There were at least 20 people within sight of the shooting of seven-year-old Tajahnique Lee, but they all say they didn't see what happened. As the New York Times reports, one fellow said he was too busy attending to his young son. Another said he and his neighbors were engaged in conversation on a very important topic. The shooting occurred a year ago, but it remains unsolved because not a single witness will step forward.

I know that Reverend Sharpton has constituents who expect him to speak out, particularly on issues of fairness. And fairness is at the heart of the Paris Hilton "reassignment" situation. So Sharpton has spoken out:

"...this early release gives all of the appearances of economic and racial favoritism that is constantly cited by poor people and people of color. There are any number of cases of people who handle being incarcerated badly and even have health conditions that are not released.

I have served several sentences for civil rights and civil disobedience actions and I even fasted which caused health concerns to prison authorities who paid for a doctor to come see me daily rather than release me. This act smacks of the double standards that many of us raise."

In substance, fair enough ... even if many of us are a bit tired of the messenger.

But this isn't boilerplate Sharpton. There's a surprising twist here. It comes in the first line of Sharpton's statement:

"Though I have nothing but empathy for Ms. Hilton whom I have met and appeared with on Saturday Night Live the night I hosted in 2003..."

It's a hysterically funny first line. (Did Tom Wolfe help him with it?) But then you have to ask, isn't lily white Paris the symbol of unearned privilege? Of all that Sharpton's constituents legitimately resent? She's the last person you'd expect Sharpton to empathize with at all ... until you realize they're kin. They're both celebrities.

In 1994, O.J. was a case about Race and Celebrity. But in the end it seemed to be more about Race than Celebrity.

In 2007, the Paris case is about Race and Celebrity. But this time, Celebrity trumps Race.

Sign of the times?

I'm not a fan of Mitt Romney. His televangelist looks alone make me uneasy. Then there's also that nasty flip-flop habit.

But I can't deny that I'm happy to see the Romney camp call out Al Sharpton on what certainly sounds like an anti-Mormon comment. Here it is:

"As for the one Mormon running for office, those who really believe in God will defeat him anyways, so don't worry about that; that's a temporary situation," Sharpton said during a debate with [Christopher] Hitchens at the New York Public Library.

Not everyone in America signed on to Sharpton's elevation to National Moral Arbiter during last month's Imus imbroglio. (The news networks, on the other hand, were happy to acquiesce. That Tawana Brawley messiness was wiped from the record in an instant.)

"In no way did I attack Mormons or the Mormon Church when I responded that other believers, not atheists, would vote against Mr. Romney for purely political reasons," Sharpton said.

Last month Sharpton insisted, when asked if Imus was bigot, that he couldn't know what was in Don Imus' heart - i.e., perception matters as much intent. Fair enough.

Well then, all we have to go on are Sharpton's words and how they sound. And they certainly sound, um, bigoted.