Now I understand the display of First Ladies inaugural gowns, but not the display of a suit worn by a civil offender. On Tuesday, April 6th the Newseum announced that it will be the obtainer of O.J. Simpson’s Armani ensemble he wore at his famous 1995 trial for the murder of his former wife and her male companion. The court acquitted him of these charges, but he was later found guilty in a civil case. The Washington Post reported that this acquisition comes after the Smithsonian’s decision to reject the admission of the suit, due to its lack of historical appeal. Some may say the rejection is related to the lingering controversy that always seems to follow Simpson. According to the Washington Post, his beige suit, white shirt, and gold based tie will join the collection of press passes, cartoons, and news information from the trial.
Maybe it’s just me, but I am a little unease with the attention that this suit is and will continue to receive for years to come while at the Newseum. It has been more than a decade since the trial, but it might still be fresh in some individuals’ minds. Whenever there is some press coverage of Simpson concerning the trial, I think of his children and their maternal grandparents – they still lost a mother and a daughter whoever the killer might have been. I think the display of the suit will open up some wounds and add to the sour legacy of Simpson, which his children have to live with everyday. But everyone is entitled to an opinion – one may look at the suit as a symbol of justice while another may see it as a sign of misjudgment.
Maybe it’s just me, but I am a little unease with the attention that this suit is and will continue to receive for years to come while at the Newseum. It has been more than a decade since the trial, but it might still be fresh in some individuals’ minds. Whenever there is some press coverage of Simpson concerning the trial, I think of his children and their maternal grandparents – they still lost a mother and a daughter whoever the killer might have been. I think the display of the suit will open up some wounds and add to the sour legacy of Simpson, which his children have to live with everyday. But everyone is entitled to an opinion – one may look at the suit as a symbol of justice while another may see it as a sign of misjudgment.
I couldn't have said it better. I think this suit is a bitter sweet ad to the Newseum. There will be people who love it and those who don't. However, I also feel as though they shouldn't even put the suit on display because of it's background. There's to much controversy involved even to this day.
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