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The word we’ve heard the least about the Duke Lacrosse rape case is “unfortunate”, and it’s one of the most applicable.
Charges were dismissed against the three suspects in the case Wednesday. Even the most remote hermit by now has heard of the case. An exotic dancer accused several members of Duke’s lacrosse team of sexual assault. The Durham County District Attorney, Mike Nifong, apparently withheld information in the case that could have immediately exonerated the suspects. He also hid police reports about the victim’s inconsistent statements, and interaction with police on the night of the crime.
He appeared at demonstrations and promised to bring the rapists to justice. Nifong then used the politically-supercharged atmosphere of a young black woman crying rape at the hands of rich white boys to gain re-election.
Then, after lives were destroyed and race relations set back even further, the charges have been cast aside by the state attorney general, who was called in to clean up the mess.
We’ve heard all kinds of words on the case, but rarely has anyone said the word “unfortunate.”
It’s unfortunate society immediately knee jerks when a member of a minority accuses a white person of a crime; it’s unfortunate the same outrage isn’t seen when a black, Hispanic, Asian, or Native American person commits a similar crime against one of their own race.
It’s unfortunate that so much of the national black community has tolerated rabble-rousers and hate-speakers as leaders for so long that more sensible, calming voices were shouted down early in the investigation.
It’s unfortunate the supposed victim in this case will likely never be taken seriously again, even if she is truly a crime victim.
It’s unfortunate these young men – never exactly angelic, by any stretch of the imagination – had to go through a year of being political pawns and pariahs in their communities and the news media.
It’s unfortunate that what has been one of this state’s finest halls of academia has been dragged through the mud and now appears to be little more than a haven for racist socialite wastrels.
The Duke case is a slap in the face for every person in our state, regardless of their race. It’s a slap in the face for people who have fought for true equality, it’s a slap in the face to rape victims, it’s a slap in the face to honest public servants and prosecutors who truly want to protect the populace from criminals.
But what’s really unfortunate is that we likely haven’t learned a thing. The next time someone sees a profit in the racial equivalent of crying wolf, the media – and many people – will be right there listening and believing every word.