Posted on 05/02/2007 9:30:09 AM PDT by freespirited
The following is a paid ad placed in the Duke Chronicle yesterday by more than 1000 people.
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The following petition was endorsed by over 1,000 Duke Students along with recent graduates:
WHAT DOES A SOCIAL DISASTER SOUND LIKE?
On April 6th of last year a full page ad ran in The Chronicle signed by 88 professors and 16 academic programs and departments at Duke University. Weeks before any indictment was issued, in disregard for due process, our own professors projected guilt onto our peers on the lacrosse team. In the ad they not only tacitly supported the accusations of the now utterly discredited accuser, but praised protestors who similarly rushed to judgment, while levying baseless accusations of racism against our student body.
In a time of intense emotions and enormous stakes, when our community dearly needed a call for calm, for patience, for rational and careful thinking, these professors instead took a course of action which escalated tensions, spurred divisions along lines of race and class and brought our community into greater turmoil. Their actions also further undermined the legal process and most likely emboldened a rogue district attorney.
WE, THE STUDENTS OF DUKE UNIVERSITY, DEMAND AN APOLOGY FROM THE GROUP OF 88
As students who love Duke we are ashamed by the apparent decision of these faculty members to exploit a tragic situation to further their own political and social agendas. As an institution of higher learning we expect our professors to provide a model of intellectual integrity to which we can aspire—not to act with reckless disregard for fairness, justice and jurisprudence, and then callously refuse to make an apology or accept responsibility for their actions.
For those who would argue their ad has been mischaracterized we offer the following excerpts, which leave no doubt as to the material it contained—
“Students are shouting and whispering about what happened to this young woman…”
“‘If something like this happened to me…what would be used against me—my clothing? Where I was?”’
“No one is really talking about how to keep this young woman herself central to this conversation, how to keep her humanity before us…”
“To the students speaking individually and to the protestors making collective noise, thank you for not waiting and for making yourselves heard.”
Some of the Group of 88 went even further in their ill-begotten rush to judgment. Some professors are alleged to have maligned lacrosse players in their courses; Professor Kim Curtis is alleged to have failed a student (with a 3.5 GPA) simply because he was a member of the team.
Other professors have made some truly shocking public statements, such as—
Prof. Houston Baker’s claim of “Young, white, violent, drunken men among us - implicitly boasted by our athletic directors and administrators - have injured lives,” and his remark that the lacrosse team “may well feel they can claim innocence and sport their disgraced jerseys on campus, safe under the cover of silent whiteness. But where is the black woman who their violence and raucous witness injured for life? Will she ever sleep well again?”
Prof. Mark Anthony Neal’s claim that, “”Regardless of what happened inside of 610 N. Buchanan Blvd, the young men were hoping to consume something that they felt that a black woman uniquely possessed.”
President Brodhead has yet to come forward and defend his students against the assaults launched by his own faculty.
WE CALL UPON PRESIDENT BRODHEAD TO FINALLY STAND UP FOR HIS STUDENTS
PAID ADVERTISEMENT
What are the supposed to appologize about? They were speaking to a "higher truth". This one guy needs to get with the program.
If it has a white penis, it must be guilty of something.....
There, a correction was in order
I heard Biddle Duke had some nasty things to say in the last alumni letter.
“If it has a penis, it must be guilty of something.....
If it has a white penis, it must be guilty of something.....
There, a correction was in order”
Sorry, I feel further edits are necessary:
If it has a white Christian penis, it was born unequivocally guilty. No questions asked.......
That would be more than effective. It would be spectacular!
Dear Privileged Crackers,
You’re in violation of Duke University Speech Code Chapter 4, Section 3 - making minorities feel uncomfortable.
Either revoke this or face University action.
Sincerely,
Your open minded, tolerant, color blind University staff...
Great move by these students........maybe there is some hope for this country!
Hopefully they can convince the alumni to get on the bandwagon on this deal...........We have found that the “lofty ideals” of the university administration goes right out the ol’ window, when the alumni start to withhold donations!
Piled Higher and Deeper
I knew I could count on you, SYJ!
They should have listed the 88 (or 87 depending on your count) names for all to see again. Just referring to them as the “Group of 88” gives them anonymity that they don’t deserve.
Ping for later.
That is the definition that I’ve always heard.
I don't think you need the sarcasm tag, they probably actually think so.
The students should not relent.
The students should call out each Prof, by name, one a day, until all 88 are called out and shamed for their failure to make a public apology equal to their public condemnation of the LaCrosse players.
I like this angle.
I’m here to serve . . . .
Time-honored, tried and true.
She uniquely possessed the swimmers of 5 men (how many of these belonged to Duke 88 Profs has not been determined) in her undies. None of the lacrosse team consumed any, but NiFong did choke on them in the end.
Asking for an apology is letting them off lightly.
They signed the advertisement. They used their reputation to bolster the importance of the ad. As I view it, they put their careers as educators at risk in exchange for increasing the impact of the ad. Signatures mean something. Just ask those who hold a mortgage or the signers of the Declaration of Independence.
They should be fired and never allowed to teach again.
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