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.

76,244 thoughts on “PC Minefield at Duke

  1. Williamsor

    $MTAUR presale is flying under radar but shouldn’t—80% discount is insane value. In-game mini-games unlocked by tokens add replayability. Bullish on its 9% annual market growth projection. minotaurus token

  2. Fetisch

    Have you ever considered writing an e-book or guest authoring on other websites?

    I have a blog based upon on the same topics you discuss and would love
    to have you share some stories/information. I know my readers would appreciate
    your work. If you are even remotely interested, feel free to send me an e-mail.

    my homepage … Fetisch

  3. Sex ads

    It’s perfect time to make some plans for the future and it is time to
    be happy. I’ve read this post and if I could I wish to
    suggest you few interesting things or advice. Perhaps you could write next articles referring to this article.
    I wish to read more things about it!

    my site … Sex ads

  4. Situs Judi Bola Terlengkap

    Setelah membaca artikel ini, saya bisa memahami lebih baik bagaimana memilih Situs Judi Bola yang
    aman dan terpercaya.
    KUBET dan berbagai jenis parlay dijelaskan secara menyeluruh, mulai dari Situs Parlay Resmi hingga Situs Mix Parlay.

    Tulisan ini tidak hanya bermanfaat untuk pemula, tapi juga untuk pemain lama yang ingin memperdalam strategi.

    Menurut saya, artikel ini pantas dijadikan bahan referensi
    utama.

  5. Williamsor

    The Minotaurus ICO referral system is paying off big; got extra tokens from invites. $MTAUR’s utility in power-ups makes it more than hype. This project’s got legs.
    minotaurus ico

  6. Williamsor

    Diving into Minotaurus token details, the 60% presale allocation ensures fair launch. Vesting up to 14 months with 10% bonuses? That’s holder-friendly. Game’s endless runner vibe is pure fun.
    minotaurus ico

  7. https://imagendelgolfo.mx/nacional/mejor-casa-de-apuestas-deportivas-en-linea-mexico--pin-up-2025/50665578

    Allow me start by saying this is by no means any kind of promotion. This
    is just a raw personal story that I decided to share because
    others may be going through the same thing. In case you’re battling with gambling or even just starting to see the warning signs, please keep reading.

    I was someone who thought a quick flutter couldn’t hurt.
    It started harmlessly—a blackjack game after
    work—nothing serious. However, it spiraled.

    Without realizing, I was placing bets every night.
    Occasionally, I won, but those wins just made it worse.
    I kept trying to recreate that high. On a particularly bad weekend, I blew through nearly [insert loss amount here, e.g., “$2,000”] in less than two days.
    That was my kid’s school fees. And still, I couldn’t stop.

    What’s worse is how I began lying—my friends.
    I was embarrassed, and yet I felt trapped.

    If you’ve been there, you know what I mean.
    Then I came across something I randomly clicked on—and no, I’m not going
    to name it here to advertise—but it changed everything for me.
    I’m not trying to convince you that it’s a miracle fix, but it made me see what I was doing I was
    in.
    The article wasn’t judgmental. It just broke down the cycle
    of gambling in a way I’d never heard before. It explained how gambling is more than just a bad hobby, and how everything
    about it is built to make you lose.
    That moment, I finally admitted to myself that I had a problem.
    And more importantly, that I could stop. It gave
    me insight that helped me take the hardest step towards
    getting clean.
    Since then, I’ve not gambled once. I’ve joined a support group.
    It’s not easy. I still get the itch. But I’m getting better.

    If any of this sounds like your life, then please read that article.
    {

  8. Williamsor

    Minotaurus token’s ecosystem ties game, DAO, and rewards seamlessly. ICO phase is buzzing with partnerships forming. As a gamer, I’m all in on this maze adventure.
    mtaur coin

  9. generator-prezentaciy-482

    Нужна презентация? ии генератор презентации powerpoint Создавайте убедительные презентации за минуты. Умный генератор формирует структуру, дизайн и иллюстрации из вашего текста. Библиотека шаблонов, фирстиль, графики, экспорт PPTX/PDF, совместная работа и комментарии — всё в одном сервисе.

Leave a Reply

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