PC Minefield at Duke

MinefieldThose of us who live in Durham, NC, seldom experience the glow of the national spotlight. We have become accustomed to seeing references to the Research Triangle area in the sports pages, but apparently not much else happens here that is worthy of notice by the rest of the country. Maybe that is what has led to the disequilibrium around here, especially among the usually confident voices of the university set who now find a bit of difficulty in hitting their marks and saying their lines in the case of the recent rape accusations against members of the Duke University lacrosse team.

Perhaps people have also been put off balance by the complex convergence of factors required to put Durham in the news. Attracting national attention has required a story combining the popular theme of sports and something else newsworthy–or prurient–enough to attract the notice of the national press. In this case it was that a young African American woman is the accuser and the accused are generally privileged white college athletes who have become rather notorious in the area for their rowdiness and run-ins with the law.

That by itself would make the story a local news item; a few more features have made it national news. The fact that these particular events occurred at Duke University, the Princeton of the South, didn’t hurt their newsworthiness. Besides its status as a powerhouse in both mens and womens basketball, it is also the “safety school” of many a well heeled northeastern high schooler. Thus, many people have heard of Duke, and they relate to it in various ways. It also didn’t hurt to add the convergence of the esoteric and the exotic–the esoteric sport of lacrosse and the titillating world of “exotic dance” inhabited by the accuser.

If all you knew where the broad outlines of the case, this would be a slam dunk, PC-wise. The accuser is a black woman of modest means, and the accused are members of a privileged group, many of whom are white graduates of prestigious prep schools. The typical response to this convergence of gender, race and, class is pre-scripted; the sides are already drawn; it is so simple. Of course you choose the side of the woman, the side of the less fortunate, and the side of the African American, obviously.

Unfortunately in this case, that puts you on the side of a single mother of two who has taken to stripping as a way to meet her financial needs. One must resist the temptation to judge, however, and there is always her status as student at a local university to dwell upon. Still, you have to be a little unsettled that the young lady was already too impaired to perform when she arrived at the crowded little house near Duke’s east campus. Even as you rail against the injustice of a system that forces Black women into early motherhood and exploitation, aren’t you a little concerned at some of her choices and the way they may have affected her children’s lives?

Steering clear of that uncomfortable fact, one can focus on her career in “exotic dance.” Perhaps we then suppose that in her mind, anyway, she had been employed to educate the young men of the lacrosse team in aspects of dance not already familiar to them, something “exotic,” something, perhaps, from the Mongolian steppe, performed in modest but sturdy garb–a costume woven from yak fleece, perhaps. Then things just went horribly, horribly wrong.

I simply didn’t realize the Duke’s lacrosse team’s degree of erudition. Pooling their resources, gathering up hundreds of dollars in the interest of broadening their understanding of world cultures–admirable group of young men, eh?

No, I don’t believe that either. I don’t think we can explain the lacrosse team’s interest in dance by the fact that Durham is the site of the American Dance Festival. And I think most of us are aware that these dancers are paid the first few hundred to walk through the door; the real money comes from what goes on after that.

This story has so many angles, however, so many approaches, that the news hounds could not stay away. When one can write a story to suit any one of a number of disparate audiences, it becomes a gold mine for writers. This being America, the elemental issue of injustice has served as a theme for many a member of the scribbling class. Hand-wringing and indignation have been applied with nearly equal measure.

The real enlightenment we might derive from a situation such as this comes from the peek it allows us to take into the current sociocultural situation in which we find ourselves. We see it in the necessity for mainstream journalists to write the story in a way that will offend as few people as possible. We see it in the implicit trust so many people have put in the words of the accuser. We see it in the righteousness of the District Attorney–and the fact that he is running for re-election at the moment.

Yep, this one has something for everyone, all right. Joe Sixpack weighs in right beside the college president, and it all sounds about the same–well, except that Joe Sixpack might know more about living in Animal House and what “exotic dancers” really do.

Postscript: This recent news story could not have been very welcome:

(April 6, from http://www.wral.com/news/8513890/detail.html?rss=ral&psp=news

According to a 2002 police report, the woman, currently a 27-year-old student at North Carolina Central University, gave a taxi driver a lap dance at a Durham strip club. Subsequently, according to the report, she stole the man’s car and led deputies on a high-speed chase that ended in Wake County. Apparently, the deputy thought the chase was over when the woman turned down a dead-end road near Brier Creek, but instead she tried to run over him, according to the police report. Additional information notes that her blood-alcohol level registered at more than twice the legal limit.

76,233 thoughts on “PC Minefield at Duke

  1. MomeynDrymn

    На сайте https://t.me/bk_1win_1win изучите самые последние, любопытные новости, которые касаются известной БК «1WIN», заслужившей доверие. Только на этом канале всегда самые последние, полезные, свежие новости, которые вы узнаете первым. Также вы сможете воспользоваться акциями, промокодами, которые помогут значительно сэкономить. Для того чтобы всегда быть в курсе актуальных данных, нужно подписаться на канал. Заходите сюда со своего мобильного телефона либо компьютера и в наиболее комфортное для себя время.

  2. Nitric Boost Ultra Reviews

    Just started seeing results after using this supplement consistently for two weeks.
    If anyone’s curious about detailed experiences and insights, check out this
    video on Nitric Boost Ultra Reviews — it really helped me decide!

  3. kizamFlure

    Script-roblox.ru предоставляет информацию о том, как начать играть, создавать свои игры, зарабатывать Robux, решать технические проблемы. На сайте есть удобный поиск, рекомендуем им воспользоваться. Ищете скачать официальный роблокс? Script-roblox.ru – тут отыщите на частые вопросы новичков исчерпывающие ответы. Наш FAQ регулярно обновляется, пошаговые инструкции содержит, а также ценные рекомендации и советы от компетентных игроков. Мы расскажем, как и где скрипты в Dead Rails загружать. Разъясним, как приложения из неизвестных источников на iOS и Android установить.

  4. AndrewPhogy

    הרימה גבה, אך ישבה על הספה כשרגליה שלובות כך ששמלתה התרוממה וחושפת את ירכה. לא טרחתי להסתובב. ומקסים-הקיפו אותה, עיניהם בוערות בציפייה. סרגיי, בעלה, עמד ליד הדלת, לבוש לגמרי, כבול על ידי בילוי במכונית עם נערות ליווי במרכז

  5. chengdutime.com

    Heya i’m for the first time here. I came across this board and I find It truly helpful & it helped me out
    much. I hope to offer one thing again and aid others like
    you helped me.

  6. chengdutime.com

    Heya i’m for the first time here. I came across this board and I find It truly helpful & it helped me out
    much. I hope to offer one thing again and aid others like
    you helped me.

  7. www.installturbotax.com

    Great post! I’ve been using TurboTax for a few years now, and installturbotax.com has always
    made it easy to download and install the software.

    The step-by-step setup is super helpful, especially for people like me who
    aren’t very tech-savvy. I appreciate how it also offers support and FAQs in case you run into
    any hiccups. Definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a hassle-free way to get their taxes done.

  8. PrimeBiome Reviews

    PrimeBiome sounds like a great way to naturally support digestion and strengthen the immune system.
    I’ve been looking for something to help with gut health, so this might be worth trying to
    feel better day-to-day!

  9. situs togel online

    This is very fascinating, You are a very skilled blogger.
    I’ve joined your rss feed and sit up for in search of more of your great post.
    Also, I’ve shared your website in my social networks

  10. نصاب کرکره برقی در تهران

    Wonderful website you have here but I was curious if you knew of any discussion boards that cover the same topics talked about here?
    I’d really like to be a part of community where I can get responses from
    other experienced people that share the same interest.
    If you have any suggestions, please let me know. Thank
    you!

  11. jembertourism.com

    Hey! I’m at work surfing around your blog from my new iphone 3gs!
    Just wanted to say I love reading your blog and look forward to all your posts!
    Keep up the excellent work!

  12. neuro zoom buy

    Thank you for every other informative blog.
    The place else could I am getting that type of info
    written in such a perfect method? I have a mission that I am just now operating on, and I’ve been on the look out for such information.

  13. website phising dan tunnel

    My spouse and I absolutely love your blog and find most of your post’s to be
    just what I’m looking for. can you offer guest writers to write content for you personally?
    I wouldn’t mind writing a post or elaborating on many of the subjects you write with regards to here.
    Again, awesome blog!

  14. slot anti kalah pasti profit

    Hello There. I found your blog using msn. This is an extremely well written article.
    I will be sure to bookmark it and come back to read more of your useful information. Thanks
    for the post. I’ll definitely return.

  15. live xxx

    I’ve been surfing online more than 3 hours today, yet I never found any interesting
    article like yours. It is pretty worth enough
    for me. In my view, if all site owners and bloggers made good content as you did, the net will be
    a lot more useful than ever before.

  16. quickloanuk.com

    Quick loan uk
    I don’t even understand how I stopped up here, but I assumed this publish used to be
    good. I do not recognize who you are but certainly you’re going to a well-known blogger if you aren’t already.
    Cheers!

  17. AlfredoRow

    Несомненно поможем раскрыть ИП в Грузии. https://eservices.ge Формирование ВНЖ в Грузии по ИП. Регистрация бизнеса в Грузии – раскроем ИП Грузии под ключ. Поможем заполучить ВНЖ Грузии по ИП.

  18. www.mcdvoice.com

    I just wanted to share how easy it was to complete the McDonald’s customer survey at McDVoice.com!
    It took only a few minutes to fill out and allowed me to rate my experience from food quality to staff friendliness.
    I really appreciate how McDonald’s values customer feedback.
    Plus, after completing the survey, I received
    a discount offer for my next visit, which was a nice bonus!
    It’s a great way to let them know what they’re doing well and where there’s room for improvement.
    If you’ve had a recent McDonald’s visit, I highly recommend taking a minute to
    give them feedback—it’s quick, easy, and helps
    make future experiences better!

  19. https://nhacaiuytin.st/

    Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if
    you knew of any widgets I could add to my blog that automatically tweet my newest twitter updates.
    I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some
    time and was hoping maybe you would have some experience with something like this.
    Please let me know if you run into anything. I truly enjoy
    reading your blog and I look forward to your new updates.

  20. DCVJK780

    Hello There. I found your blog using msn. This
    is a very well written article. I will make
    sure to bookmark it and return to read more of your useful
    info. Thanks for the post. I will definitely comeback.

  21. stray music sheets

    Hello! I’m at work surfing around your blog from my new iphone!
    Just wanted to say I love reading your blog and look forward to
    all your posts! Carry on the superb work!

  22. retail shop fit out

    I just could not go away your site before suggesting that I actually
    loved the usual info a person supply in your guests?
    Is gonna be again ceaselessly in order to check up on new
    posts

  23. Live HK Hari Ini

    I used to be suggested this website by way
    of my cousin. I am no longer positive whether this
    put up is written by him as no one else recognize such exact
    approximately my problem. You are amazing!

    Thank you!

  24. yu sleep reviews

    You’re so cool! I do not think I’ve truly read through
    something like that before. So great to find somebody with a
    few unique thoughts on this topic. Really..

    thank you for starting this up. This web site is something
    that is required on the internet, someone with a little originality!

  25. Prime Biome Reviews

    Prime Biome supports natural gut health with powerful ingredients that aid digestion and boost
    immunity. Enhance your wellness and feel your best
    every day with Prime Biome.

  26. Lucky Wheel

    I like what you guys are up too. This type of clever work and reporting!
    Keep up the very good works guys I’ve incorporated you guys to my personal blogroll.

    Feel free to visit my web page – Lucky Wheel

  27. Lucky Wheel

    I like what you guys are up too. This type of clever work and reporting!
    Keep up the very good works guys I’ve incorporated you guys to my personal blogroll.

    Feel free to visit my web page – Lucky Wheel

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *