Sat, Feb 15, 1997 (11:59 a.m.)

DON'T kid yourself, folks. The O.J. Simpson trials may be over, but the issue will never go away.

The cases have left many Americans wondering if their justice system really works.

Many will have trouble grappling with how a man can be found innocent of double murder yet still be deemed responsible for those same deaths.

And, with the gladiatorial atmosphere, one has to wonder if justice could better have been served by giving O.J. a loincloth and a trident and allowing the Goldman-Brown clan to swarm him in the LA Coliseum.

Some would argue that such barbarism would have been a more fitting ending for a fierce competitor like ex-football star O.J. Simpson.

The cheers and celebrations by many at the end of both the murder trial and civil trial were sadly reminiscent of less civilized times. These trials were not meant for the amusement of the unwashed masses.

Also, for many who thought the nation left behind much of its racial divisiveness following the 1960s civil rights movement, these cases brought home with a resounding slap to the face just how wide the gap between blacks and whites remains.

Simpson won his freedom -- less the 474 days he spent in jail before being acquitted of murder charges -- but now faces a life of paying for the crimes.

Sure, there is talk of bankruptcy protection, and the $33 1/2-million award probably will be reduced through appeals.

And, while some of his money like his NFL pension and huge sums put away for his two children can't be touched, he faces the likely prospect of having huge chunks of other future income garnisheed.

I have to wonder if the civil trial jury didn't make a mistake in making the award too high. In doing so, they may have taken away the incentive for O.J. to do any work at all.

Think about it. Why should Simpson go to a sports memorabilia show to cash in on his tarnished glory and sign autographs -- not to mention putting up with the swarms of protesters outside the building shouting "guilty, guilty, guilty" -- when the bulk of the hefty fees will go to someone else?

The future holds uncertainty not only for O.J., but also to a lesser degree for those who followed the cases closely -- especially for the many who believe he did kill his ex-wife Nicole and her friend, Ron Goldman.

We forget that a vast majority of people once were certain that actor Fatty Arbuckle and Dr. Sam Sheppard were guilty of their crimes of the century earlier in this century. Both eventually were acquitted and the incidents should have taught us that sometimes the majority can be wrong.

After both highly publicized murder trials, Arbuckle and Shepherd lived out their lives amid much ridicule and public doubt as to their innocence. I believe Simpson, too, will endure the same fate to his grave.

Finally, the one thing that still haunts me about this case is that if Simpson indeed did commit the murder, why would a man with the world on a platter allow jealousy to cause him to dump it in the toilet and flush.

If anything good comes out of this case -- and I seriously doubt it will -- it would be that those individuals who are stalking ex-lovers or ex-spouses will take a long, hard look at what can happen to a one-time beloved sports idol before they plunge the dagger.

Perhaps the man who says "if I can't have her no one will" or the woman who hints "he's got to go to sleep sometime" will take a moment to consider the consequences and allow sounder judgment to rule their actions.

After all, I can't think of too many people who would want to trade places with O.J. Simpson -- at least not now.

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