Duke lacrosse: I’m helping Nifong today

At the McClatchy Company's Raleigh News & Observer’s Editor’s Blog, the “newest” Duke lacrosse post readers’ comment thread has 175 comments as of today, July 21, at 1 p.m. EDT.

For the last three weeks, Melanie Sill, the N&O’s exec editor for news, has refused to respond to readers, except for one comment that was just to tell a reader a story was not in the N&O section the reader had claimed.

But the readers are pressing on despite Sill’s refusal to respond.

Today at 07/20/06 at 23:46 reader ND Lax 84 provided a link to DA Mike Nifong’s election website where there’s a lovely color photo of the DA and his staff.

Here’s the caption that accompanies the photo:

"This is the staff of the Durham District Attorney's Office - the largest, most diverse, best educated, and most capable collection of people ever assembled under that title. They are part of the package you get with District Attorney Mike Nifong. They share his vision. Each of them is committed to his election to continue as your District Attorney. Together, they will continue to work to make Durham a safer and better place for all of its citizens."

Now, folks, most of you know I think Nifong should be removed from office and disbarred.

But still, I can’t resist the urge to add a few details to the photo caption that will tell the public even more about his staff than Nifong does.

Why would I want to help Nifong make that caption more informative? Well, I guess my parents raised me right or something.

Anyway, I’ve taken the caption and within brackets and in bold placed my additions:

"This is the staff of the Durham District Attorney's Office - the largest, most diverse, best educated, and most capable collection of people ever assembled under that title [and then told to go out and start campaigning for Mike].

They are part of the package you get with District Attorney Mike Nifong. [They’re a “can do” group who won’t let due process and evidence get in the way of indictments].

They share his vision [of “no wrong answers” ID procedures]. Each of them is committed to his election to continue as your District Attorney [and to keeping their own jobs, too].

Together, they will continue to work to make Durham a safer and better place for all of its citizens [who bang pots, circulate “wanted “ and “vigilante” posters, and encourage the Raleigh N&O to continue it’s prosecutorial reporting]."

Ah, that's OK, Mike. I was glad to do it.