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.

76,223 thoughts on “PC Minefield at Duke

  1. Bryannof

    На Складчике я нашёл курс по английскому, который давно хотел. Цена оказалась смешной, доступ дали сразу. Теперь учусь с удовольствием. Очень доволен результатом https://v27.skladchik.org/

  2. смотреть гей порно

    Nice post. I used to be checking constantly this weblog and I’m impressed!

    Very helpful information particularly the last phase 🙂 I handle such info much.
    I used to be seeking this certain information for a long time.

    Thank you and best of luck.

  3. MPO102

    Postingan ini memberi wawasan baru,
    membuat saya lebih paham tentang topik yang dibahas.
    Saya tertarik membacanya dan baru-baru ini juga membuka **MPO102**
    yang menyajikan konten transaksi dengan bahasa sederhana.

    Harapan saya semakin berkembang.

  4. Stevenhyday

    Центр медицинского лицензирования Журавлев Консалтинг Групп помог оформить лицензию на медицинскую деятельность максимально быстро, специалисты подготовили пакет документов и проконсультировали по всем этапам: https://licenz.pro/

  5. skin glue for cuts

    hello!,I really like your writing so much! percentage we communicate extra approximately your article on AOL?
    I require a specialist on this house to resolve my problem.

    Maybe that is you! Looking forward to see you.

  6. Williamsor

    I’ve been following the Minotaurus presale closely, and it’s impressive how they’ve structured the tokenomics for long-term sustainability. The vesting bonuses are a smart incentive that could really reward patient holders. Excited to see $MTAUR launch and disrupt the blockchain gaming space.
    mtaur coin

  7. izmir hava durumu

    I’m really enjoying the design and layout of your site.

    It’s a very easy on the eyes which makes it much more pleasant for me to come here and visit more often. Did you hire out a designer to create your theme?
    Superb work!

  8. vivodzapojtulaHaino

    Срочная наркологическая помощь необходима в кризисных ситуацияхсвязанных с зависимостями. На сайте narkolog-tula022.ru можно получить данные о методах лечения зависимостей, включая первую помощь при передозировке и экстренную медицинскую помощь. Наркологическая служба предоставляет детоксикацию, психотерапию при зависимости и помощь наркозависимым. Консультации специалистов помогут в выборе программы реабилитации, направленную на избежание рецидивов и восстановление здоровья. Квалифицированная помощь в лечении наркотической зависимости важна для успешного выздоровления.

  9. toto

    It’s appropriate time to make some plans for the
    future and it’s time to be happy. I’ve read
    this post and if I could I wish to suggest you few interesting things or tips.

    Maybe you could write next articles referring to this article.

    I want to read even more things about it!

  10. Marla

    online poker that takes united statesn express,
    sweet bonausaa online slot and online casino available are there 18 year old casinos in vegas (Marla) australia, or new no deposit bonus casino australia

Leave a Reply

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