrick Kane......... But, it comes back to why this is so shocking to so many people? How come this behavior hasn't been front page news and just been backstage gossip?........ There is an answer. It goes back in time to a figure known as a ''Fixer''. This person solves problems. This person usually is a retired cop or private investigator. His or her job is to ''fix problems'' that develop for their clients. Every Hollywood studio has these people, every politician employs their services. And, every professional sports team has them, too----including, the BlackHawks. The ''Fixer's'' job is simple: they put out the fires that develop with an organization's ''talent''. Be it domestic abuse, charges of public indecency, traffic fatalities, or, even murder, there is a cardinal rule that every team tells its players. And, that rule is that if you get into serious trouble, you don't call the police first. You don't call your parents or your wife or your best friend or, even, anyone in the organization. You call the ''Fixer''. And, the job of the ''Fixer'' is to take charge and make things go away. Sometimes, by making things go away, a little muscle is needed. Sometimes, a person is menaced into changing a story. Sometimes, a little friendly persuasion is administered. Sometimes, old friends in the police department and the D.A.'s office are called upon. But, mostly, money is what greases the ''true story'' from the frying pan of scandal. With money, as we know, stories, by some miracle, change and the misunderstanding of the incident is easily solved and forgiven. That is what the ''Fixer'' does best. THEY HANDLE IT......... It seems that the Chicago BlackHawks organization has called on the services of their ''Fixer'' many times in the years of Patrick Kane. The stories about him are local legend. To his credit, Kane has addressed his bad behavior publicly and asked for forgiveness because he has ''grown up''. Perhaps, in his mind---- and in the minds of his most ardent fans and apologists---- he has. But, the stories continue and the evidence is mounting. We know the tales of Madison, Wisconsin and Hartford, Buffalo, but what incidents about him do we not know? What are the exploits that have been covered up by the organization and their ''Fixer?'' Are they much worse than the stories we know?.......... I would like to state again that the current story about Patrick Kane is just a story, for right now. It is all ''alleged''. It is important that this word be used, not only by me but also by the media and the public. For legal reasons, yes, but, he also deserves a pass so far because it is just an investigation with no charges being filed----yet........ This may change. This could get ugly, and, if the story is true and he did rape a woman, not only should he be brought to justice but the victim should be remembered and sympathy should be extended to her. Who knows if it will, though. The legal prosecution of rape is an ugly road. As we know, the victim is often dragged through the ringer. I know women who have had this happen to them and the law is very unforgiving towards them. The women's history is torn apart by the defense. And, in an example of legal cruelty and injustice, the VICTIM is made to testify but the ACCUSED is NOT MADE TO. In over half the reported rapes that occur, the victim gives up, not because they do not want the scumbag to go free but because of the immense legal problems with the law that force the victim to give up. It is like they are raped twice: once physically, and, once by our criminal justice system. Some settle out of court to just make it go away as they try to go on with their lives. Some misguided people see the victim really being a golddigger wanting money from the accused. Sometimes, there are golddiggers out there doing this. But, mostly, it is a shattered woman trying to get some closure. Usually, the hand of a ''Fixer'' is beyond the payment..........