The resolution in the Duke Rape Case - 4.11.2007.1

Well I just want to say a quick word on the Duke Rape case. Now that the 3 guys have had the charges dropped, a year of equality in the justice system has ended. I’m serious.

For the last year we have seen anger in white men about the miscarriage of justice they claimed occurred against these kids. In the last year they have had a chance to get a taste of the imbalance that can occur when a prosecutor decides he wants to go after a defendant. They got a glimpse of what Black men get all the time.

There is no question that if this was the Duke basketball team, and there were 3 Black Americans charged with raping a white stripper, they would have been convicted regardless of the DNA evidence or changes in the victims story. I have no doubt of this. Every media source would have been screaming for their conviction from day one. I have no doubt of this.

But in this case they got a moment of what it feels like to be railroaded. And the net effect is that the system has flaws, and many of them are based in race. Those race based flaws are not in favor of African Americans, but when they sway the other way they seem to get America’s attention. It’s like the one other notable case that America can’t get past, OJ Simpson’s trial.

When the system works in favor of people of color to the same degree it works against them, people lose their minds. It would be funny if it wasn’t so serious. And now the cries of how the boys lives have been destroyed. I don’t think so. Several of the kids from the team have graduated, with decent (3.52 gpa’s as I recall) grades and no backlash. A couple of the kids have returned to Duke to continue their college. They all have been exonerated. The email that was sent after the alleged rape has been forgotten a long time ago.

The kids had a very bad year. How many times do we see African Americans that are released from prison because evidence is found, or the case is reviewed and bias is determined as the reason for their conviction? That is a life ruined. This is just a life that has been in discomfort for the lacrosse team. I don’t feel bad for them.

I’ve said this before, I’ll say it again. I want to see the media put this kind of pressure and influence behind a Black defendant the next time there is a questionable case. I want to hear the media declarations of innocence for a poor black kid. It won’t happen, but I’d like to see that. Especially from those that are losing their impartiality at Fox News.

And I’d love to see the outrage when, let just say as an example, 2 teenage white girls rob a bank in the south let’s say near Atlanta (without weapons) and the charges are dropped from a felony charge to misdemeanors even though they were caught on tape doing this felony crime, and witnesses saw them, and they bragged about it as they went on a shopping spree for 2 days afterwards. Robbing a bank is a felony, where is the outrage at the miscarriage of justice there? Do you think for a second I would be treated in anything like the same casual, light-handed treatment?

Wait a second. Fox News is going to reveal the name of the accusing rape victim?? Even without the charges, this is a wrong thing. I’ve never heard of such a thing. Yeah, this is fair. And her PHOTO!!! So this is fair? What a nice first. And her age and family background. Might as well give away her address. And her past history!!! This is so wrong.

This is what I think, what do you think?