Readers Note: I plan to rework the following post and leave it on the comment thread of today’s Chronicle editorial, “The Role of Media.”
For those of you who may not have been following the Hoax and frame-up closely, The Chronicle is Duke's student newspaper.
John
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The Chronicle’s editorial today begins:
A week ago, radio host Don Imus made a reprehensible decision. On his popular nationwide show last Wednesday morning, Imus referred to the Rutgers University women's basketball players as "nappy-headed hos."Yes to all of that. The Chronicle has that right. I couldn’t agree with the editorial board more.
The description was shocking, but Imus didn't stop there. He used other antiquated racial slurs to describe the predominantly black team. The situation was, in a word, deplorable-not to mention painful to hear unfold on the airwaves.
Imus should have apologized and his two week suspension seems, if anything, less than he deserves.
The Chronicle also has it right when it continues:
It also struck home for many at Duke, as we have a high-profile, successful women's basketball team and Imus' remarks pointed to unfortunate stereotypes held by some when it comes to women's basketball and sports in general.I was glad to see The Chronicle speaking out about “unfortunate stereotypes” but why did it wait so long?
Last spring many in media attacked the members of Duke’s Women’s lacrosse team as spoiled “little girls” and worse because the women said what needed to be said: “Innocent!” The attacks have continued this year, with some of them downright venomous.
The Chronicle has responded with silence. Why?
The coaches and players on the 2006 Women’s lacrosse team deserve our admiration and thanks for what they did in the name of reason and justice.
I hope when The Chronicle finishes defending Rutgers’ Women’s basketball team, it finds time to condemn those who’ve ridiculed and dismissed the Duke women.
The Chronicle might also want to tell us why it thinks the women laxers “got it right” while the men in the Allen Building and many others at Duke got so much wrong. Remember: “Whatever they did was bad enough?”
The Chronicle should tell the Duke community why it has never said anything editorially about the racist threats, including death threats, shouted at Reade Seligmann last May 18, first outside the Durham County Courthouse and then again inside the courtroom.
Why were there no critical words from The Chronicle directed at those making the threats?
Why were there no supportive and comforting words to Reade, his parents and his attorney, the late Kirk Osborn, who all endured the racists’ harassment and threats?
And why won’t The Chronicle question those – the trustees, President Brodhead, his “team,” and almost all faculty – who said nothing on May 18 and have remained silent since? They all had a duty to speak up last May.
I applaud The Chronicle for condemning Imus and supporting the women athletes at Rutgers. Now what about events here at Duke and the treatment of Duke athletes, both women and men?
The Chronicle's editorial is here.
2 comments:
My thoughts exactly. This morning I also (http://www.find-the-boots.com) asked "I wonder if Al Sharpton is going to apologize for coming to Durham in the early days of this case and calling these boys violent, racially motivated rapists?" What he did was much worse than what Imus did. Imus was stupid, Sharpton meant to inflame.
Not to put too fine a point on it, but why is everybody so bothered by Imus' stupidity? Let's look at facts: for some years it has been accepted by our so-called "culture" for Rap and Hip Hop performers to refer to ALL women as "ho's, bitches," and worse. Why is it ok for Snoop Doggy Dog to belittle "ho's" when Imus is pilloried for the very same words??? And please don't try to excuse it by sayin "artistic license" because there ain't no way those buffoons are artists...
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