SarahUSC,
If you read between the lines some are saying that the boys are racist and they disrepected these two black mothers and
something bad was planned for that night.
I've seen and heard this on many boards and the black activist in Durham - Victoria Petersen - has come right out and said it. The boys are racist and they had bad intentions and something happened in that house. Wasn't it Petersen that said the racism and sexual fantasies about black women were involved and it may not have gotten to the point of rape, but a racist crime occurred that night.
30 minutes ago, I got hit with this argument on another forum. Are we supposed to just let them go, after they hit her, took her money and degraded two black women? - just because she was confused about the rape - due to her traumatic experience is how the theory goes.
This has made it into the media in other ways - read Barry Saunders in the N&O. When asked about the inconsistentcies
in the woman's story and the illegal actions commited during the investigation - he's on record as saying, what are we supposed to feel sorry for these kids hiding behind Daddy's lawyers? Even today, when Saunders mentions the players - he demeans them with every sentence. He calls them "Blue Bloods, 3 poor wealthy students, Blue Devil 3, and rich kids" - and that was just in his latest article on the subject.
Dennis Rogers, also of the N&O wrote recently, they believe "there is huge conspiracy to railroad those upstanding Duke lads." I think the point is Rogers believes they aren't UPSTANDING Duke LADS.
The Editor of the N&O, Melanie Sill, has said regardless of the problems with the rape charges - underage drinking was rampant by the lacrosse team.
It seems if you combine most of the black community with most of the liberals - you'll find these people just don't think these men are worthy of defending - not worthy of Justice, I suppose. Every group is shrinking from the rape charges - but they maintain these kids are no good and it's no tragedy if they go to prison for a couple decades.
This attitude also explains why the National Media won't touch this case at this point. How many would be rushing to do stories if this were 3 black basketball players getting railroaded in a white town?
Whatever happened to the Fresno Football team which 3-10 players allegedly gang-raped an 11 year old girl? I haven't heard one thing. Makes you wonder.
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So they think we're supposed to put them in jail for upwards of 40 years for underage drinking? I can't get behind that. I drank underage so I suppose I'd have to put myself in jail too. I can't support that kind of sentence for "bad behavior" either. Being rude or inconsiderate isn't illegal. Every frat boy in America will be in jail if that is the standard.
I see what you're saying and I agree that some people seem to be resorting to this fall-back position involving underage drinking and rowdy behavior. The players have to be punished for something because they are white, male and rich. That automatically makes them bad news. I'm sure this will be one of Nifong's tactics too. He has no evidence of rape but will attempt to make the players look as bad as possible and hope the jury will find them guilty anyway. He doesn't care about the evidence because his case isn't based on evidence.
It's a scary situation but my hope is that Nifong can't pull it off. I don't know anything about NC. I've never even been there but it seems incredible that Nifong could get all twelve jurors to convict. I just can't believe that could happen. Not all twelve. It's depressing enough that the legal system in this country has allowed this case to get this far but if anyone actually gets convicted I will drop out of law school and move to Tahiti.