My Take On Rudy Guiliani's Daughter's Arrest

As someone who lives in NYC, I've been barraged all day by news stories about the arrest of Caroline Guiliani, former Mayor Guiliani's twenty-year-old estranged daughter. She apparently lifted about $100 worth of cosmetics (a "slim roller ball funnel" and hairnet was part of the swag)  from the high-end boutique, Sephora.

I could start venting my spleen about how a poor woman of color like myself never would have been able to shop in a store like that without being followed or, at least, "helped" by a suspiciously friendly store clerk. I could also bitch about how Sephora most likely would have had a poor woman of color like myself prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law instead of declining to press charges as they did with Ms. Guiliani. I could also wonder aloud about how a mayor who won points with his tough-on-crime stance (remember the "broken windows theory"?) could have produced a child who thought it was okay to pilfer things.

But no. Instead, I am going to publicly express my sympathies for Ms. Guiliani. It is my opinion that her decision to shoplift was the proverbial cry for help. And no, I don't think she's a spoiled brat. Caroline has a lot to be upset about.

First, her father's an asshole. He announced his plans to divorce Caroline's mother during a press conference. The problem was that Caroline's mother, actress Donna Hanover, had NOT been notified of this decision beforehand. Hanover then had to get a court order banning Giuliani's new lady, Judith Nathan, from going anywhere near Gracie Mansion or meeting the children before the dust from the divorce proceedings settled. To make matters worse, Giuliani has spent much of the last decade pretty much ignoring Caroline and her older brother, Andrew. He's skipped out on graduations and has admitted to going for long periods of time without speaking to them. Anyone who treats his own children so poorly is basically asking them to self-destruct at a later date.

That's not to say that I approve of what Caroline has done; if this was an attempt to embarrass her dad, she only hurt herself. I also cannot condone Sephora's decision not to press charges. If Caroline Guiliani does not suffer a negative consequence for her criminal behavior, she will only get into more serious trouble later.

But I think that all the people in Caroline's life have already said that. So I'll just wish Ms. Giuliani luck and say a little prayer for her.