N&O editor stoops to slime

Readers Note: What follows is a 1, 2, 3 post

1 – A copy of a comment I recently made on the thread of this post at the Raleigh N&O’s Editors’ Blog;

2 – A copy of a response the N&O’s executive editor for news, Melanie Sill, made on the same thread in response to my comment;

3 – My response to Sill which I’ve just left further down on the thread.

I think reading my comments and Sill’s response will give you a good idea of how each of us treats facts and how we treat you, our readers.

John
_______________________________________

1 - Comment from: John [Visitor] • http://www.johnincarolina.com
01/08/07 at 23:42

To other posters above,

This is a great thread.
_____________________________

Dear Melanie,

Regarding the N&O journalism, can we agree that in just your Mar. 25 story the N&O:

1) Assured readers the woman we now know to be a false accuser was "the victim;"

2) That the false accuser identified the second dancer but you suppressed that news;

3) That the FA made statements the N&O suppressed that it now says it would have been libel had it reported them;

4) That you still refuse to publish a transcript of the interview;

5) That you've told readers you reported "only what was confirmed by the police report;"

6) That there were many police reports containing different accounts by the FA;

7) That a number of the police reports contained accounts by the FA that conflicted with the versions the N&O published and which DA Mike Nifong adopted as his version two days later when he spoke publicly about the case for the first time;

8) That in at least one of the police reports the FA said the second dancer, whom she called "Nicky," robbed her;

9) That in at least one of the police reports the FA said Nicky had assisted the lacrosse players who raped her;

10 Than in another police report the second dancer, Kim Roberts, had told the police that the FA's story of being raped, choked, beaten and robbed was a crock;

11) That the N&O has never told readers which of the police reports it claims to have used it in fact used;

12) That the police had on multiple occasions before your Mar. 25 interview told media of the cooperation the lacrosse players had given them;

13) And that the N&O, for reasons its never explained to readers, deliberately withheld from them the news that the players had been cooperating; and instead reported they had not been cooperating?

There's much more wrong with you Mar. 25 story and many other of your Duke lacrosse stories in which you worked so hard to frame the players.

I agree with others on this thread: You sound so much like Nixon at the time of Watergate.

Sincerely,

John in Carolina
____________________________________________________


2 – Editor Sill’s response to my comment:

Comment from: Melanie Sill [Member] • http://www.newsobserver.com
01/09/07 at 09:53
John, there are many misstatements of fact in your comment post here. I think you probably know that. We do not agree on your representation, but I think you probably also know that.
____________________________________________

3 - My Response to Sill:

Dear Readers and Melanie:

Editor Sill stoops to slime when she tells readers she thinks I know what I'm saying are misstatements. Sill knows I've never said anything to indicate I doubt the truth of what I said in my comment above.

I'm reproducing part of it following the starline below. Following each of the first three points are supporting data that leave no doubt about the factualness of what I've said.

I could do the same for each of the other points but that would make this comment very long. I don't doubt that the truthfulness of what I'm saying is well known to most of you.

That puts you in a very good position to judge Editor Sill and what she's said about me.

It's not for nothing that her nickname is "The unbelievable editor."

**************************************
Comment from: John [Visitor] • http://www.johnincarolina.com
01/08/07 at 23:42
To other posters above,

This is a great thread.
_____________________________

Dear Melanie,

Regarding the N&O journalism, can we agree that in just your Mar. 25 story the N&O:

1) Assured readers the woman we now know to be a false accuser was "the victim;"

On this post we find the follow two comments:

Comment from: Melanie Sill [Member] • http://www.newsobserver.com
10/12/06 at 09:24

A factual note: The much discussed interview with the woman referred to her as "the accuser" or "the woman who reported the rape." Not sure how this has been twisted otherwise.

Comment from: Brian Johnston [Visitor]
10/17/06 at 17:58
[...]


Melanie, please actually read the article of March 25, and these quotes from it:

“It is The News & Observer's policy not to identify the VICTIMS of sex crimes.”

”Jason Bissey, who was on his porch next door during the party, saw the VICTIM that night.”

“He [Bissey] recalled the racially charged statements at least one man was yelling at the VICTIM.”

“Addison, the police spokesman, said that between receiving the call and searching the house, police were interviewing the VICTIM, residents of the house and other witnesses.”

[...]

2) That the false accuser identified the second dancer but you suppressed that news;

The following is part of Deputy Mangaging Editor Linda Williams "March 25 interview" post:

"Only two things the woman said at that time did not make publication. She provided a description of the then-unidentified second woman who had also been hired to dance at the lacrosse team party. She also offered an opinion about the other woman’s actions that night."

3) That the FA made statements the N&O suppressed that it now says it would have been libel had it reported them;

The following is from Williams' comment made at the EB's "Headline Saturday: DA Mike Nifong and the lacrosse case" post.

Comment from: Linda Williams [Member] • http://www.newsobserver.com
12/24/06 at 17:17

[...] "As previously stated, the accuser offered a description of the second dancer hired for the party. The presence of a second woman at the party was already known, but she was not identified at that time. The description was withheld because it was irrelevant in the absence of any other available information about the second woman. The accusers' speculation about the actions of the second woman was also not printed.

If we had printed that utterance- an admitted speculation without the slightest foundation to suggest the possibility of truth-- it would have been a conscious act of libel." [...]

It's not for nothing that Melanie Sill is called "the unbelievable editor."

The Churchill Series – Jan 11, 2007

(One of a series of weekday posts on the life of Winston S. Churchill.)

Yesterday I promised some comments about Churchill’s WW I experiences in the trenches. Here are a few thoghts from "the top of my head."

As many of you know he went to the battlefield after the collapse of the Dardanelles Expedition which he’d strongly backed. Had the expedition succeeded in capturing the Ottoman capital of Constantinople, the Allies would have been able to strengthen the Russians and keep them in the fight. They would also have outflanked the Germans.

Churchill received heavy, disproportionate and, according to many historians today, unfair blame for the expedition’s failure. Most people, including it seems Churchill for a time, thought his political career was over.

Churchill decided to join the active fighting for a complex of reasons. He felt he had a duty to contribute to the war effort. He recognized he had no influence at the time on decisions affecting the war. So by going into the trenches he was making his contribution. And being Winston Churchill, he could no more imagine himself standing by when his country was at war than we can.

Churchill, of course, was a graduate of the Royal Military College, had served as an officer under three sovereign, fought in the Empire’s was on three continents, had often been shot at, twice had horses shot out form underneath him, and been taking prisoner of war and escaped.

So Churchill by temperament in 1915 wanted to serve his country; and if it could do that nowhere else but at the front, he was on his way to France.

When he got there he was received as a politician. But he was a most unusual politician for he was also a trained, smart, experienced, battle-hardened and brave warrior.

Time is pressing. I’ll continue this tomorrow with a look at another reason Churchill want to the front: he thought service there might help him recover politically and once more be a force in government.

I look forward to seeing you

Statistician help wanted.

I need a statistician’s help.

But before any of you consider helping me, you deserve to know:

1) Trolls and some reporters and editors at the Raleigh News & Observer say I’m a pretty bad guy. I don’t believe them, but I could be fooling myself;

2) There’ll be no fee for your services

3) Be prepared. I’ll check anything you say with others. I’ll even question your credentials.

Now, are you still interested in “the job?”

You are?

OK, here’s what’s involved: As many of you know, back on Mar. 24 the N&O published on its front page the story it claims “broke the Duke lacrosse story.” (“DNA tests ordered for Duke athletes”)

In it, the N&O referred seven times to the False Accuser as “the victim” or with the possessive “victim’s.”

The N&O never once used standard journalism qualifiers such as “alleged” or “reported” which alert readers to the fact an accuser’s claim(s) is disputed and unproven.

By leaving out qualifiers in the story in which the public and media first learned of “the Duke lacrosse case,” the N&O cast the False Accuser as the victim and framed the Duke students as her victimizers.

Most of the blame for that travesty of honest and accurate journalism has fallen on Samiha Khanna and Anne Blythe, the two reporters bylined on the story.

However, a number of N&O editors worked on the story. Regardless of their particular editorial assignments, all of them were, as the N&O’s exec editor for news Melanie Sill often tells readers, responsible for identifying and correcting errors.

Now here’s where I need statistical help.

Journalists familiar with how a paper like the N&O operates have given me their best estimates of the number of editors who likely worked on the Mar. 24 story. The lowest number given was six; the highest was ten.

I'll use six as a "working number."

If six editors each fact-check seven items, each of which has an error, and none of the editors note any of the errors, that makes a total of forty-two errors that weren’t noted.

My question for statisticians: What is the probability that all six newspaper editors would miss by chance all seven instances in the N&O story where the N&O failed to use a qualifier such as “alleged” or “reported?”

Folks, I believe the N&O made a deliberate decision to not use qualifiers in its Mar. 24 story; and instead tell the public and media the False Accuser was a victim of sex crimes.

Whether reporters Khanna and Blythe were part of that decision we don’t know for certain. Editors often change reporters’ copy.

I doubt editors would “pencil out” qualifiers but with the N&O we can’t always be sure. Who would have thought the N&O would have withheld from its Mar. 25 story all the news it had of the players cooperation with police and instead promulgate the lie that the players were stonewalling and refusing to cooperate with police?

What we do know for sure is that editors, even N&O editors, are supposed to identify and correct errors. I believe forty-two or possibly more errors of the type we’re talking about here didn’t happen by chance or because of “deadline pressure.”

Exposing the N&O’s deliberate errors in its Duke lacrosse coverage is the essential first step to getting the N&O to eventually correct and apologize for what it did in its Mar. 24 story, “DNA tests ordered for Duke athletes.”

The Churchill Series – Jan. 10, 2007

(One of a series of weekday posts on the life of Winston S. Churchill.)

Historian and public policy analyst Steven Havward tells us in Churchill on Leadership: Executive Success in the Face of Adversity:

When Churchill went off to France [in 1915] to take a battalion command in the trenches in World War I, he knew that as a disgraced politician [following the collapse of the Dardanelles expedition which he had conceived and advocated], he might not get a warm welcome from the troops in the line. One of his subordinates described Churchill’s first meal with the officers’ mess:

It was quite the most uncomfortable lunch I have ever been at. Churchill didn’t say a word: he went right round the table staring each officer out of countenance. We had disliked the idea of Churchill being in command; now, have seen him, we disliked the idea even more.

At the end of lunch, he made a short speech: “Gentlemen, I am now your Commanding Officer. Those who support me, I will look after. Those who go against me, I will break. Good afternoon gentlemen.”

Nonetheless, Churchill quickly won over the affection and respect of his fellow officers and soldiers. Contrary to the initial impression that he would be a “tough guy,” he gained a reputation for leniency and generosity with his troops. He forgave minor offenses that other commanders punished strictly. He was especially indulgent of infractions by troops who had seen hard fighting. (p. 145)

I hope you’re back tomorrow when I’ll post further on Churchill’s WW I service in the trenches.

N&O editors cover-up

Melanie Sill, executive editor for news at The Raleigh News & Observer, frequently praises herself and her news staff for what she tells readers is the N&O’s devotion to the very highest standards of full, accurate and ethical journalism.

Melanie recently posted at the Editors’ Blog “Journalism AND blogs.” She low-rated bloggers and puff-puffed herself and journalists like herself. Here’s some of what she said:

Journalism involves a discipline of accuracy, verification, fairness, public-mindedness and truth-telling.

As part of democracy it empowers citizens by informing them, holds people in power accountable to the rest of us and, conversely, takes responsibility for its own actions.

Good journalism is labor-intensive, which means it's often expensive to produce. This kind of journalism is practiced mostly at newspapers and magazines, and among some broadcast sources.

And how did Melanie’s blog readers respond to what she said?

Here’s the first comment on the thread:

And the stonewall continues. Dick Nixon could not have said it better with the American flag and a Republican cloth coat in the background.

Platitudes and truisms do not substitute for honesty and accountability. Break the stonewall, Ms. Sill.

The stonewall the reader refers to is the N&O’s refusal to publish a transcript of its interview with the False Accuser.

The interview was a major part of the N&O’s now discredited Mar. 25 front page story from which, among other shameless acts, the N&O withheld the critically important news that the FA, whom the N&O said was “the victim,” had identified the second dancer and provided some information which N&O Deputy Managing Editor Linda Williams now says it would have been libelous for the N&O to report.

Melanie claims the N&O withheld only “details” so there’s no need to release the transcript. She accuses people who ask why she won’t release the transcript of being “conspiracy theorists.”

So much for verification and the empowerment of citizens.

The next reader comment included:

… As a blog hooligan, I like to visit blogs to find the nuggets of truth that are mined through much effort and from a variety of news sources and provide a clear, concise and chronological picture of the issue at hand.

And the retrospective viewpoints found on blogs also tell a very clear tale on which media source sought to provide accurate information thoroughly investigated before printing. Rare, but they do exist and unfortunately I don't see the N&O in the top 10 of those.

Even more telling, is when a media source gets it wrong, how quickly do they issue statements to their readers that they made a mistake. No, no, no, not a "correction" but a true statement of their errors.

Still waiting to read anything of the sort in the N&O, better late than never would seem to be applicable here.

Sill has offered no corrections for the N&O’s Mar. 25 story.

The next comment included:

"Journalism involves a discipline of accuracy, verification, fairness, public-mindedness and truth-telling."

http://rdu.news14.com/content/headlines/?ArID=97694&SecID=2

Manipulated pictures raise ethical questions
Updated: 1/5/2007 9:17 PM
By: Heather Moore

CHAPEL HILL, NC – The News and Observer ran a photo illustration of embattled North Carolina Speaker of the House Jim Black wearing an apron from the International House of Pancakes in it's Thursday and Friday editions.

The N&O modified the picture of Black to add the apron and published it on two consecutive days in two different sections without labeling it as an altered illustration. The paper admitted it should have been labeled as a photo illustration in its corrections section Friday.

OUCH, if you believe what you read in the N&O.

Melanie jumped in at this point and made comments that were quickly responded to. For example:

Ms Sill: There has been an unexpected but welcome benefit to the shoddy, biased and agenda driven performance by you and your brethren.

We, true liberals and true conservatives, watched in amazement, as you self righteously ignored the violation of basic fundamental rights to which all citizens are entitled.

Then, it got worse as the Duke President and faculty joined forces with you.

Just think how, but for the blogosphere, you, the H-S, Group of 88, etc. would have really poisoned the minds of the people with your prejudiced reporting and commentary.

Instead you made the blogosphere grow up in a hurry, in a quantum leap. What you, the 7 dwarfs and your ilk have done is to make all of us who respect truth and justice come together in a hurry.

Daily, numerous blogs , headed by KC, JinC, Liestoppers, Johnsville, LaShawn, Gaynor , Right Angles, and more provide far more comprehensive information on this case than you. Their analysis is more objective, their insight and conclusions are so clear and concise, and they follow the evidence and lack of it, to a logical end.

I think the last reader makes some excellent points but is too kind, at least to me.

And I bet Melanie agrees the reader is too kind, way too kind in fact, to ol’ JinC.

Well, I won’t disagree with Melanie. In fact I’ll give her the next to last word:

Journalism involves a discipline of accuracy, verification, fairness, public-mindedness and truth-telling.

As part of democracy it empowers citizens by informing them, holds people in power accountable to the rest of us and, conversely, takes responsibility for its own actions.

Last word goes to JinC on behalf of millions who want to know what the N&O withheld from the story that began the public frame-up of 46 Duke students:

.RELEASE THE TRANSCRIPT, MELANIE.

STOP THE COVER-UP!

The Churchill Series – Jan. 9, 2006

(One of a series of weekday posts on the life of Winston S. Churchill.)

Many of you know about the WW II British code-breaking work done at Bletchley Park. Breaking the Germans’ Enigma communication system was only one of the successes achieved by those working at Bletchley. They did something else that I think was colossal. Read on and see if you don’t agree.

Bletchley's role in breaking the German, Italian and Japanese signals codes is held by many historians to have been the paramount factor in the Allied victory of 1945.

Some have argued that the valuable intelligence garnered by the Ultra team probably shortened the war by at least two years, saving thousands of lives on both sides. But code-breaking was not Bletchley's only success.

In seeking the means to unpick the codes the Government had assembled probably the largest and most talented team of scientists ever to work together on a single project. It has been suggested that Bletchley was selected to be Station 'X" because of its location exactly half-way between Oxford and Cambridge.

The highly technical nature of the work led to the development of "Colossus," the world's first programmable electronic computer. By the end of the war ten Colossus computers were operating, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Each was up to sixteen feet long, twelve feet wide and eight feet high, with up to 2500 valves.
A modem micro-chip the size of a matchbox is capable of performing the tasks for which Colossus was developed fifty years ago!

I knew a great deal of theoretical work that contributed to the development of computers had been done Bletchley but was unaware of “Colossus.”

Churchill surely knew about “Colossus” but we don’t have, as far as I know, any comments from him on it because during his lifetime almost all the activities conducted at Bletchley remained secret.

You can read more about Bletchley and its contribution to our victory in WW II here.

Brodhead ducked this draft

At Liestoppers’ message board poster Quasimodo rang my bell by posting in full from a Chronicle message board the following letter Duke alum Ed Rickards drafted for Duke’s President Richard H. Brodhead.

Brodhead didn’t use Ricards’ draft but instead signed his name to something that was much more in keeping with his character. Sad!

You can read Brodhead’s letter here along with some of my comments (I’ll have more tomorrow). You also find there a link to KC Johnson’s comments.

Thank you Liestoppers and Chronicle for providing the sites.

Thank you Quasimodo for passing Rickards’ letter on.

And most of all, thank you Ed Rickards. Is there any chance when President Brodhead leaves you’d interview for a senior staff position with his successor?

John
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RICKARDS' DRAFT LETTER

Dear President Brodhead,

I have read your January 8, 2007 letter to the Duke Community and have written a better version for you to send out:

As we begin the Spring Semester, the lacrosse crisis has quickly moved in several new directions and I want to review them with you.

First, a recent graduate is suing a professor and the University, alleging he was flunked because he is a member of the lacrosse team. This is a most serious allegation, going to the heart of academic integrity. While the legal process is engaged, we are suspending the professor involved.

This incident is not alone. We are investigating another with the same professor, plus as some of you know the Dean of Arts and Sciences issued warnings to a number of professors soon after the crisis enveloped our campus about advocacy of their position in the classroom.

Members of the economics department faculty have written a letter to the Chronicle, which has been distributed even though the newspaper has not resumed publication after the holiday break. I regret the atmosphere is such that these professors felt impelled to assure all students that they are welcome in their classes and would receive fair treatment. I want to add my personal assurance -- that is the standard at Duke and we will tolerate no less.

Second, Duke University took a number of actions immediately in March and April that are not warranted:

A) We fired Coach Pressler, compounding our error by putting out a news release that he quit. I personally stated that his resignation was "highly appropriate. Coach Pressler did not walk away from his team, and as the special commission I appointed reported, the actions Duke took and the comment I made are not supported by the facts. We offer to Coach Pressler our apology. We made a colossal mistake. As inadequate as it is, we have asked him for an economic accounting of any financial loss, and will indemnify him. In doing so, we will not require a release from any legal action he might take.

B) We inflicted group punishment on the lacrosse team, cancelling its season. As Chairman Steel has stated, we did so for public relations reasons to cut off the flow of video. This was wrong. As our own investigation established, the team may have had rough edges, but it conducted itself even better than other teams that we field. I apologize to the team members, an apology even deeper because their destination might well have been a national championship.

C) We suspended lacrosse team member Ryan McFadyen. His parody on a movie that was being studied last semester in three different classes was inappropriate; but so was the punishment we enacted. He committed no crime, he violated no university policy. And the circumstances under which Duke secured from him a waiver of his federal right to privacy as a student were also inappropriate.

D) I have criticized in strongest terms the nature of the team party last March 13 -- even if a rape did not occur. I was in error in suggesting the party itself and the rape allegations were equal. In fact the party violated no law and was not against university policy, although we have since modified policy.

To many my criticism of the party smacked of blaming the victim, and I understand their point.

The Campus Culture Initiative is underway to study how we treat each other in all circumstances; while spurred to action by the lacrosse crisis, in no way do we believe that a crime that did not occur teaches us anything about ourselves.

E) Just before Christmas, I issued a call for the replacement of prosecutor Nifong. Many of you reached the same conclusion earlier; I may have been slow. We all stand together now.

F) Similarly we will welcome Reade and Collin back anytime they want to return -- as students and as athletes -- and will take special steps as appropriate to insure their experience at Duke is all they expected it to be. Many of you who saw the compelling evidence accumulate reached this conclusion earlier than I did. But we all stand together now: no rape, no sexual misconduct by any team member, no kidnapping, no dancer as victim.

These two important decisions -- calling for the replacement of Nifong, and welcoming back Reade and Collin because it is the right thing to do -- I hope you see in these two actions new leadership and new fortitude that you have not received before.

G) I want to make it clear that the legal process should embrace anyone who was untruthful -- anyone -- prosecutor, DNA lab director, and the accuser. Justice requires no less.

I recognize our campus is divided; I hope the coming months see a resolution of many of these issues, so we all shout together again, GO DUKE!!!

Drafted for Richard Brodhead
by Ed Rickards, Class of 63 and Duke Law 66.

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
_________________________________________________________


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?

The Churchill Series – Jan. 8, 2006

(One of a series of weekday posts on the life of Winston S. Churchill.)

Just fun today: two examples of Churchill’s wit.

From Steven F. Hayward’s Churchill on Leadership: Executive Success in the Face of Adversity:

Concerning Arthur Balfour [,Prime Minister from 1902 to 1905,] Churchill remarked: “If you wanted nothing done, Arthur Balfour was the best man for the task. There was no one equal to him.” …

[When Clement Attlee was Prime Minister and Churchill was Leader of the Opposition, Attlee was preparing for a trip abroad. Churchill said that] “no doubt [Attlee's] afraid the when the mouse is away the cats would play.” (pg. 5)

Sorry to be so brief but duty calls.

Brodhead reveals himself

An Anon commenter sent me a copy of the following letter that went today to all Duke faculty.

My comments follow the letter.

I'll say more in a few days.

For now, thank you, Anon. I didn't post immediatly because I was working on my comments.

John
_____________________________________________

From: President Richard H. Brodhead [mailto:poffice@duke.edu]
Sent: Monday, January 08, 2007 11:52 AM
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Subject: A Letter to the Duke Community

January 8, 2007

Dear Members of the Duke Community:

I write to greet you at the start of a new year. I also want to address some important developments that have taken place while the University was on break, and to offer some thoughts as we go forward.

Last spring, this community became embroiled in a major controversy arising from a party held by members of the men's lacrosse team. It is universally acknowledged that the behavior at the party was inappropriate and unacceptable. Several factors came together to intensify the emotional response to this event. Though vehemently denied by team members, the accusations that resulted from the party raised deeply troubling questions about sexual violence and racial subjugation, issues of fundamental concern to any decent community. Passions were further intensified by a series of statements by the Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong that a rape had indeed taken place. Intense media coverage heightened these passions, promoting an air of instant certainty about rapidly changing "facts."

In the confusion of this situation, the University's response was guided by two principles: that if true, the conduct that had been alleged was grave and should be taken very seriously, and that our students had to be presumed innocent until proven guilty through the legal process.

As perceptions of the story changed, the University continued to maintain the need for broad deference to the legal process. If this case has taught us anything, it is our need for a legal process based in fairness, the rule of evidence, and withholding judgment until the truth is established.

In an interview with "60 Minutes" last fall, I noted that given the concerns that had been raised, when the case came before a judge and jury, Mr. Nifong's case would be on trial as much as the students would. But as that comment recognized, the road to a resolution necessarily involved going through legal process, not outside or around it.

In mid-December, there were important developments as the legal process entered the courtroom. These included the revelation, in sworn testimony, that the district attorney had not shared with the indicted students potentially exculpatory evidence from the DNA tests. Also, on December 22, the Friday afternoon before Christmas, the district attorney announced that he was dropping the rape charge because the accuser was no longer certain about her claim. After Christmas, the North Carolina State Bar announced that it had reviewed concerns about the district attorney's public statements and found grounds to file a formal complaint. Days later, the North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys also called on Mr. Nifong to recuse himself in this case.

On December 22, I issued a statement saying that, given the certainty with which the district attorney made his public statements regarding the rape allegation, his decision to drop that charge must call into question the validity of the remaining charges. I added that the district attorney should now put this case in the hands of an independent party, who can restore confidence in the fairness of the process. That last phrase is, for me, the heart of the matter. We entrust our conflicts to the law to provide a path to a fair resolution. But to earn this faith from the public,

those who work in the legal process must behave with elemental fairness and regard for the rights of those involved. We need and deserve for that faith to be restored.

In the wake of these new circumstances, I concluded upon the recommendation of Vice President Moneta that we should offer reinstatement to Collin Finnerty and Reade Seligmann so that they can return to Duke and resume their studies. (David Evans graduated last spring.) Interim suspension, the policy measure that had been invoked last April, is not a disciplinary measure or judgment of guilt. It is a temporary measure taken when a student is charged with a violent crime, and its use must balance a variety of factors, including the gravity of the charge, the presumption of innocence, the possibility of danger to the student or the community, and the need of students to continue with their education. Although the two students still face serious charges, in the changed circumstances, it seems only right to strike the balance at a different point. The fair
thing is to allow the students to continue with their studies.

We all pray that the legal matter will be resolved in a fair and speedy fashion. But as a university, we also need to look to the future and see how we can learn from this chapter of history. By facing the lessons of this painful episode, we can make Duke a better place. Let me outline a few specifics.

First, we still have work to do on this campus. One thing that has made this event so difficult is that particular charges against individuals have tended to be conflated with larger community issues of race, gender, privilege, and respect. During these hard months, some have seemed to imply that if you insist on the students' innocence, then you must not care about the underlying issues. Others have seemed to suggest that if you insist on the underlying issues, then you must not care about fair treatment for the students.

But it is essential that we separate the legal case from the larger cultural issues and give each its separate, appropriate response. The Campus Culture Initiative, begun last year and due to report this spring, is not a referendum on the party last March. It is an effort to visualize the best community we could make for students to grow and learn in, a community of mutual respect and vibrant mutual engagement. It will be all of our work to advance toward that goal. I see this as a chance to build on existing strengths in our educational experience and to press toward higher ambitions: the latest chapter in Duke's long history of self-
improvement.

Just as important, we must work together to restore the fabric of mutual respect. One of the things I have most regretted is the way students and faculty have felt themselves disparaged and their views caricatured in ongoing debates, often by individuals - sometimes anonymous - outside the Duke community. In the age of instantaneous worldwide media coverage, members of the lacrosse team were judged around the world on the basis of highly selective, highly prejudicial coverage last spring. A number of them were subjected to vile abuse. More recently, a group of Duke faculty members (including a number of African American faculty) have been widely attacked in blogs and emails - and in some cases personally attacked in highly repugnant and vicious terms - based on caricatured accounts of their statements on the lacrosse event.

We want to see an end to these destructive assaults. We cannot change the nature of modern communications, but we can make an effort on this campus to promote more constructive dialogue and a more charitable atmosphere for exchange. This does not mean that troublesome issues should now be avoided.

It's the mark of maturity in a university when hard issues can be freely and vigorously engaged, and this past year has shown us many areas in need of discussion and debate. But it does mean that we need to be less quick to take offense at the words of others, and work harder to understand what others are actually trying to say - even if we then disagree with it.

In its very difficulty, this moment gives us a chance to strengthen the climate of respectful engagement in this community, and it is crucial that we come together to seize the chance. Turning conflict among divergent points of view into the basis for mutual education is at the core of the university's work.

Last, in the heat of recent debates, there's been a danger that we will lose sight of something fundamental, and I want to say it on all of our behalf. This is a great university, one of the greatest in the world.

The vigor, intelligence, and devotion of each member of this community - faculty, students, and staff - are what make Duke great. This place needs all of us. And all of us are incalculably lucky to be part of this place, and to have the others who surround us for partners and colleagues.

Duke can and will become better yet, and it's our business to make it so.
This is the season of the New Year - a time for new starts and fresh beginnings. Let's work together to make our university as great as it can be.

Richard H. Brodhead
President
************************************************************************
************************************************************************
Brodhead’s letter is mostly more of the "same old, some old" we’ve been getting since last March, with now some "It's Nifong's fault" added to conform to Brodhead's recent decision to abandon his longstanding support for Nifong's plan to bring David Evans, Collin Finnerty and Reade Seligmann to trial.

Brodhead invokes the familiar themes of race, gender, and privilege that he and others have used to justify their savaging the Duke students and their enablement of Nifong and certain Durham Police officers’ frame-up of David Evans, Collin Finnerty and Reade Seligmann.

People who understand Brodhead’s character will not be surprised to learn he doesn’t explain why he's never criticized the racists who shouted threats, including death threats, at Reade Seligmann on May 18 or invited his friends who lead North Carolina’s NAACP to join him in criticizing those racists. Perhaps he thinks the faculty doesn’t care.

Brodhead doesn’t give a hint as to whether he thinks the faculty should have shown at least some pro forma support for Seligmann on May 18 or since. His silence is likely to win “huzzahs” from Duke’s Arts & Sciences faculty, renowned for guarding its independence as fiercily as it protects its entitlement to preferred parking spaces.

Brodhead’s unquestionably firm and clear about one thing: no looking back. It’s a New Year, he informs Duke’s “community of scholars,” and we must all look to the future.

The letter should play well with all those on campus who rushed to judgment last Spring and still wake at night, aroused by dreams of Mike Nifong waving a smoking gun on the steps of Duke Chapel.

But the letter will, I’m sure, only further lower the already low esteem in which a large majority of undergraduates hold Brodhead.

Brodhead says:

One of the things I have most regretted is the way students and faculty have felt themselves disparaged and their views caricatured in ongoing debates, often by individuals - sometimes anonymous - outside the Duke community.

It's just "the rush to judgment crowd" that feels disparaged.

Most undergrads last Spring adopted either a "wait and see" attitude or refused to fall for the Hoax and believed their classmates innocent.

They now feel vindicated; not disparaged. And they have little sympathy for those who do feel “disparaged:” faculty like the Group of 88 and students like those who put up the Vigilante posters and demanded: “Who will protect us from the lacrosse rapists?"

Those undergrads, a growing number of whom are now blog readers, will quickly spot the pandering in “One of the things I have most regretted is the way students and faculty etc, etc.”

Brodhead tosses a bone to those sympathetic to the lacrosse players. He allows as how the players were subjected to “vile abuse” by media. But, as even Brodhead’s supporters would expect, he has nothing to say about the vile abuse the players and their families were subjected to by many Duke trustees, administrators and faculty.

For those of you who are wondering where’s “the gutter” in Brodhead’s letter, it’s here:

More recently, a group of Duke faculty members (including a number of African American faculty) have been widely attacked in blogs and emails - and in some cases personally attacked in highly repugnant and vicious terms - based on caricatured accounts of their statements on the lacrosse event.

No intelligent person - and Brodhead’s very intelligent – who’s followed events at Duke these past months can deny that many Duke faculty have said and written things that were foolish, ignorant and mendacious. In some cases - Professors Holloway, Lubiano, Starn and Wood come immediately to mind - faulty have done so repeatedly. For specific examples, see here, here, here, here and here.

Rather than offering caricature accounts of the statements and writings of such faculty, the critics I've read - KC Johnson, Liestoppers, Johnsville News, La Shawn Barber, Betsy Newmark (a Duke parent, by the way), William Anderson, Thomas Sowell, Jon Ham, Mary Catherine Ham and others – have used specific actions and statements of those faculty to expose their folly and mean-spiritedness.

Recently a number of bloggers expressed their upset that the full text of the "88's" "listening statement" was removed from the African and African American Studies Department's website. The bloggers wanted to link to it.

I wish Brodhead had explained what he found in the “listening statement” that lead him to conclude that critics who wanted to link to it are “repugnant and vicious.”

The most self-revealing and disgusting part of Brodhead’s letter involves his claim that “critics,” none of whom he bothers to name, attacked “a number of African American faculty." Not only does Brodhead fail to name any critics, he fails to cite a single example of what he calls the critics’ attacks in “repugnant and vicious terms.”

Did you ever think you’d see the day a President of Duke University would so shamelessly play the race card?

Did you ever think you’d see the day a President of Duke University would play the race card in a letter to the faculty?

What’s your estimate of the percentage of faculty which has any idea what Brodhead’s letter is telling them about what he really thinks of them?

What’s your estimate of the percentage of trustees who realize major changes are needed at Duke, starting with a new President?

What’s your estimate of the percentage of trustees who’ll either speak up and begin the change process or resign in the hope someone willing to speak up will take their places?

Those of us who want to make Duke better have a lot of work to do.

Let’s stay at it.
_____________________
KC Johnson offers his take on Brodhead’s letter here.

Maggief and Dowd suit comments

Who’s Maggief? And what’s her connection to the suit Duke alum Kyle Dowd and his parents have brought against Duke Professor and faculty Group of 88 member Kim Curtis and the University?

Maggief, as far as I know, has no direct connection to the Dowd suit but when the news first broke that the Dowd’s are alleging Curtis unfairly gave Dowd, a member of Duke’s lacrosse team, a failing grade Maggief reminded readers at Free Republic that a commenter here at JinC had some weeks back said her son had been a victim of grade retaliation by Curtis in 2004, and that Duke had mishandled the matter.

A JinC Regular alerted me to Maggief’s Free Republic comment. I then found the comment the parent made here and included it in this post: "Duke’s first lax suit."

I acknowledged the Regular’s help but failed to mention Maggief’s comment had started the chain that led to the parent’s comment’s inclusion in my post.

I’m sorry for that, Maggief. Thank you for your help.

And thanks also to every one of you out there who continually do things that make JinC a better blog.

Moving on –

KC Johnson has a “don’t miss” post: “Dowd and Duke.”

In “Duke’s first lax suit” I noted that the Dowd’s attorney, Joseph E. Zeszotarski, is a very well regarded, experienced litigator who, as a result of his peers’ assessments, has earned listing since 2003 in The Best Lawyers in America. I also noted Zeszotarski’s law firm, Poyner & Spruill, is large (over 100 attorneys) and one of the most respected in the Southeast. (links for Zeszotarski, P&S and BLinA are in "Duke's first lax suit")

Attorneys in Zeszotarski's position and law firms like P&S are careful about the cases and clients they take on. They also knew before filing that the suit would be a very “high visibility” one that will be closely watched by other attorneys and potential S&P clients. So it’s a safe bet they believe they have a very strong case and confidence they’ll be successful.

That leads to something KC said in his post: “It’s unclear to me why Duke allowed this case to progress to a stage where a lawsuit would be filed.”

Why, indeed?

It’s standard practice for claimants’ attorneys to try to resolve claims before resorting to the courts, especially when the defendant is one such as Duke, with all its access to first-class legal talent and the resources to pay for it.

I don’t doubt that Zeszotarski made a strong effort to settle matters before bringing suit. And I don’t doubt Duke made some kind of response. But, of course, I don’t know the particulars of what went back and forth.

I sure wish I did.

I’ll be interested to hear what you think.

Thank you, Beth Brewer

I hope you all know about Beth Brewer, the Durham citizen with no political experience who led the fight to defeat Durham DA Nifong in the November election.

Brewer wasn't looking for campaign work. But no one else among all Durham's "leaders" was willing to step up and take on a rogue DA. So she added defeating Nifong to her work and family activities.

After Nifong deceived his way to a narrow Democratic Primary election win on May 2, it looked to everyone like he was a sure bet for election in November. He had no opposition in heavily Democratic Durham County. On primary night Nifong thought he was home free.

This from an interview with Fox News that night:

VAN SUSTEREN: Now, sir, this was a Democratic primary. Is there a general election and you're unopposed? Is that correct?

NIFONG: Yes, ma'am, that's correct. No Republican filed, so as the winner of the Democratic primary, I will run unopposed in November.

But he didn't run unopposed. The Recall Nifong - Vote Cheek campaign came into being and Brewer volunteered to serve as its spokesperson and helped lead the group in countless other ways.

Brewer worked to use the election exactly the way our Founders hoped citizens would: To throw out scoundrels who abuse the public trust.

RN-VC gave Nifong a stout fight and in the process helped convince many people of how fraudulently he's used the powers of the DA's office.

Nifong had the active support of the Durham Democratic Party, the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People, the People's Alliance, the Durham Herald Sun, and The Independent, a self-described "progressive" publication that tells readers it doesn't like police and DAs who violate citizens rights, but decided to make an exception in Nifong's case and enthusiastically endorse him.

Nifong also had at least the tacit support of Durham's Mayor, Bill Bell, every member of the Durham City Council, and every County Commissioner except Lewis Cheek.

Perhaps most important for Nifong, he had the tacit support of Duke University's Board of Trustees and its President, Richard H. Brodhead.

Brodhead refused to say a single word critical of Nifong, even after Duke Law Professor James Coleman and others had called for Nifong's removal from the Duke lacrosse case. Brodhead on a number of occasions expressed his support for Nifong's plan to bring three clearly innocent young men to trial.

Had Brodhead spoken critically of Nifong before the election, his words would very likely have been a death blow to Nifong, who won in a squeaker.

With all his support, Nifong got only 49% of the vote while other Durham Democrats in contested elections were pulling about 75% of the vote.

I plan sometime next week to say more about what I think Brewer and those who helped her accomplished in the campaign. In my opinion Brewer and the others accomplished much more than the public has recognized.

Meanwhile, I'll end with part of the tribute colunist Joan Collins paid Brewer:

After the election, Beth will return to her private life as a citizen of Durham. She will return to her home, her family and her career. In his book, “The Greatest Generation”, Tom Brokaw observed, "Heroes are people who rise to the occasion and slip quietly away." After the election, Beth will slip quietly away, but her contribution will not be forgotten.

Hat tip: Liestoppers, which published Collins' column.

This made me smile

I'm often away from the computer when a thought about some item for a post comes to mind.

If I'm home, I usually stop what I'm doing, go to the computer, and "save" the thought by typing it into a "Blog scraps" folder for a later look.

A post thought came to me today while I was in the kitchen with my wife. I headed for the computer while repeating the thought under my breath so I'd have it just right for typing.

Then I heard my wife say:

"John, I love it when you walk away talking to yourself. It's so sexy."

Just another reason why I love her.

Nifong, in brief

JinC Regulars know I love those one or two sentence letters to the editor that make an importent point, often with humor.

One such letter appears today in the Raleigh N&O:

Regarding the Jan. 3 article "Nifong: I'll help Durham heal:" Mike Nifong healing Durham is like Typhoid Mary healing a typhoid epidemic.

Bill Koch
Releigh

Bless you, Bill Koch

Wonderful Brodhead parody

Duke University Professor Michael Gustafson is one of the few Duke faculty members who've been outspoken for right, reason and justice.

He's put together a wonderful Brodhead parody concerning the Dowd suit alleging visiting Political Science Professor Kim Curtis, a Group of 88 signatory, gave a Men's lacrosse team member an undeserved failing grade.

Michael’s parody plays off Brodhead's self-serving, "throw them under the bus," and pander to the Left statements:

“This afternoon the faculty member notified Provost Lange and me that she wished to suspend teaching duties until the grade calculation results come back.

I met with the faculty member this morning and she expressed regret for her errors of judgment and the embarrassment she had caused herself, her family, the political science department and the university. She repeated her denial of the criminal allegations that have been widely reported against her.

“Provost Lange and I welcomed these initiatives from the faculty member. We believe that suspension of lecturing is the right course of action, and we also see the importance of her taking responsibility for her conduct.

In a slight modification, I have decided that future courses should be suspended until there is a clearer resolution of the legal situation. I shared the decision this afternoon with the trustees, who fully support it.

The rest of President Brodhead's "statement" is here.

Read it. You'll be glad you did, unless your Richard H. Brodhead or one of those who wants him to stay at Duke so he can he can continue doing what he's been doing and not doing.

The Churchill Series – Jan. 5, 2006

(One of a series of weekday posts on the life of Winston S. Churchill.)

After serving as Churchill’s bodyguard for over 20 years, including throughout WW II, Scotland Yard Detective Inspector Walter Thompson retired. He was then in great demand as a lecturer about his experiences with Churchill. A point Thompson made often was: “Nothing escaped Churchill’s attention.”

We get an idea of that in the memo we’re about to read. It’s dated Oct.16, 1940, six weeks after the start of the London Blitz.

Prime Minister to Secretary of State for Air and Chief of Air Staff:

I see it reported that last night a large number of land mines were dropped here, many of which have not yet gone off, and that great harm was done.

Let me have your proposals forthwith for effective retaliation upon Germany.

I am informed that it is quite possible to carry similar mines or large bombs to Germany, and that the squadrons wish to use them, but that the Air Ministry are refusing permission.

I trust that due consideration will be given to my views and wishes. It is now abut three weeks since I began pressing for similar treatment of German military objectives to that which they are meting out to us.

Who is responsible for paralyzing action?

Thompson had it right, didn’t he?
______________________________________________________
Thompson’s observation, shared by others who served with Churchill, has been quoted by many historians. A copy of the Oct. 16 memo is found on pg. 365 of Churchill’s Their Finest Hour, 1949 Riverside edition.

At the N&O: Truth and cover-up

Readers Note: Back on Dec. 26 at the Editors' Blog Melanie Sill, executive editor for news at The Raleigh N&O, the paper which for nine months withheld from readers and the rest of media the news that the false accuser, in her Mar. 24 interview, had identified the second dancer and made statements which the N&O says it didn’t mention because they were libelous, posted this little item Sill titled, “Crime chatter:”

Mandy Locke writes today about forums and chat rooms surrounding crime investigations including several local cases: Duke lacrosse, Peyton Strickland and Michelle Young.

Reporter Locke’s piece is one of those typical “ridicule the blogs and their readers” stories many MSM newspapers run in order to discourage people from reading and commenting at blogs, forums, etc.

Here’s a small sample Locke’s “reporting:”

Itching to find out whether Jason Young's mistress gave a eulogy at his departed wife Michelle's funeral? Can't wait to offer some theory about why New Hanover County sheriff's deputy Chris Long shot to death Durham native Peyton Strickland? Want to dissect DNA testing procedures used in the Duke lacrosse rape case? […]

Online forums -- often sparked by the latest titillating crime story -- have become portals for people around the world to swap theories or debate each salacious turn in the case. It's partly about playing detective, partly about gossiping at the lunchroom table. […]

Why was she buying Strawberry Shortcake bed linens? The question kept posters going for a half hour just before 4 a.m. one day last week.

"I understand she has a little boy. She seems a little old to be enticing her husband to bed with those kind of sheets," one poster wrote.

Melanie Sill's post about Locke’s “story” didn’t draw a single comment until this morning, when it drew a very thoughtful and powerful one.

I responded to the commenter.

The comment and my response follow.

After reading them I hope you’ll leave your own comment on the "Crime chatter" thread. I hope those of you who post at other blogs, forums, etc will pass the word to them and encourage more comments. And, as always, I look forward to your comments.

John
_______________________________________________________

Comment from: Michelle West [Visitor]
01/05/07 at 09:06

This morning I read the account by a Professor Davidson defending her decision to sign a petition before knowing anything about the guilt or innocence of any of the lacrosse players. She described most of the critical comments that she has received as coming from "right winged hooligans" ---- that term used again.

My hope is that before any of my children are old enough to attend college, the Duke administration will "clean house". The narrow-minded jealousy, prejudice and ignorance that runs through my fellow Ph.D.'s at this institution is a poison that will eventually destroy it from within.

Imagine, just for once if those boys did not have the financial means to fight off this blatant attack on their rights? They would be in jail for many years because of a corrupt District Attorney and a faculty group of 88 that exists without the guts and backbone to say "I'm sorry". They continue to rationalize for their own self-serving purposes.

No one forced that woman to strip. She wanted to make money. That is all. There is no noble meaning to her choice. None at all. She was doing a job.

I am also a professor and I have watched this in horror. It matters not the color of the unjustly accused, there is no glory in a false accusation. I am a Black woman. And I have a relative attending Duke. This is horrifying.
________________________________________________________________


Comment from: John [Visitor] · http://www.johnincarolina.com
01/05/07 at 15:13
Dear Dr. West,

Thank you for a concise, informed analysis of much of what's been going on in the Duke Hoax case. It’s a fine response to N&O reporter Mandy Locke’s story which refers to “the Duke lacrosse rape case;” and then goes on to ridicule people who comment at blogs, forums and chat rooms

You’re right in everything you say, but I want to add something to your comment. I hope you respond.

DA Nifong and Duke’s faculty group of 88 have been helped to do the great injustices they’ve done by many others.

Among the most important of those who’ve enabled Nifong and “the 88” are those reporters and editors at The Raleigh News & Observer who gave readers and the rest of media biased, inflammatory and false reporting that included extensive news suppression; and who continue to engage in a deliberate cover-up of what they did.

People commenting on the Hoax Case at blogs, forums, etc like Free Republic, Liestoppers, Friends of Duke University, Right Angles, Betsy’s Page, La Shawn Barber, Durham-in-Wonderland, here at the Editors’ Blog and my blog are intelligent, serious, informed and concerned citizens who want to expose the N&O’s cover-up.

They’re asking questions the N&O should answer.

Why did the N&O withhold from readers and the rest of media the news that during its interview with the false accuser she identified the second dancer and made statements the N&O now says it would have been libelous for it to publish? How could the N&O be libel if it published accurately what the false accuser said?

Why won’t the N&O, the ridiculed commenters ask, publish the full transcript of the interview?

Why is the N&O acting like Nixon at the time of Watergate when he said he would only release parts of the tapes?

Why did the N&O withhold from its now discredited Mar. 25 story and many others that followed it, the news it had that the players had cooperated with police extensively and repeatedly?

Why did the N&O instead promulgate in its Mar. 25 story the lie that the players were stonewalling and covering up for teammates?

Why did the N&O continue to report that lie in subsequent stories without telling readers what it knew of the players cooperation?

Why did the N&O publish “the vigilante” poster after Duke had expressed concerns that doing so would endanger not only the 43 white lacrosse players pictured on the poster but other Duke students and citizens?

I hope, Dr. West, that you continue to comment here. If enough of us speak up often enough someone at McClatchy may finally take notice and do what needs to be done to correct some things that are terribly wrong at the N&O.

McClatchy could start by exposing the cover-up. Readers and the rest of media are entitled to the truth.

Sincerely,

John in Carolina

The Churchill Series – Jan. 4 2006

(One of a series of weekday posts on the life of Winston S. Churchill.)

Historians continue to discuss the meeting of Churchill and President Roosevelt at Placentia Bay, Newfoundland in August, 1941. This BBC page has some information about their meeting.

But we’ll not be discussing their meeting today. Instead we’ll take a look at what Scotland Yard’s Detective Inspector Walter Thompson had to say about his meeting with Roosevelt at Placentia Bay. Thompson tells us:

During the Atlantic Meeting of August 1941, I accompanied Mr. Churchill over to the [USS] Augusta, where he was to have dinner with President Roosevelt.

Talking to my opposite number Mike Reilly …, I expressed an ambition to meet Mr. Roosevelt. He said that he would arrange for me to be introduced to the President that evening.

We were on the way to arrange this when we met Mr. Churchill. I explained to him what we had in mind, and he replied, “Oh, no. I will perform that introduction myself.”

He turned round, led me into the cabin, and said to Mr. Roosevelt, “Inspector Thompson has guarded me faithfully for a period of nearly twenty years. It gives me great pleasure to present him to you.”

It was a proud moment.

The President talked for a few moments and as he said goodbye, added, “Look after the Prime Minister. He is one of the greatest men in the world.”

_________________________________________________
Thompson’s account of his meeting Roosevelt is found on pg. 102 of Beside the Bulldog: The Intimate Memoirs of Churchill’s Bodyguard, a reproduction in its entirety of Thompson’s Sixty Minutes with Winston Churchill, first published in 1953.

Duke's first lax suit

WRAL TV reports:

A former Duke University lacrosse player sued the university Thursday alleging that one of his professors unfairly gave him a failing grade because he was a member of the team.[…]

The 20 page complaint was filed in Durham County Superior Court on behalf of the former student, Kyle Dowd, and his parents, Patricia Dowd and Benjamin Dowd against visiting political science professor Kim F. Curtis as well as the university. You can read the complaint here. (pdf )

I was impressed when I read it; and then doubly impressed when I learned the plaintives’ attorney’s name and firm.

Since 2003, the Dowd’s attorney, Joseph E. Zeszotarski, has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America; listing being the result of peer review rankings. He’s a Past Chair of both the Criminal Law Section, North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers and the Criminal Justice Section, North Carolina Bar Association.

Zeszotarski’s law firm, Poyner & Spruill, has over 100 attorneys, and is one of the most important and respected law firms in the Southeast.

What about Professor Curtis? A search of Duke's website reveals she been a "visiting professor" since at least 1996. (Yes, 10 years is a long visit. But then leftist professors seem somehow to like Duke even though many of them say terrible things about it. At least they stay and stay and stay even when they're only "visiting.")

Curtis is a signatory of the notorious Duke Arts & Science faculty Group of 88 "listening statement."

She comments often on public issues. Here's some of what she said shortly after 9/11:

Taking another example, many feel distress over the long-time support by the U.S. of the mujahadeen in Afghanistan, whose oppression of women has been brutal. The distress this knowledge engenders is useful because it reveals the current administration's effort to position the U.S. as a defender of the rights of Afghani women for what it is: a cynical effort to orchestrate support for its war. This support depends upon controlling its citizens' knowledge of and feelings about this ugly history.

We violate our students' trust in not raising critical issues such as these, and by not teaching them to let these emotions move their intellect along paths other than those the authorities wish.

KC Johnson has more on Curtis' background and the Dowd suit here.

Final item: On Oct. 26 I posted: "KC Johnson at Duke tonight." On the post's thread Locomotive Breath has just reminded me there's this comment:

Judith said...

My wonderfully politically incorrect son, who was a Duke ROTC student, an athlete and an outspoken conservative will be there.

He was also a victim of "selective" justice" in Spring 2004 when he was a student of Professor Kim Curtis, one of the Group of 88. She FAILED him for the entire course for turning in ONE paper ONE DAY late. After finals were over, and students were dismissed for the summer, she brought charges against him for Lying with the Undergraduate Judicial Board.

His hearing was scheduled for August 27, 2004 (before classes even started) and he was not even able to present any credible defense. He was found GUILTY and suspended for two semesters.

He was ordered to vacate his West Campus dorm room within 48 hours, and his Duke Card was invalidated so that he could not buy a meal or even get into his dorm room to start moving out.

I have written about him a bit on the KC Johnson's blog, Duke in Wonderland. My issue is not my son's case, it is that these 88 professors are a threat to any student who does not toe their intellectual line.

I am willing to provide documentation regarding my son's case to anyone with a credible interest.

I hadn't done anything with the comment until tonight when I emailed it with a brief cover note to attorney Zeszotarski.

I know we'll all stay tuned on this one.

This just in: The Raleigh News & Observer is reporting the Dowd suit

Sheehan column links and an "old" JinC post

Some of you have asked for Sheehan column links:

Here's a link to her Mar. 27 "Team's Silence is Sickening" column:

And here's a link to her equally awful Apr. 3 "Shut down the team" column in which she tells Duke that it should "dump" Coach Pressler, something Duke did two days later.

While researching for a post I'll put up later today, I came upon the JinC post below, "Duke lacrosse: Seeking to avoid responsibility."

I posted it on June 19. Note that I said then the players were "possibly" the victims of crimes. The "possibly" doesn't really belong in there now, does it?

Anyway, you may find the post interesting reading. And those of you who are regaular readers of Sheehan will see, I'm sorry to say, that she hasn't changed since June 19.

John
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Raleigh News & Observer news columnist Ruth Sheehan is getting kudos today for acknowledging that Durham DA Mike Nifong may not be all he should be and ought to step out of the Duke lacrosse case.

I’m glad Sheehan’s saying that but I’m very troubled by something else she does in her column.

Sheehan excuses herself and the rest of media from any responsibility for the hysterical, vigilante atmosphere that’s targeted the players and made a terrible situation worse, including more dangerous.

According to Sheehan, it’s all Nifong’s fault. She tells readers :

Say all you want about the media's rush to judgment. But the truth is we report on allegations and charges out of district attorneys' offices every single day. And when a DA, especially one with Nifong's reputation for being a quiet, behind-the-scenes guy, comes out not only saying that a rape occurred, but that it was a brutal gang rape, in which the woman was strangled and beaten, you had to figure he had incontrovertible evidence.

No you didn’t. That’s nonsense!

We’ve all heard sometimes defense attorneys spin cases; DAs do it too. Sheehan knows that.

She also knows that in recent years, we’ve had in North Carolina a number of highly publicized cases in which DAs have committed very serious wrongs, including withholding evidence that proved innocence.

Then there were all the pressures of a tough election campaign weighing on Nifong.

Most of all, Sheehan knows about presumption of innocence and due process.

What all of us had to figure out when the Duke lacrosse case broke was how to be fair and respect the rights of the accuser and the accused.

For Sheehan and the N&O that proved to be a “Mission Impossible.”

Let’s take a look at just how the McClatchy news organization’s N&O (Its motto: “Fair and Accurate”) and Sheehan went about reporting the story as it first became public.

On Mar. 24 the N&O broke the Duke lacrosse story with a report calculated to turn public sentiment against the lacrosse players.

The N&O referred seven times in that report to the accuser as either “the victim” or with the possessive “victim’s,” never once preceding them with “alleged” or “reported.”

Thus, in the first story other media and the public would read about the Duke lacrosse case, the N&O cast the accuser as the victim leaving the accused players cast as victimizers.

The next day the N&O produced a sympathetic interview with the accuser which it headlined across five columns on page one:

DANCER GIVES DETAILS OF ORDEAL

A woman hired to dance for the Duke lacrosse team describes a night of racial slurs, growing fear and, finally, sexual violence

But the N&O’s Mar. 25 story was about more than a sympathetic interview with the anonymous accuser.

A police officer was quoted as saying the police would “be relentless in finding out who committed this crime." The N&O followed that with an explanation that it granted anonymity to “victims of sex crimes.”

The N&O told readers authorities had vowed to crack the players’ “wall of silence.” The N&O didn’t tell readers about the cooperation players had provided police until advised by counsels to remain silent until counsels were certain the players’ rights would be respected.

The N&O ended its Mar. 25 story with this:

[Duke’s Paul] Haagen, a law professor who specializes in sports law, said studies show that violence against women is more prevalent among male athletes than among male students in general -- and higher still among such "helmet sports" as football, hockey and lacrosse.

"These are sports of violence," he said. "This is clearly a concern."

Prosecutors try to end their jury summations with something that helps the jurors understand why the accused would have committed the crime or crimes. They call it “the clincher.”

I don’t know if N&O reporters and editors have a name for their placement of Haagen’s remarks at the end of an interview in which the accuser “told her story.” (Well, one of them.)

I also don’t know whether Professor Haagen was told his remarks would be part of the accuser interview story or how they would be used. I plan to email him and ask. I’ll let you know what I hear back.

On Mar. 26 the N&O reported on a vigil at the house on Buchanan Blvd held by supporters of the woman the N&O reported two days earlier was the “victim” of an horrendous crime.

Here’s an excerpt from the Mar. 26 report:

"This is to let her know that we're with her," Tompkins said. "If anyone could come and take a piece of her grief, we would."

Religious groups, neighborhood associations, and students and faculty from the university sang "Amazing Grace" and prayed.

Allyson Van Wyk challenged parents of the lacrosse players to talk to their children.

"The parents need to make them stand up and be men," she shouted.

The next day, Mar. 27, Sheehan followed that with her “Team's silence is sickening” column, in which she savaged the players for doing no more than following advice of counsel. She ended with:

Every member of the men's lacrosse team knows who was involved, whether it was gang rape or not.

Until the team members come forward with that information, forfeiting games isn't enough.

Shut down the team.

But what did the N&O report Nifong said as the N&O broke the story and during the next few days?

I undertook a customized search of N&O archives for the period Mar. 24 to Mar. 30 using the input word “Nifong.”

The first time an article with “Nifong” appeared in the search result was Mar. 28, after the publication of the N&O’s first three Duke lacrosse stories and Sheehan’s column.

Separate searches using the same dates and the input terms “District Attorney” and “DA” failed to turn up any archived items referencing or quoting Nifong in any capacity before Mar. 28.

On Mar. 28 Nifong appears in two N&O stories in the full Nifong mode so many of us have come to abhor.

In one story he calls the players “a bunch of hooligans” and in the other he says, "We're talking about a situation where had somebody spoken up and said, 'Wait a minute, we can't do this,' this incident might not have taken place."

I don’t question that Nifong’s remarks in the Mar. 28 articles were prejudicial to the lacrosse players. But they followed the N&O’s first three stories and Sheehan’s column.

By all means we should hold Nifong accountable for his actions.

But we must do the same with Sheehan, the N&O, and the rest of media that acted in ways that were grossly prejudicial to a group of college students who we may yet learn are the victims of a monumental injustice, and possibly, of crimes.

We must not let Sheehan, the N&O or the rest of media involved in unfairly targeting and framing the players dump what they are responsible for onto Nifong.

That shouldn’t happen because it would be unfair. And it shouldn’t happen because if they avoid acknowledging and correcting what they’ve done, it’s more likely that other individuals and groups will suffer unfair treatment from much of media just as the players have.

Media in America need to be held to a high standard; and it can’t be one it decides for itself.

Which of us would want to receive from a major news organization the kind of treatment the Duke lacrosse players received from the "Fair and Accurate" Raleigh News & Observer?
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Post URLs
http://www.newsobserver.com/138/story/452286.html

http://www.newsobserver.com/742/v-print/story/421494.html

http://www.newsobserver.com/102/story/421799.html

http://www.newsobserver.com/138/story/422462.html

The Churchill Series - Jan. 3, 2006

(One of a series of weekday posts on the life of Winston S. Churchill.)

Readers Note: Here's the last of the "Amusing Oldies:" post that have appeared before but which I'm posting again during the holiday season in the hope they will give you smiles and perhaps a story or two to share with family and friends.

Tomorrow, new posts resume.

John
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During WW II Churchill frequently worked 18 or more hours a day. And he sometimes went days with just a few hours sleep per night. His aides were often forced to keep those same hours, much to their displeasure.

Detective- Inspector Walter Thompson, for many years Churchill’s principal bodyguard, recalled the time in June, 1940 when Churchill and his party had just arrived back in England after two exhausting days in France trying to persuade the French not to agree to an armistice with the Germans.

The party had just landed at Hendon airport near London when Churchill announced, “We will have a Cabinet meeting at 10 p. m.”

The Foreign Secretary, Lord Halifax, was dismayed. “Surely not tonight, Winston,” Halifax pleaded. “We have had a long day; it will make such a late night.”

Churchill paused a moment before saying, “All right, we’ll make it 9:30 instead.”
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Tom Hickman, Churchill's Bodyguard: The Authorized Biography of Walter H. Thompson. (pgs. 117-118)

Can you believe this N&O news columnist

Folks,

I don't have time tonight to do the work I want to do on some of the very questionable statements The Raleigh News & Observer news columnist Ruth Sheehan made in her Jan. 1 column.

But I'll be at it tomorrow.

I plan to question why Sheehan said to readers:

What kind of dimwitted fools does Nifong believe us, and the potential jurors, to be?

I ask this, of course, from some experience.

I was one of the hopelessly naive who fell -- hard -- for Nifong's original depiction of the case.

In statements the State Bar now says violated ethics rules, Nifong described in detail the horrors of the alleged gang rape, including an attempted strangulation and racial insults.

Like others, I was outraged. And I wrote about it. I make no apology for that.

If you fell -- hard -- for what Sheehan told readers, you're no doubt saying to yourself: "Gee, poor Ruthie, she was fooled by Nifong just like me. I must send her a 'Cheer up; it's not your fault' card."

Ah, but if you've keep reasonable track of things, you know Sheehan viciously attacked the Duke students for following the advice of their parents and attorneys in a column that ran in the N&O on Mar. 27, before Mike Nifong spoke publicly about the case.

Mike Nifong is an early riser, so he had plenty of time to read Sheehan's Mar. 27 column before later in the day speaking publicly for the first time about a case that Sheehan had already said involved a team's silence that was sickening.

But now she's blaming Nifong for "his oringinal depiction of the case."

I want Nifong disbarred. I think he should go to jail. But he shouldn't be Sheehan's excuse for her column unless he spoke to her before she wrote it or spoke to other N&O staffers who "fed" Sheehan what she wrote.

I'll have more to say tomorrow.

Nifong can heal?

It looks like the NC State Bar, his fellow NC DAs and possibly other legal agencies including the U.S. Department of Justice will put Nifong & Enablers out of the frame-up and conspiracy business.

Faced with that loss, MSM news organizations say Nifong’s now planning to open a healing business.

But that doesn’t make any sense. As award-winning blogger, Duke Mom and Raleigh Charter School teacher Betsy Newmark points out:

The only way he could help Durham heal is to confess his abuse of power and acknowledge that he now knows that the accuser made the story up and that the lacrosse players are guilty of no more than bad judgment.

Betsy’s right about all of that, isn't she?

Well that got me asking: Could MSM news orgs be wrong when they say Nifong’s going into the healing business?

I’m wondering if what Nifong was really telling MSM was that he was going into the heeling business.

Wordnet offers as one definition of heel someone who is reprehensible. Remember the line in the old Jimmy Cagney movie: “You dirty, rotten heel?”

Who doubts Nifong belongs in the heel business?

In fact, I'm sure many of you know Nifong’s been in the heel business for quite some time; and on the public payroll at that.

We’ll all be relieved when Nifong goes into the heel business for himself and not at the expense of innocent people and justice.

Blogging resumes tonight

Folks,

Today's a travel day but by 8 pm or so tonight I'll have a few posts up:

One will concern Nifong and reports of "healing."

Another will be a fact-based inquiry to N&O news columnist regarding some statements she made in her Jan. 1 column.

I hope you are back tonight or tomorrow.

John

The Churchill Series - Jan. 2, 2006

(One of a series of weekday posts about the life of Winston S. Churchill.)

Here's another "Amusing Oldie:" a post which has run previously, but is here again during this holiday period in the hope it may give you a smile and perhaps a story to share with family and friends.

New posts begin again on Jan. 4.

John
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Today I saw one of America's finest, this one in Army uniform, enjoying a beer.

She brought to mind Ben Franklin and Winston Churchill.

It was Franklin who said, "Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."

And it was Churchill who,on October 21, 1944, flew from Cairo to Naples where he met with Allied military leaders, including General Harold Alexander, commander of British troops in Italy.

Alexander pressed Churchill with many requests. One was for more beer for British troops.

Churchill promptly sent a minute to the Secretary of State for War, saying in part:

The Americans are said to have four bottles a week, and the British rarely get one. You should make an immediate effort, and come to me for support in case other Departments are involved.

Let me have a plan with time schedule for this beer. The question of importing ingredients should also be considered.

The priority in issue is to go to the fighting troops at the front, and only work back to the rear as and when supplies open out.

I think Churchill and Franklin would have got along splendidly, at least most of the time.

And wouldn't we have loved to join them for dinner. Or even just a beer, if they were busy.
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Martin Gilbert, Road to Victory. (p. 1036)(One of a series of daily posts about the life of Winston S. Churchill.)

Pajamas expose Nifong

Early this morning DA Mike Nifong got up, dressed, drove with his wife to the courthouse, and was sworn in in private while media and the public were locked outside.

Nifong later assured media and the public it wasn’t his fault they were locked out.

But, like so much Nifong says, that wasn’t true.

Pajama media folks quickly moved into action, and helped expose Nifong’s full-frontal, naked lie.

WRAL had reported:

District Attorney Mike Nifong, under fire for his handling of the Duke University lacrosse case and public statements he has made about the investigation, was sworn in for his first four-year term early Tuesday out of the public eye.

Nifong insisted he didn't make the call to keep out the media or the public from the ceremony, but said he scheduled it for 8 a.m. so his staff could go straight to work afterward without dealing with the media.

Durham County Sheriff Worth Hill, whose office runs the courthouse, said it wasn't his call either -- it's just that the building doesn't open to the public until 8:30 a.m.

Well, that all seemed simple enough.

But when a serial liar is involved, few things are simple.

Citizen journalist KRD Durham alerted readers at Liestoppers Forum that a Durham County Sheriff’s Captain had contradicted Nifong.

The Captain said Nifong had made the call to lock out media and the public.

LS checked KRD Durham’s report. It stood up.

So LS moved the report to its main page. KDR reported:

"Man, Tivo is one of the greatest inventions…

"When asked who made the call to keep the press out, Nifong replied, “I don’t know that there was such a call.”

Then a reporter tries to clarify, “But it wasn’t you?” Nifong replied, “There’s no reason for me to make such a call, I scheduled it at 8:00 knowing full well the courthouse opened at 8:30.”

"Then the sheriff’s deputy is interviewed, Capt. Bill Wrenn, “I went up and asked did they want to let anyone in the building, and I was told no.”

"Anthony Wilson (wtvd11 reporter) then asks, “Who told you no?”

"Capt. Wrenn replies, “I asked Mr. Nifong.”

You can check what KDR reported by viewing and listening to Carolina 14's video.

Message to KDR: Great catch.

To KDR and LS: Great teamwork.

To Mike Nifong: You shouldn't lie.

To readers: Part of the importance of KDR and LS's work has to do with the fact that many news editors now monitor "the Duke lacrosse blogs." They'll know that what KDR and LS spotlighted is somewhere in the AP story that will cross their wires tonight.

Some editors may choose to ignore what KDR and LS reported but in the morning they won't be able to tell blog-savvy readers they didn't know Nifong had told a lie about ordering the courthouse locked.

Back to KDR and LS: Your pajamas look mighty nice tonight.

Nifong’s appropriateness

Since DA Mike Nifong hid exculpatory DNA evidence from the defense and public during his election campaign, there was a shameful appropriateness to his hiding his swearing in ceremony from media and the public.

Media and the public were also given a false story as to why they couldn’t witness and record Nifong swearing to uphold the Constitution.

Given Nifong’s conduct as DA, a false story was a most appropriate beginning to Nifong’s new term.

Now at newsobserver.com we find this headline: “Nifong swearing-in becomes private.”

Since Nifong’s used the public office of DA for his private benefit, could the N&O have run a more appropriate headline?

Usually a swearing in is something the office-holder looks forward to and welcomes friends and the public to attend.

But Nifong’s swearing in confronted him with two choices:

1) Bad – Hide from the public, put out a false cover story and take a pounding for that

2) Worse than Bad – Have the cameras record and the public witness his swearing to uphold the Constitution, and then face the national scorn and anger that would follow that.

Nifong knew his Bad choice was the best he could hope for.

Don’t believe his denials. He, like us, knows “the noose is tightening.”

Nifong hides, dissembles

While campaigning for election, Durham DA Mike Nifong conspired to hide exculpatory DNA evidence from defense attorneys and the public.

Today, at the start of new term, Nifong effectively turned the Durham County Courthouse into a bunker so he could hide from the public as he swore the two oaths of office all NC judicial office holders must swear.

Both oaths required Nifong to swear to uphold the Constitution of the United States.

No wonder he hid.

Carolina Journal publisher and blogger Jon Ham was at the Courthouse. His minute-by-minute report begins:

Durham DA Mike Nifong was indeed sworn in this morning at 8 a.m. in the Durham Judicial Building. The only problem is the building does not open to the public until 8:30 a.m. Consequently, a gaggle of upset media types were stuck outside until the ceremony was over.

At 8:03 a.m. there was a bit of excitement when a deputy opened one of the doors and said, “Come on in, cameras in hand.” But he was shouted down by two other deputies who yelled, “Don’t let them in.”

The rest of Jon’s account is here.

He says he’ll have photos and video later. I’ll keep checking in. You can to at Jon’s blog, Right Angles.

Liestoppers reports:

The excuse given at the courthouse door was that a scheduling errror prevented public access to the courthouse which does not open until 8:30AM, while the swearing-in was scheduled for 8:00AM.

Curiously, last months's swearing-in of Clerk of the Court, Archie Smith was open to the press and the public despite also taking place at 8:00AM (Monday December 4, 2006).

So there’s Listoppers acting as an alert liecatcher. The rest of LS’s report is here.

While it's revolting, it's also very fitting that Nifong began his new term hiding something important and lying.

Let’s keep working to get him out of office, disbarred and in jail.

The Churchill Series – Jan. 1, 2007

(One of a series of weekday posts concerning Winston S. Churchill.)

New Year’s Day and Champagne.

In 1915 Churchill wrote his brother that he was enjoying the four essentials of daily life. Cold champagne was, of curse, one of them. The others were hot baths, new peas and old brandy.

From at least 1908 through the rest of his life, Pol Roger was his favorite champagne.

From his letters we know that Churchill began drinking champagne while still in his teens.

As WW II was ending and the Champagne region was liberated, he wrote Pol Roger and placed an order. Concerning its bubbly, he told Pol Roger: “In defeat it need it, in victory I deserve it.”

During the early 1950s when he owned a racing stable, Churchill named one of his horses Pol Roger. It won three races.

Now, here’s to you and a healthy and happy 2007.