Letters from friends 3
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posted by FODU @ 5/31/2006 06:00:00 AM
13 comments
13 Comments:
The letter below was sent to FODU by Patricia Dowd.
THE TRUTH
by Patricia Dowd
“Three things cannot long be hidden the sun, the moon and the TRUTH.” - Confucius
As the one year anniversary of the Durham/Duke Hoax approaches, I reflect on the past year with the hope of finding the answer to one question that plagues me daily; When did the truth cease to matter?
For anyone who has followed the evidence, the truth is that there was no rape, no sexual assault and no kidnapping on the night/morning of March 13/14. The truth has become, at best, secondary to:
1. Those who want these three innocent young men punished for sins of the past.
2. Some of the gang of 88, who want to promote their own personal and political agendas.
3. Pres. Brodhead and Chairman Steele who are more concerned wit Duke's image than the truth.
Twelve months ago, Nifong, with the help of his enablers, may have been able to try and hide the truth. However, through the Herculean effort of the defense team and numerous bloggers, the truth has been painstakingly unearthed. Then why are Collin, Reade and Dave still indicted for crimes they did not commit? Why has the Gang of 88 not admitted that their judgment may have been clouded by the emotionally charged atmosphere ofthe time? Why have Pres. Brodhead and Chairman Steele maintained the position that canceling the lacrosse season, firing Coach Pressler and not supporting their students from day one of this travesty, was not a mistake?
It seems the facts and thus the truth has fallen on deaf ears to these groups.
All three groups cling to the ideal, “something terrible happened in that house.” Yes, that is the truth. The something terrible that happened was that Crystal Gail Magnum perpetrated a hoax, damaged the lives of forty seven young men, their coaches and the city of Durham with the support of her enablers. Nifong, the Gang of 88, President Brodhead, and Chairman Steel continue to propagate this travesty of justice.
Many of Crystal's enablers will contend that the “something terrible” was racism and sexism. Yet, they are unable to substantiate these claims with any facts. The truth is that the Coleman report and the word of past and present African American teammates state this team was not racist. The truth is that one racial epithet was stated by one team member after being provoked with a racial comment by the second dancer. The truth is that even one racial slur is not acceptable, but a racist team it does not make.
The truth is the team hired strippers, just like many other Duke
athletic teams, sororities, fraternities and Duke employees. The group of enablers may find this morally inappropriate, but morals are personal values, they do not speak to the truth.
The TRUTH is that Collin, Reade and Dave are innocent.
The TRUTH is that many wanted to believe the “Fantastic Lies” of Crystal Gail Magnum and Nifong.
The TRUTH is that the only constant over the past twelve months is that Pres. Brodhead and Chairman Steele have continued to disappoint the lacrosse families for their failure to admit they made a mistake.
It is difficult for many to admit they were wrong, but an apology when you have treated others unkindly or unfairly goes along way to begin the healing process. (The truth is I know first hand how difficult it is to apologize, for after sending Prof. Holloway an e-mail, which I believe had many relevant points on the Durham/Duke hoax, I sent Prof. Holloway an apology for attacking her personally). The TRUTH is that these three young men should have been afforded their constitutional right of due process, and all citizens should have been appalled when these rights were denied.
Sir Winston Churchill stated, “Truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it and ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is.” In the end, when others begin to fall, as they have, Duke lacrosse will stand tall because we have truth on our side.
Mrs. Dowd, thank you for writing this wonderful letter and sharing it with us!
Duke Parent
This saga has many vile villins: NiFong, Wendy Murphy, the Gang of 88, DPD, Prescious, Duke, Mehan, and others.
It also has heros: Dave, Reade, Collin, Joe Cheshire, KC Johnson, Roy Cooper, and others.
But the title of HERO OF ALL HEROS has to go to BRAD BANNON, the partner of Joe Cheshire who, when handed over 1,000 pages of DNA gobblie-gook not only was able to determine that there were other male non-Lacrosse donors, but that a conspiracy had occurred between Mehan and NiFong! This single "Perry Mason Moment" broke this case wide open and compelled the dismissal and exonoration that we have seen.
Please, please profile BRAD BANNON and give us more information on this remarkable young attorney!
From March-April 2007 issue of Duke Magazine.
More Lacrosse Lessons
To the brave journalists at Duke Magazine: Why has there been not one single letter even faintly critical of the most politically correct university president of an important American university in the history of the U.S. printed in your magazine?
At least 90 percent of the Duke alumni I have conversed with recently about the reunion this spring or about business matters on a daily basis have been incensed at the conduct of the president booting those kids out of the school and the Duke community until the case was resolved favorably. Now, in allowing them to come back if they so choose at such a late and seemingly “safe” date, he has brought even greater shame to our exalted institution of higher learning.
What this great university needs is something that many of the better colleges and universities do: to find a leader and a president who has gone to Duke and is already a member of the greater Duke community—not some politician who has climbed the ranks of educational sinecurity [sic] by being politically correct and playing the ... game to get a plum assignment. Are there not any qualified candidates who have gone to Duke and been a part of our great school who are qualified and interested in the job?
Frankly, I find that hard to believe. I am afraid that Brodhead’s conduct in this entire affair will damage the school, its reputation, and its ability to raise money for the endowment more than anything that has been previously charged or implied by any members of Durham’s exotic dancer industry or its friends and partners in the county district attorney’s office.
Seriously folks, is there not a single member of the Duke Magazine staff, the administration, or faculty that is critical of President Brodhead’s conduct concerning this matter? Because hundreds of alums I talk to feel strongly about all these events and are disgusted by the official Duke reactions or lack thereof. Is there not a single man or woman of strong conscience or opinions left at my dear old alma mater?
George St. George
Biddle Duke ’82
Edgar, Montana
From March-April 2007 issue of Duke Magazine.
More Lacrosse Lessons
As an alumnus of Duke who cares about the future of the university, I am writing this letter to protest the mishandling by the administration of the accusations by a single woman against three students of the Duke community. One opportunity after another to take the high ground and be supportive of these students according to the Constitutional principle of presumed innocence until guilt is proven was lost.
Instead of showing impartiality, the administration caved in to the worst instincts of both the local community and the media by firing the lacrosse coach, by canceling the lacrosse season, and, finally, by suspending the three accused students. The president of Duke is the one who has to take responsibility for his administration’s incompetent response to this whole ugly affair. I am sure that I was hardly alone among Duke alumni in my amazement at his pathetic performance on 60 Minutes when being interviewed by the late Ed Bradley, who seemed to be more objective regarding the controversy than the man who is supposedly the leader of the Duke community.
Now the president has invited the [two] humiliated students to return to Duke. What incredible arrogance!... What he should do now is to accept his role in giving encouragement to a corrupt district attorney, which added greatly to the misery that the three innocent students and their families have endured.
I believe that President Brodhead should make a public apology to the students and their families and offer to pay the legal costs that they have had to absorb alone. Finally, for the good of the university and Duke’s reputation as a community of caring individuals, President Brodhead should do the right thing and resign.
John F. Reiger ’65
Chillicothe, Ohio
The following letter was sent to the Raleigh News and Observer by our dear friend Holman King.
Regarding your May 12 Faculty revisits case, Nifong:
The Brodhead administration’s stepped-up campaign to revise history in the lacrosse case is ridiculous. First, John Burness with “… we acted in everyone’s best interest…” and then David Jarmul with “…Brodhead repeatedly emphasized the need for the students to be presumed innocent…”. Neither version will stand objective scrutiny.
And now, Professor Paul Haagan with “…generosity of spirit to avoid exacerbating divisions…”. At least he has the candor to admit he was not “…wholly successful…”.
To borrow from Haagan’s marathon example, the Brodhead team and some of the faculty in effect stood at the starting line booing the lacrosse team and coach as if they were guilty. Now that the players have finished their grueling ordeal with their credibility intact, the Administration wants to retouch its record by saying- oh, those really weren’t boos you were hearing, and besides, Nifong made me do it.
The Brodhead administration has only itself to blame for its botched public relations. Its record cannot be changed by a favorable retelling.
Until the Trustees conduct an independent investigation, and either prove the critics wrong or hold the administration accountable, the cloud over Duke’s reputation will remain. Duke deserves better
Respectfully submitted,
G. Holman King
A proud Duke lacrosse grandparent
Granbury, Texas
vuidezulg http://www.free-mass-traffic.net/free-mass-traffic/free-mass-traffic-review Free Mass Traffic
George Saint George Biddle Duke, How are you? I met you the summer of 1989 when you did not believe that I was doing an article for the Richmond Times Dispatch on the Hare Krishnas! We had fun, although we partied a little too much and it was best for me to depart. My family is quite historically famous. I have done very well. Also even in my 30's I am still a bathing suit model! Contact A.S.A.P. elizabethbgarland@hotmail.com or face book---Elizabeth Broun Garland P.S. Someone whom is friendly with George or is able to relay information, please A.S.A.P.
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