Saturday, November 04, 2006

Why the Duke Hoax Continues

William “Bill” Anderson is an economics professor at Frostburg State University in Maryland. He's written often on the Duke Hoax. His commentary's been informed and incisive. Anderson’s paid particular attention to Duke University’s role in enabling a hoax to become a witch hunt that’s led to massive injustices. His most recent column begins:

The "60 Minutes" broadcast has come and gone. Millions of people have seen the video of the accuser doing a pole dance at a strip club at the same time she and the police were claiming she was too injured even to sit upright.

The second stripper at the infamous lacrosse party now claims that the accuser told her to hit her in order to inflict bruises in hopes of being able to frame the players on criminal assault and rape charges.

One bombshell after another hits this case, yet the prosecutor, Michael Nifong, continues to push it to trial, and no one with authority will do anything to stop him.

Furthermore, the demand for trial and criminal convictions not only echoes from the black community in Durham, North Carolina, but also from vocal segments of the Duke University faculty. There may not be evidence that anyone committed rape, but a large and influential portion of the population at Durham wants these young men in prison for the rest of their lives.

In most situations, one would expect that the existence and publication of information that obliterates a criminal case would be taken seriously by the authorities, but we do not see that happening here. Thus, we ask ourselves why this case is different, and why much of Durham and the Duke University faculty have rushed well beyond judgment to a point at which they demand that no one confuse them with facts.

The short version of the answer is this: the politics of race and sex trump justice and even logic. The longer version reaches the same conclusion, but demonstrates the path that is taken – and why that is so. As I explain why this case still is alive, I must begin with the thought that also is at the end of this analysis, that being that I doubt I ever will be involved in or even see this level of hypocrisy and cynicism on behalf of people who claim to care about things like justice.
The rest of Anderson’s column is here. It’s the first of a planned two column series.

Message to Bill Anderson: Great column.

Something else: I can't resist repeating this paragraph:
The short version of the answer is this: the politics of race and sex trump justice and even logic. The longer version reaches the same conclusion, but demonstrates the path that is taken – and why that is so. As I explain why this case still is alive, I must begin with the thought that also is at the end of this analysis, that being that I doubt I ever will be involved in or even see this level of hypocrisy and cynicism on behalf of people who claim to care about things like justice

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Why is this so hard to believe? Once you accept the central teaching of the diversity reeducation, that whites are the oppressors of the world and everyone else is their victim, you must then ask yourself what remedy is appropriate.

Clearly, the remedy is that blacks can do anything to whites that they want to as OJ Simpson and his jury showed us. And blacks can extort and lie about whites with the help of their very own diversity Vichy as Crystal G. Mangum has taught.

Listen to all of the talk about racism in this election cycle. The Tenn Senate race, the Va. Senate race, the Gov. race in Mass. Its everywhere; that is all the left wants to talk about. Racism is an empty word now, but it puts everyone on the defensive. Whites beg and please not to be labeled racist. That's most of Broadhead's problem. And to prove their not racist, they would never suggest that a black person lied. That would be racist - even if she did lie.

And even if she did lie, remember, blacks are out to settle a score, not to actually promote anything like real justice.

Anonymous said...

The previous post makes a good point, and it is clear that the black leaders in Durham have declared that ANY attempt to discredit Mangum's story is an act of racism.

I went to "Our hearts world" site and the language used against the accused young men and their attorneys was unbelievable. That these young men would claim that Mangum is lying is "proof" that they are racists, and the act of defending themselves against these charges is further proof that they must be guilty.

Anonymous said...

Racists come in all colors, in Durham, at the moment the racists in the black community hold sway.

The problem with this is that it is just another driver of the pendulum. The pendulum of racism, if allowed to continue to swing, will eventually be at the other side of the arc. Will the black racists view this as the deserved reaction the white racists are entitled to demonstrate when they hold sway? I think not.

Whites, in general, have been trying to eradicate racism. Blacks started this movement, and it appealed to the better instincts of most Americans. Now that anti-racists are the supposed majority, we see blacks embracing racism. The only difference is not in magnitude of the sin, just its target. Hence, the pendulum emerges from what should have been a straight line move into the light. Instead, we shall swing through that light into perfect dark, for that is what lies at either end of this pendulous arc. We all should have stopped while we were in the light.

Creatures like Nifong inhabit the dark and take advantage of the fools that swing by.