Wednesday, June 30, 2004
Disgusting
NYTimes: Steinberg Is Freed, 16 Years After Killing Girl0 comments
If David Berkowitz remains the strongest symbol of the 1970s in New York City, Joel Steinberg is the horrid poster-boy symbol of the cocaine-crazed New York of the 1980s.
Now we see the tragedy of the jury convicting Steinberg only of manslaughter—rather than murder—coming back to haunt us.
16 years is what some mobsters serve for racketeering, for crissakes.
Little Lisa Launders Steinberg would be 22 today, heading out on her adult path, were it not for this violent, arrogant prick.
Maybe Steinberg might have been less dangerous if he hadn't had an excellent income to spend on drugs and the Reagan administration hadn't flooded New York and other U.S. cities with the Contras's cocaine.
Hedda Nussbaum received most of the sympathy press at the time, as a symbol of battered women everywhere. One can only assume that enterprising present-day media types will jump all over this to track Hedda down and do scores of up-to-the-minute interviews. It's got that retro-Scott Peterson thing. Nice 'n' juicy. Should be a sure-fire ratings booster.
But, let's all keep in mind that an otherwise vibrant young woman is, today, simply a dead little girl.
And that's the story that's really important.
posted by Gotham 1:12 PM
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