[dellbabe68]

Here is the public relations person for Duke University. If you are outraged that their faculty have yet to make a formal statement about jumping the gun in the Duke lacrosse case, please contact this person and say so.

John F. Burness

john.burness@duke.edu

(919) 681-3788

[MplsSteve]

Probably not a bad idea - but I wonder if it might be better contacting the members of the Duke 88 individually?

Someone (in the last week) or so posted their names and e-mail addresses.

I have to go find that post myself because I’m planning on sending out a few e-mails myself.

[Enterprise]

I have a better idea. Have each gang of 88 member voluntarily sign a life long allotment of 600 dollars per pay check, representing 200 per player. Each player would then get 17,600 dollars per month.

[KC_Conspirator]

They should start by firing the 88 and seizing their assets.

[Admin Moderator]

The Activism sidebar is reserved for News/Activism of the FR chapters.

Not this.

Thanks,
AM

[JimmyMc]

Here is my letter:
The only scandal here is the way the Duke faculty responded to the allegations. Seems to me Lawrence Summers was forced to resign from Harvard for some politically unacceptable remark he made. Maybe Duke’s faculty should resign too.
Even worse, I have not even heard an apology. My daughter wanted to go to Duke. she was on the waiting list, but was not chosen. I’m glad, not because of the lacrosse scandal, but because of the faculty scandal.

She now attends Syracuse in their accelerated law program. She has been on the Dean’s list every semester. Duke’s lost.

Sincerely,

Jim McClafferty

[Congressman Billybob]

Thank you for your suggestion. I just sent the following note to that gentleman. I will report on whatever response I get.

Dear Mr. Burness,

I am a lawyer and a former Professor. I write a national, weekly column. (My late cousin, C.L. Haslam, was decades ago the General Counsel of Duke.) I have been following the Duke "rape" situation closely.

I am particularly interested in the 88 Professors there who signed a public advertisement finding the three lacrosse players guilty before they had been brought to trial. My understanding is that exactly one of those 88 Professors has since apologized for his inappropriate public statement.

I am asking for your response to this situation on behalf of the University because I want the information to be accurate, but also because the University's response to the actions or inactions now of the "Duke 87" is an integral part of the story that should be told.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Cordially,

/s/

John C. Armor, Esq.

My feeling is that he will feel compelled to gin up some kind of response. As Mark Twain noted, it is unwise to get in a dispute with "someone who buys ink by the barrel."

Congressman Billybob

Latest article: "Junk Justice Produces Junk Law"

[mikeus_maximus]

How about this:

"My son is finishing his junior year here in Atlanta. He achieved a 2290 combined score (800 verbal) on the SAT, 2 gold medals for the National Latin Exams, was #1 in the nation on the National Geography Exam, and has numerous other awards and achievements. Needless to say, Duke is interested in him and has contacted him.

However, the shameful display by the 88 Duke faculty members in regards to the rape case, in direct contravention of those young men’s basic American right of presumed innocence, and Duke’s continued failure to issue any apology or retraction, indicates that the university does not adhere to basic values of decency and fairness.

Unless or until Duke takes some action to convince us otherwise, we will do everything in our power to dissuade not only our son but his friends and peers from having any association with the type people who administer and teach at your school."

/signed/