Lessons from top 10 stories of 2006
December 30, 2006 11:33 pm
You were probably not surprised to learn in today's newspaper, on the final day of 2006, that the number one news story of the year was the Duke lacrosse rape case. From almost the day the incident occurred in March until the present, the lacrosse case dominated local headlines and broadcasts.
Nor was the story limited to the local media. It was a Newsweek cover and a double segment on "60 Minutes." The pundits probed it incessantly on the cable news channels. Durham residents grew accustomed -- and more than a little tired -- of seeing their town depicted, and sometimes distorted, in the national news.
At the beginning of 2006, who would have predicted that Mike Nifong's name would be bandied about -- often in a negative way -- across the nation? If you can find that person, ask them for a good stock tip.
The lacrosse case was so big it not only sucked up a lot of ink and airtime, it also garnered two of the top 10 stories of the year. Number 4 on our list, as voted on by The Herald-Sun newsroom staff, was the District Attorney's election, which also centered around the lacrosse case.
You could tell it wasn't your normal ho-hum Durham DA's race when, at a candidates' forum at The Herald-Sun building, the back of the room was so full of TV cameras it looked like a presidential press conference. And the case was so controversial that Nifong still faced a challenge in the general election even after winning the primary. Normally, the Democratic primary winner in Durham would win the general election unopposed, but Nifong had to fend off challenges from Lewis Cheek (who said he wouldn't serve if elected) and Steve Monks, a write-in candidate.
But lacrosse wasn't the only big story in 2006. If you take the remaining eight stories on our top 10 list, they could be grouped into categories that say something about our world and our interests.
Three stories on the list were about sports, an indication of the importance we place on organized games. Two of the stories were about public education and, specifically, Durham Public Schools. That's a reflection of the intense interest on public education in Durham and the region. And two of the stories were about shocking outbreaks of unexpected violence. Both occurred in Orange County, and, oddly, both had seeds of motivation in national and international trends.
The one remaining story was No. 5, dubbed "Durham city government problems." It was a catch-all category that included an embarrassing fire at the city dump, tap water that tested positive for lead, trash that didn't get picked up and a Solid Waste director who quit after a week on the job. Year in, year out, problems in Durham city government seem to rank in the top 10 stories of the year. It would be nice to see everything go smoothly and to have that category off the list in 2007.
Our hometown sports heroics came from two unusual sources this year: The NCCU Eagles football team and the Carolina Hurricanes NHL team. The Eagles, under coach Rod Broadway, had the first perfect regular season, 10-0, in school history, then went on to win their second straight CIAA championship.
The Hurricanes, still a relative newcomer to the Triangle sports scene, shocked nearly everyone by advancing through the NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs to the championship and then winning it, bringing the Triangle its first national championship in a professional sport.
Our local college football programs were not nearly so successful, leading to two prominent coaches being shown the door, John Bunting of UNC and Chuck Amato of N.C. State. They were quickly replaced by, respectively, Butch Davis and Tom O'Brien. And the cycle of hope continues.
On the public education front, one of the biggest stories was surely the ascendancy of a new superintendent, Carl Harris, at Durham Public Schools. High hopes are riding on Harris to help unify the district and to boost achievement for all students. Story No. 8 on the list was an indication of the major challenges he will face. It involved Judge Howard Manning Jr. threatening a list of low-performing high schools across the state with closure if they didn't improve. The list included Durham's Hillside and Southern high schools.
There were also shocking events at schools in Orange County in 2006. On a March day at "The Pit" at UNC in Chapel Hill, a favorite outdoor hangout for students, a recent graduate plowed his Jeep Cherokee through the crowd, striking and injuring nine students. Amazingly, no one was seriously hurt or killed. The driver, Mohammad Taheri-Azar, said he did it to avenge American treatment of Muslims throughout the world.
And in August, in the number two top story of the year, former student Alvaro Rafael Castillo, apparently inspired by the Colombine, Colo., school shootings, allegedly killed his father, then brought a small arsenal to Orange High school and opened fire in the parking lot. Two students received minor wounds, but a potentially horrific tragedy was averted by the courageous intervention of school resource officer Cpl. London Ivey and reserve officer and teacher Russ LeBlanc, who faced down and subdued Castillo.
Ivey and LeBlanc showed clearly that individuals acting bravely to do the right thing, even at risk to themselves, can make a huge difference in the world. We can't think of a better lesson to take from the top stories of 2006.
URL for this article: http://www.heraldsun.com/opinion/hsedits/56-804257.cfm
Where's the Durham outcry on lacrosse case?
You are right, Mike Silver. I am also tired of hearing from so many people across this great nation about the lacrosse crime. I ask you, where is the local outcry of the crime committed in Durham? All crimes should have proper punishment, regardless of race, financial or political status.
Yes, a serious crime was committed here, but, not by three Duke lacrosse players. Far too quick judgment brought shame and much undue anguish on them, their families, their teammates, their coach, Duke University and the entire community of Durham. Shame on Mike Nifong and shame on all those who elected him to office. Shame on Duke for not giving more support from the beginning. Shame on The Herald-Sun for jumping in too early with judgment.
Allowing these remaining serious charges to go on and on continues to hurt all of us in Durham and beyond who care about honesty and justice. Unfortunately, the new dropped rape charge has done lasting damage to all actual rape victims for years to come. I ask again … where is the Durham outcry and sense of honor?
BARBARA G. COLLIE
Durham
December 31, 2006
Nifong turns to Times
I had to laugh when I read that Mike Nifong gave a three-hour interview to The New York Times. Putting aside his numerous previous statements that he would save all commentary for the courtroom, let's focus on who he turned to when he decided to deviate from his self-imposed strategy.
Will breaking his silence by turning to a big New York publication cost him the support of this paper's editorial staff? After all, they have printed sympathetic story after sympathetic story on Nifong's behalf and he doesn't even repay them with the scoop of his first comments in months?
And what about all the letter writers angry that citizens outside of Durham have voiced opinions in this case? Now Nifong has himself encouraged further meddling from outsiders in a case that he had previously stated requires "a Durham solution."
PETER BOVE
New York
December 31, 2006
Resign and apologize
I stated a while back that regardless of any upcoming situations, Mike Nifong would eventually drop this insane case, after of course he secured his vote in November. Now that he has secured his position, along with some serious national heat he's drawn upon himself, he's decided to drop the charges. Now he claims it's only because the woman has now stated she cannot say with certainty that she was raped.
If that was his true reasoning, then why wasn't it dropped long ago when the former accuser had eight different stories? Point blank, Nifong used the race card among blacks to get his votes. The only real winner in this situation, despite being a single mom bearing yet another child, is the deranged individual herself, who will be receiving free education from no other than Jesse Jackson.
Dropping the case isn't enough. Nifong should be forced to resign and apologize to the families he's hurt. I cannot imagine how this man shows his face in public, without feeling like crawling under a rock.
Oh and if he's reading, he might also want to drop those ridiculous kidnapping and sexual misconduct charges. Lord knows, it's only going to cause him more embarrassment.
MIKE LANEER
Durham
December 31, 2006
http://www.heraldsun.com/opinion/hsletters/