Slap on the Wrist

 

Whenever legal commentators say, “oh, he just got a slap on the wrist,” I take a good, long look at my two clean, pristine wrists and wonder how I’d fare under such perilous conditions. Most of us gloss over the idea of wrist slapping as a serious punishment. But let me tell you something – it’s not exactly back slapping, the universal gesture for jocularity. 

 

I know plenty of white-collar criminals who’d rather pay a few million in fines than watch as their precious wrists suffered through excessive slapping. Which is ultimately what we want.

 

I wear a watch every day, which makes my left wrist that much more vulnerable. I’d sooner cut a deal with law enforcement than risk scuffing up a treasured family heirloom. 

 

We don’t need more people in prison. But maybe we need more slaps on the wrist.