Letters to the Editor
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Without speculating on the quality of evidence
against Bruce Ivins I'll just note again that for a 'suspected terrorist', he sure got the kid-glove treatment compared to what happens to other 'suspected terrorists'.
Whether that means we should seek an indictment against Ali al-Marri or snatch Ft. Detrick scientists and fly them to Diego Garcia for interrogation is left as an exercise for the reader.....
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the worm is hooked
Will anyone bite?
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"The" anthrax attacker?
Glen, you mention that Ivins might be "the" anthrax attacker. A quick analysis of the notes included with the anthrax gives a suggestion (strong?) that the writer of the notes had some military background. I've seen no mention of any military background in Ivins' case (there was with Hatfill).
The suggestion here is that, possibly, Ivins did not act alone (if he did, in fact, act in the crime). If a military, or former military, person wrote the notes, that person probably would not have had the experience to handle the anthrax, and that's where Ivins (or some other scientific type) would enter.
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This was beneath you, Glenn.
"None of this is to defend Ivins, nor is to suggest that this constitutes evidence that Duley is lying or is otherwise inaccurate in her claims."
Then what was it?
Bringing up her drunk driving record? You're purposefully undermining her character with unrelated information. Shame on you, Glenn.
All these folks whose impressions of Ivins differ from Duley's? How well do the people at your church know you? Well enough to say hi after Mass and ask how you like the new car? How well do most of your neighbors know you? Would they be on the television saying "He's a nice quiet man, kept to himself.".
I agree that the source of the bentonite story needs to come out. But as for the attack on Duley's character, shame shame shame on you.
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Thanks
for your work on this. When I think of good journalism and reporting now, I think of you.
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No Stone Unturned
Amazing work, Glenn! I have seen no other examination of Jean Carol Duley, and considering the enormous importance of her testimony, it speaks volumes about how uninterested in this case our media is. Arguably the greatest unsolved crime in US history, and the media just wants to put it behind us and move on.
We've become so used to a journalistic apathy in this country that even when we know we're not getting the full story, we don't expect the media (NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, etc.) to provide it.
Thanks again, Glenn!
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TerryMcT
Bringing up her drunk driving record? You're purposefully undermining her character with unrelated information. Shame on you, Glenn.
I have no doubt that if you were a criminal defendant and the principal witness against you -- both in the court proceeding and in the media circus depicting you the perpetrator of a very heinous crime -- was a social worker who accused you of being a violent psychotic, then you would think that her own history of unstable behavior -- including the fact that she herself was on probation and twice had been convicted of driving under the influence in the last 18 months -- was quite relevant.
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Clarification re: "social workers"
There are numerous types of social workers. Many states have a separate licensing category for clinical social workers, who must have at least a master's degree with a concentration in psychology and psychotherapy (the equivalent degree to an M.A. in psychology), which many who label themselves "psychologists" have, BTW, several years of closely supervised experience, successful completion of a rigorous licensing exam, and they must earn continuing education units each year. These professionals need to be distinguished from social workers who have a bachelor's degree and who have no training or history of supervision in the mental health field.
I personally know many clinical social workers (disclosure: I am one with decades of experience in the field), and I would favorably compare their therapeutic skills and professional ethics against those of psychologists.
The social worker in question, you state, had just completed an academic program (I don't know whether she received a bachelor's or masters degree). Regardless, she was inexperienced and obviously personally, financially, and ethically challenged. But to make blanket statements about "social workers" is unfair, especially in the area of ethics. In my state, clinical social workers are required to take at least 1 CEU of professional ethics training every two years. Social workers, by the nature of their profession, find themselves facing personal danger from clients or their families on an unfortunately far too frequent basis. Part of their training should be in how to ethically and responsibly deal with these threats, and in most states this topic is given a great deal of importance in social work education. Unfortunately, the social worker in this case, behaved neither ethically or responsibly.
In further defense of social workers -- now that I'm on my soap box: NASW, along with the American Psychiatric Association, has gone on record categorically stating that no member is to take part in torture or "enhanced interogation" programs, run by our government.
The American Psychological Association, on the other hand, has notoriously opposed going on record in this way. This is all the more reprehensible given that several prominent members have been instrumental in training interrogators, giving a sheen of respectability and "scientific" legitimacy to what is torture, pure and simple. There needs to be a far greater hue and cry about this among the public at large. The APA is being given a pass by the media, with the exception of excellent coverage -- as usual -- by Amy Goodman on Democracy Now.
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CarolynC
But to make blanket statements about "social workers" is unfair, especially in the area of ethics.
I didn't do that. I pointed out that she's not a psychiatrist or psychologist, but a social worker; that she appears to be quite inexperienced; has a personal history that suggests instability and a lack of credibility; and that her conduct in this matter demonstrates anything but impressive professionalism.
Those are all facts. I didn't suggest for a minute that the fact that she's a social worker means that she's a bad therapist or ethically impaired, and I don't believe that to be the case.