Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Concerning Collin Finnerty and his family

At Friends of Duke University's website (not affiliated with Duke), I just read a warm, informative and poignant profile of Collin Finnerty and his family: three generations of them.

It's Joan Collins’ “Profile in Courage – My Meeting with the Finnertys”

If I said more, I’d only be holding you up from reading it. So go on.

But when you finish, please come back and comment.

In a few days I’ll do what I did today with the Bob Harris thread: pass on your comments.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks J in C,

Good of you to provide a comment and link to Joan's piece.

Anonymous said...

In spite of his present misfortune, Collin is lucky to have such a wonderful family. Hang in there, Collin!

Jim K

Anonymous said...

John,

Thank you for the link. Just when I think my pain from this travesty and injustice is subsiding something comes along, like this letter, and opens my wounds all over again. I find myself angry and speechless. I am angry at Nifong, angry at NC justice (or injustice) system, angry at the Group of Duke 88, and angry at Brodhead. How could this travesty continue for so long? For how long are the lives of these people will be high jacked? Most importantly, who will be next -- your daughter or my son at Duke? These hungry ‘race vultures’ will not be satisfied by eating up only three. They will surely want more. So, who is next? These are sad days for Duke, Durham, North Carolina, and America. Many should be full of shame for standing by and allowing this fart to continue.

Our prayers and best wishes are with all three of the falsely accused students and their families. Keep strong; the truth is with you.

Duke parent

Anonymous said...

John,

This once again is a reminder that the Duke Three are not a bunch of racist thugs, as the "official" Duke University talking points try to insist is the case. Indeed, there is much thuggery at Duke, but it resides with the people who have doctorates, not with Collin Finnerty, David Evans, and Reade Seligmann.

We have seen that the people of Durham and much of the Duke University faculty now want a "justice" system that is purely race and class-based, and operates not on truth but with nothing but raw power. Yes, there are some Duke faculty members who have spoken out for the truth, but apparently -- if the huge silence from most faculty members tells us anything -- the academic thugs there either are intimidating everyone else, or the silent ones are in agreement with this judicial railroad job.

Either way, I am convinced more than ever that the "elite" universities of this country are a massive fraud perpetrated on everyone else. Believe me, this sort of nonsense easily could happen at Harvard, Yale, or anywhere else where these "elite" faculty members are shielded from any responsibility to the truth.

Bill Anderson

Anonymous said...

Dear Collin,
You will get through this and get on with your life. There are many who will assist you in that regard.
A Duke Mom

Anonymous said...

Dear Finnerty Family,

We think of you and pray for your continued strength daily. We stand in solidarity with you until this travesty is unraveled.

Anonymous said...

Dear Collin, Reade, and David,
Many Duke alumni are with you and will not allow Broadhead to conduct business as usual; especially in light of lame maneuvers such as hiring a p.r. firm to make happy talk. I believe there is deep and abiding anger about the way the University has hurt you, your families, and the team. God speed you in your journey toward total vindication and may you be made whole through the love and support of your family and friends. Free the Duke Three, Disbar Nifong, Fire Richard the Rat Broadhead. sic semper tyrannis

Anonymous said...

Be strong and of good courage!

Anonymous said...

J in C,
I left my comments on Collin on the other site.One of the frustrating things about this is the utter randomness of these three being charged.Basically,they lost the lottery.Since the AV had to pick someone,someone was going to get screwed.
It's just amazing to me everyone at Duke isn't screaming about this.
Pres Brodhead seems much more concerned about being PC than the truth.

Anonymous said...

It saddens me that the families of the three accused young men have been so poorly treated by Duke. It is unlikely that this experience will chasten Messrs. Brodhead and Burness, much less the 88 signatories to the infamous public letter. If my children were so foolish to be considering going to Duke at this point, I would not let them. Because of Duke's precipitous behavior and intransigence in this matter, their degrees are devalued.

The only course left to the Board of Trustees is to clean house, starting at the top.

Thank you for posting Joan's very touching article.