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.

76,255 thoughts on “PC Minefield at Duke

  1. Stanleyfep

    Список бесплатных промокодов 1xBet. Получи максимальный бонус при регистрации на сайте и в приложении! +100% к первому депозиту для всех новых игроков. Указанный выше промо-код дает новым игрокам возможность получить повышенный на 30% bonus. Как получить и использовать бонус 32500 рублей по промо-коду букмекерской компании 1хБет? Рабочие промокоды 1xBet при регистрации на официальном сайте компании. промокоды на сегодня в 1хбет. Актуальный Промо-Коды 1хБет на 2026 год – это возможность сделать бесплатную ставку на сумму, которая указана в промокоде. Содержание: Где найти промокод 1xBet на сегодня бесплатно. Букмекерская контора 1хБет только новым людям дает бонус при пополнени. Чем полезный промокод на 1xBet. На какие виды спорта можно взять промокоды в 1xBet. Как проверить промокод на 1хБет. Использовать его необходимо при регистрации на официальном сайте конторы 1xBet (а промокоды для купона при пари, находятся в самом низу статьи).

  2. Williamsor

    Minotaurus token’s multi-chain support (ETH, BSC, Polygon) is user-friendly. Presale raise at $6.44M shows demand. Eager for those virtual item acquisitions.
    minotaurus coin

  3. 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

  4. 실시간

    Fantastic items from you, man. I have take into account your stuff
    previous to and you are just extremely great. I
    really like what you’ve got right here, really like what
    you are saying and the best way during which you say it.

    You are making it entertaining and you still take care of to stay it wise.

    I can’t wait to read far more from you. This is actually a great web site.

  5. lechenievladimirHaino

    Нарколог на дом анонимно: доступная помощь Проблемы зависимости становятся все более заметными в современном обществе‚ и необходимость в наркологических услугах возрастает. Если вы или ваши близкие столкнулись с проблемой алкоголизма или наркомании‚ не забывайте‚ что анонимная помощь реальна. Посетите сайт vivod-iz-zapoya-vladimir025.ru‚ чтобы узнать больше о выездных наркологических услугах и получить помощь прямо на дому. Анонимное лечение позволяет пациентам не бояться осуждения и открыто обсуждать свои проблемы. Консультация нарколога может проводиться в комфортной обстановке‚ что способствует более эффективному взаимодействию. Медицинские работники разрабатывают индивидуальные программы реабилитации‚ включая кодирование от алкоголя и психотерапию. Роль семьи в процессе выздоровления зависимого человека крайне важна. Анонимные медицинские учреждения предлагают уникальные программы‚ адаптированные под нужды каждого пациента. Не стесняйтесь воспользоваться шансом на лучшее будущее‚ обращаясь к профессионалам.

  6. Stanleyfep

    Правильный Промо-Код ХБЕТ на 2026 год. На нашем сайте вы найдете промокоды на разные суммы: на депозит, пополнение и простой. Букмекерская контора 1xBet только новым людям дарит подарки. бездепозитные промокоды на 1xbet. Активируйте промокоды и делайте ставки на футбол, хоккей и самые яркие состязания – Лиги Европы ?? и Лиги Чемпионов. Где найти промокод 1xBet на сегодня бесплатно? Использовав промокод казино 1xBet, игрок получает денежные средства на бонусный счет. Это значит, что он может использовать их только для игры в слоты и другие азартные развлечения на сайте. Вывести деньги, выигранные с бонуса, игрок сможет только тогда, когда отыграет их согласно вейджеру. Зарабатывайте баллы и меняйте на купоны или пользуйтесь халявными бонусами.

  7. Juniorskare

    https://500px.com/p/candetoxblend?view=photos

    Gestionar un control sorpresa puede ser complicado. Por eso, ahora tienes un metodo de enmascaramiento probada en laboratorios.

    Su composicion precisa combina nutrientes esenciales, lo que prepara tu organismo y neutraliza temporalmente los rastros de alcaloides. El resultado: un analisis equilibrado, lista para cumplir el objetivo.

    Lo mas notable es su accion rapida en menos de 2 horas. A diferencia de metodos caseros, no promete resultados permanentes, sino una herramienta puntual que te respalda en situaciones criticas.

    Estos suplementos están diseñados para colaborar a los consumidores a purgar su cuerpo de sustancias no deseadas, especialmente las relacionadas con el uso de cannabis u otras drogas.

    El buen detox para examen de pipí debe proporcionar resultados rápidos y confiables, en particular cuando el tiempo para prepararse es limitado. En el mercado actual, hay muchas variedades, pero no todas aseguran un proceso seguro o fiable.

    Qué funciona un producto detox? En términos simples, estos suplementos funcionan acelerando la depuración de metabolitos y toxinas a través de la orina, reduciendo su presencia hasta quedar por debajo del nivel de detección de los tests. Algunos funcionan en cuestión de horas y su efecto puede durar entre 4 a seis horas.

    Parece fundamental combinar estos productos con correcta hidratación. Beber al menos par litros de agua diariamente antes y después del consumo del detox puede mejorar los efectos. Además, se sugiere evitar alimentos pesados y bebidas azucaradas durante el proceso de preparación.

    Los mejores productos de limpieza para orina incluyen ingredientes como extractos de plantas, vitaminas del grupo B y minerales que respaldan el funcionamiento de los riñones y la función hepática. Entre las marcas más vendidas, se encuentran aquellas que tienen certificaciones sanitarias y estudios de resultado.

    Para usuarios frecuentes de marihuana, se recomienda usar detoxes con tiempos de acción largas o iniciar una preparación anticipada. Mientras más larga sea la abstinencia, mayor será la potencia del producto. Por eso, combinar la planificación con el uso correcto del suplemento es clave.

    Un error común es pensar que todos los detox actúan igual. Existen diferencias en contenido, sabor, método de ingesta y duración del resultado. Algunos vienen en presentación líquido, otros en cápsulas, y varios combinan ambos.

    Además, hay productos que incorporan fases de preparación o preparación previa al día del examen. Estos programas suelen recomendar abstinencia, buena alimentación y descanso previo.

    Por último, es importante recalcar que todo detox garantiza 100% de éxito. Siempre hay variables individuales como metabolismo, historial de consumo, y tipo de examen. Por ello, es vital seguir ciertas instrucciones del fabricante y no descuidarse.

    Miles de personas en Chile ya han experimentado su rapidez. Testimonios reales mencionan envios en menos de 24 horas.

    Si no deseas dejar nada al azar, esta formula te ofrece tranquilidad.

Leave a Reply

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