Letters to the Editor
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Individuals like Michael Sullivan
live in a fantasy world. These young men were doing what most young men do at their age, krinking and carousing, which the last time I checked is not a crime. Rape and false accusations of rape ARE crimes. Grow up Michael, I shudder to think how you would prepare a son for the world, only to be an utter failure under you tutelage. False charges of rape occur far more frequently than most would like to admit. See the following:
http://www.ocweekly.com/news/news/great-dick-babe/24507/
Remember, bad taste is not a crime. Act like it next time before you pass judgment.
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Fair Questions
Do feminists encourage false negatives in rape? Have feminists worked so hard to champion rape victims’ rights that they believe without question? I think these are fair questions.
No mainstream feminist is actively encouraging lying about rape, so that’s not the issue. It’s really whether we’re too quick to believe the accuser and condemn the accused.
Rape can be such a physically, psychologically and mentally damaging crime. It’s a crime where you can be stigmatized for being a victim. It can be difficult to prove. As such, it is under-reported. For all of these reasons, alleged victims should be given the benefit of the doubt. The potential emotional harm for doubting real victims is too great.
But when doubts do surface, law enforcement officers should push back, ask more questions. And remember the accused is innocent until proven guilty.
And what should feminists do? Like everyone, feminists should seek the truth, even if it takes you places you might not want to go.
Support the alleged victims, but leave the guilty verdicts to the courts.
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Mizbinkley,
It is not our place to support alleged victims. It is right to support actual victims. It is right to support and PAY those wrongly accused and thrown under the bus. The accuser in the Duke lacrosse case, Crystal Mangum, is a liar.
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Charges Dropped Doesn't Mean Innocent
This case has been utterly mishandled, but just because charges were dropped doesn't mean that the Duke students are innocent or that the woman/girl(stripper/victim/alleger/single-mom/university student/etc) is lying.
Because it was a media blitz, because it did become a race/gender identity politics focal point and because the prosecutor in this case went about his job in an ethically dubious manner, there is no way for those men/students or the woman/victim to get their fair day in court.
This should not be a case in which ALL OF FEMINISM should be indicted. Everyone fucked up here...including, you, dear Salon readers, for consumming the media madness.
Peace
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The statement of the Attorney General is that the students ARE innocent
Roy Cooper: On Jan 13 I agreed to take over the cases, promising a fresh and thorough review of the facts and recommend the best way to proceed.
During the past 12 weeks, we have reviewed the remaining allegations of sexual assault and kidnapping. We reviewed the DA's and police evidence and conducted our own investigation.
We've interviewed people at the party, the DA, police officers, the accuser on several occasions, revieweed dna evidence and records.
The result shows clearly there is insufficient evidence on any the charges. We are filing dismissal of all charges against the three defendants. The cases are over and no more criminal proceedings will occurs.
The cases were the result of a tragic rush to accuse. There are significant discrepancies in the evidence.
We believe the three individuals are innocent of the charges.
The inconsistencies were so significant that we have no credible evidence that an attack occurred in that house that night.
The accuser wanted to go forward, but the contradictions in her account and the physical evidence could not be reconciled.
No evidence supports her version. The evidence contradicts her. She contradicts herself.
The eyewitness identification process was flawed.
The DA went ahead unchecked. Caution would have been better than bravado. He lost the ability to see clearly.
Whatever the reasons the case was pushed forward, the result was wrong. We must make sure it doesn't happen again.
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No one is indicting ALL of feminism
That's a strawman.
No one is indicting all of feminism. Some of us suggest that feminism take a long hard look at itself and see if there are portions that are promoting gender inequality and looking to replace one oppressor with another.
Are there feminists that turned a positive sum game into a zero sum game? Is that why feminism smells like bullshit and rings hollow to so many women?
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Disgraceful
These boys' families have been bankrupted and they have been paraded around in the media for months. Meanwhile, some of the Broadsheet feminists think we should have a different justice system for men accused of rape.
Thanks for showing us the true bigoted face of American feminism.
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Back at you, Lynn
If the charges are indeed dropped, we'll hear a lot of instances of "I told you so." Let's hope few of them are "I told you women should never report rape."
While we're at it, let's hope women across the country aren't saying "all men are rapists." It sounds like a sentiment many sexist Broadsheet feminists hold true.
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Feminism as a scapegoat
Do feminists encourage false negatives in rape? Have feminists worked so hard to champion rape victims’ rights that they believe without question? I think these are fair questions.
It's interesting how some people here are blaming and questioning feminism in this case. Yes, there were feminists quick to accuse these Duke players but feminists were not the only ones. Look at what the main stream media (including Salon) did with this story. There was a rush to judgement from a number of camps but this in no way can be blamed on feminists. The number of stories that analyzed the conflict between "privileged white athletes" and local "black poverty" show that this story, like most others, is about sensationalism and our collective rush to judgment, not about feminism.
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Duke Lacrosse Team
I think it's ridiculous to blame feminists for all of the false accusations of rape. You wouldn't blame all men for rape, right? That would be an incorrect (and misandric) assumption to make, right? But somehow, the whole feminist movement is to blame for Duke Lacrosse brouhahah.
And as for Ben Dover's exhortation that Nifong should be charged with felonies due to his handling of the case: I just heard about a black man who spent years 10 years in jail on a rape charge due to a case of gross mistaken identity. Even the victim didn't think he did it! He'd already been released when DNA evidence finally exhonerated him. Why aren't you interested in that case? Maybe it's because it was men (white men) who made the mistake, not some poor black hooker. Or maybe , because it's three white, rich, males (who you obviously identify with) just the possibility they might serve jail time is loads worse than spending a decade as a sex offender in a Texan Prison.