The Duke Case's Cruel Truth

[MountainLaurel]

Not meaning to draw the haters in here, but I thought this article covered some of the ugliness, such as that we've seen on these pages, very well.

She was black, they were white, and race and sex were in the air.

But whatever actually happened that March 13 night at Duke University -- both the reported rape and its surrounding details are hotly disputed -- it appears at least that the disturbing historic script of the sexual abuse of black women was playing out inside that lacrosse team house party.

Two black women performed an exotic dance. The white men in their audience shouted racial epithets, one of the women has said. Things got rough. Someone in the crowd held a broomstick aloft and shouted "I'm gonna shove this up you," the other woman told police when she reported being raped. As the women fled the house, a neighbor reportedly heard one of the men shout: "Hey bitch, thank your grandpa for my nice cotton shirt."

In the sordid but contested details of the case, African American women have heard echoes of a history of some white men sexually abusing black women -- and a stereotype of black women as hypersexual beings and thus fair game.

The mainstream media have largely tiptoed around the brutal truth that has been discussed among black women in private conversations, in the blogosphere and on college campuses. It is that the Duke case is in some ways reminiscent of a black woman's vulnerability to a white man during the days of slavery, reconstruction and Jim Crow, when sex was used as a tool of racial domination.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/23/AR2006052302022.html

[ThomCat]

1. Wow. This is getting some mainstream attention

that isn't just overblown smear-journalism.

It's about time. Of course this is about race and gender. It's about class too. It's about lots of assumed privilages. It would be nice to see more people talking about this.

[ismnotwasm]

2. People don't seem to be able to talk

It's "false accusation" vs "The Duke team did it". The nuances of sexism, sexuality, especially the perceived sexuality of the black woman by white males are rarely discussed. Much less about class and privilege. I started staying out of the Duke threads for that very reason.

Sometimes I think people want their answers attractively wrapped in a package with a bow--No matter what the topic matter is. This is a very ugly story, from start to finish. There isn't an attractive answer. The core of the story words: Black women, white men, LaCrosse players, 40 college men and 2 dancers/strippers/Ho's/prostitutes/ drunk, drugged, intoxicated, party, broom handle, rape, bruises, etc.

There is the "dirty woman" element to it that certain elements love to exploit. It reads like a pornographic novel. The well-trained public used to being stimulated in this way, will deny it of course, and stick to the yes they did, no they didn't arguments.

What they won't say, at least not here, at least not that I've seen, is "If they did it, she liked it" And THAT is what the ultimate outcome of some of the verbal attacks on this woman and the whole situation really leads to.

Well informed reasoned discussions just get lost. Or attacked. "Where is the sympathy" for this woman? Indeed. Where is it? I've read responses starting "She knew what she was getting into" that just got worse from there.

[mzteris]

3. my ijit brother

mentioned it on the phone last night - he was highlighting the fact that a rape involving 4 black players (football, I think but he wasn't clear) raping a "white girl" wasn't getting ANY PRESS - while those (poor white) Duke players were getting such a raw deal. "They're just KIDS for god's sake!" he says.

Like that makes it all right? KIDS??? They're old enough to drink and have sex and go off to war. They're old enough to f'ing KNOW BETTER!!!!

But it's ok 'cause they were drinking and she was "just a ho" - I mean - "she's a stripper!" - so what right does SHE have to "SAY NO", eh?

:banghead:

My brother's comments are particularly egregious - to me - as my adopted son is black.

My brother is a racist/mysogynistic ass - and he doesn't even realize it. He really believes that he's not a racist and supports women's rights. Yeah. Right. Sure. And I'm the Queen of England.

[ThomCat]

4. What other case is he talking about?

At even the hint of black men raping a white woman Fox News would go on a binge, reporting life 24/7 until the lynching occured. Racism is alive and well in the US media.

As for the rest, I'm sorry you have to deal with this within your own family.
:(

[mzteris]

5. I have no idea...

of course since it gets no press play I have no way of knowing. Maybe that's just not "NEWS"...


:sarcasm:



I had to get off the phone before I started screaming at him. I try to just keep things - hey, how you doing, how's the kids. Great. We're fine. Everything's swell. Bye.

[ThomCat]

6. That's a good plan.

I'm sure it helps keep your stress levels and blood pressure down. :hug:

I'm not nearly as good at keeping my mouth shut when I should. :(

[ismnotwasm]

7. I went looking for it

Possibly it's this one involving BYU:
http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,595110063,00.html

It looks like three black players and one white. The story is from 2004, and the young men were acquitted.
http://www.thephoenix.com/article_ektid9889.aspx (down the page)

Or possibly this one, I don't see where it mentions race, however:
http://www.smackopolis.com/feature14.html

I just googled for a little information (specifically--rape 4 black football players--) and the access to different rape cases on campuses is very disturbing to say the least. There were several single rape examples. And a whole lot about Duke, which I didn't get into.
I am actually afraid to generalize a search, because this is all too common a crime. Damn. Damn. Damn.

It's sickening. I know the statistics but when you start seeing one separate press release after another it brings those statistics home.

[jberryhill]

8. Virginia Union University

http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD/MGArticle/RTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1137833814651

The fourth was indicted recently.


http://www.amren.com/mtnews/archives/2006/05/what_propels_ra.php
All four of the accused are black, two who had ties to the football team. One was a star quarterback as a freshman. All four were considered good kids, attending a historic black university.

The victim is white, an out-of-state student attending the posh University of Richmond, which has Duke-size tuition.

It doesn't fit with the prejudices du jour, so it's not as interesting.

[mzteris]

9. that's probably it.

my brother lives in Richmond.

And he's right that there's little in the news about it. Only a bit of local reporting.

(I wonder if he thinks it's okay because THEY're *only* kids, too.)

that 2nd link - yousa - the rank racism evident in those posts were nauseating....