Will Davidson help JinC?

Readers Note: I’m sure most of you know Duke University Professor and Group of 88 member Cathy N. Davidson has just written one of those error-filled and preening op-eds which seem to be the only kind Group of 88 members can write.

Many, including some of you, have called attention to her errors and quite properly ridiculed her preening.

Therefore, when I wrote Davidson the letter you see below, I didn’t feel any need to mention her errors and preening. Well, at least not much.

Instead, I discussed a problem I have and asked for her help. I included a link to this post.

I’ll let you know if I hear back.

John
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Cathy N. Davidson, Ruth F. DeVarney professor of English and interim director and professor of interdisciplinary studies, John Hope Franklin Humanities Institute
Duke University

Dear Professor Davidson:

I hold two degrees from Duke and blog at www.johnincarolina.com.

I post often on the Hoax Case, including the injustices Nifong and his enablers at Duke and elsewhere have inflicted on innocent Duke students, their families and others such as Moezeldin Elmostafa.

But I don’t want to get into any of that today.

I’m writing to ask you to help undo the great harm that’s befallen me as a result of your op-ed, but certainly not through any deliberate intent on your part.

Please allow me to explain.

In your op-ed you say, “[M]ost of my e-mail comes from right-wing ‘blog hooligans.’ These hateful, ranting and sometimes even threatening folks don't care about Duke or the lacrosse players.”

The distinguished historian and blogger Robert KC Johnson refuted your remarks about “right-wing ‘blog hooligans,” in the process mentioning by name a number of blogs he thought you might have had in mind.

Unfortunately, KC failed to mention John in Carolina. I’m sure it was just an innocent oversight on his part.

Nevertheless, his oversight has caused me great personal embarrassment and has the potential to damage the reputation of John in Carolina among decent people who value justice.

You know how some people can be.

If KC’s oversight isn’t corrected, a month from now people could be saying that I don’t abhor what you and your 87 colleagues did on April 6.

Or that I never pointed out that the “listening statement” made an already dangerous situation on campus even more dangerous; and that it was exploitive of the very students it claimed to be listening to.

I have no doubt, Professor Davidson, that I’m precisely the kind of blogger you had in mind when you said “right-wing ‘blog hooligans.'”

Now, of course, I could call all this to KC’s attention. He’s a very kind man despite what you might have heard from some of your colleagues and Durham Police Sgt. Mark Gottlieb.

I'm sure KC would issue an immediate acknowledgment of his oversight and a full apology.

But I don’t want to bother KC for two reasons.

First, KC would be upset to realize all the harm he’s caused me. His upset might detract from the wonderful work he does exposing academic frauds. I would never want to do anything to interfere with that work

I don’t know if you’re aware of it or not but exposing academic frauds requires the same kind of calm, careful attention to detail that a gastroenterologist needs in order to perform a thorough colonoscopy.

In fact, sometimes in the midst of reading one of his posts I’ll call out to my wife, “KC’s got another one of his ‘colonoscopy posts’ up. This time it’s Professor ….”

My second reason for not contacting KC is that if people find out I did that they might think KC made the correction only to be nice, and that JinC isn’t really a hooligan blog.

But if you say JinC is a hooligan blog, people will know you mean it. I’ll be relieved of my present embarrassment, and the good name of John in Carolina among decent people who value justice will be safe.

So will you please attack my blog by name?

I don’t expect you to do anything as elaborate as taking out a full page ad in The Chronicle or even writing a letter to the Ashley/Nifong Durham Herald Sun.

A brief email response to this letter will do; and I will post it on the main JinC page.

All I need is something like the following:

Dear John in Carolina:

You’re a right-wing blog hooligan.

Sincerely,

Cathy N. Davidson
Etc, etc, etc.

If you’ll do that, Professor Davidson, the sun will shine at JinC.

Thank you in advance.

Sincerely,

John in Carolina
www.johnincarolina.com

PS - Are you planning to write an op-ed any time soon explaining why you were silent last May 18 when a Duke student, Reade Seligmann, was subjected to racists’ threats, including death threats?