Identity Politics Colored Glasses

The Duke "Rape" case is over.  The Attorney General for North Carolina, Roy Cooper, will be on '60 Minutes' Sunday night discussing the collapse of this house of cards.  And yet, some people still are hanging on to the identity politics of the situation - privileged, white boys raping doing something terrible to oppressing hiring underprivileged black girl.  Witness Terry Moran of ABC News, who writes on his blog that you shouldn't "feel too sorry for the Dukies."

Mike Nifong, the North Carolina prosecutor who pursued a case of rape and kidnapping against three Duke University lacrosse players, has been found to have been reckless and deceitful in the discharge of his duties according to the state's attorney general. He abused the power the people of Durham granted him. Based on the public record of what he did in this case, he may well be properly disbarred.

Agreed.

The accuser in this case has been shown to be either a vicious liar or a troubled fantasist.

The three young men who she accused are truly innocent of the charges brought against them according to the North Carolina Attorney General and the investigation led by his office.

Ditto.  All of the above quite accurately gives the status of the case at this time.  Unfortunately Mr. Moran can't tear himself away from the identity politics through which most of the media, and certainly the 88 Duke faculty members, saw the case.

But perhaps the outpouring of sympathy for Reade Seligman, Collin Finnerty and David Evans is just a bit misplaced. They got special treatment in the justice system--both negative and positive. The conduct of the lacrosse team of which they were members was not admirable on the night of the incident, to say the least. And there are so many other victims of prosecutorial misconduct in this country who never get the high-priced legal representation and the high-profile, high-minded vindication that it strikes me as just a bit unseemly to heap praise and sympathy on these particular men.

Because many others have this happen it's inappropriate to sympathize with these three?  Why?  As I discussed with my friend's wife last summer, no one said that the lacrosse team members, Finnerty, Seligman and Evans included, were choir boys.  But they were completely innocent of the charges, which was really the only important point.  Despite that inescapable conclusion Mr. Moran  has decided that he needs to make them as guilty as they can possibly be while still being innocent.  For example.

They were part of a team that collected $800 to purchase the time of two strippers.

And this relates to being charged with sexual assault how?

Their team specifically requested at least one white stripper.

Those racists!  And this relates to being charged with sexual assault how?

During the incident, racial epithets were hurled at the strippers.

I heard that too, but I haven't been able to confirm it.  And this relates to being charged with sexual assault how?

Colin Finnerty was charged with assault in Washington, DC, in 2005.

And this relates to being charged with sexual assault (in Durham) how?

The young men were able to retain a battery of top-flight attorneys, investigators and media strategists.

To fight off false charges.  Let me say that again.  To fight off false charges, ones that could ruin them.  Yes, they were fortunate to have access to resources, but they're still a couple million short on their attorney fees, all needed to fight off a frame up.

And now Mr. Moran slaps on the identity politics colored glasses and holds the Duke laxmen guilty of a serious liberal media crime - being white with money.

As students of Duke University or other elite institutions, these young men will get on with their privileged lives. There is a very large cushion under them--the one that softens the blows of life for most of those who go to Duke or similar places, and have connections through family, friends and school to all kinds of prospects for success. They are very differently situated in life from, say, the young women of the Rutgers University women's basketball team.

It's because it was Duke, isn't it?  Ah, but there are lots of cases of prosecutorial misconduct, and this one got all the attention solely because the unfair treatment was to rich white guys, or so Mr. Moran thinks.

The media covers few, if any, of these cases. Most of the victims in these cases are poor or minority Americans--or both. I would hate to say (ed: no you wouldn't) the color of their skin is one reason journalists do not focus on these victims of injustices perpetrated by police and prosecutors, but I am afraid if we ask ourselves the question honestly, we would likely find that it is.

No, Mr. Moran, the reason the media covered this one with such attention was because the media covered - inaccurately - the accusation and the filing of charges with such attention, as if they themselves were proof, and because so many race baiters quite conspicuously and publicly jumped aboard a ship that would eventually sink spectacularly.  If you'd like those other cases of prosecutorial misconduct to get similar attention, then give them the same media frenzy when the arrest is made and the charges filed.  I'll be happy to write about those other cases if the big media will feature them prominently from moment one and be so quick to assign guilt, like they were in this one.

4/14/07 1255: To witness one of those race-baiters in action, with not only identity politics-colored glasses on but also blinders, check out the exchange between Michelle Malkin, guest hosting for Bill O'Reilly and Malik Shabazz of the New Black Panther party.  Pretty nice.  To lapse so readily out of civil discourse, on TV no less, because you find yourself defenseless in a battle of wits is pathetic.  Here's Ms. Malkin's post on the episode.

Comments

[Angevin13]

It's a shame Nifong was so corrupt, allowing Shabazz an out to blame him for botching the case as if the players were let off because of prosecutorial misconduct and ineptitude, rather than because they were, in fact, entirely innocent.

To watch Shabazz make a fool of himself--which is any time he opens his mouth--was fun; I was watching "The O'Reilly Factor" when it happened and I was surprised that he called Michelle Malkin a "political prostitute." Surprised for about a second, until I realized it was Malik Shabazz speaking. My favorite part was when he was caught completely off guard when Malkin asked when the last time he interviewed the accuser.

It's not the first time Shabazz has been on - I ask why, and can only answer that it's for his comedic value.

[Zsa Zsa]

Michelle did a great job interviewing them! ...

[Harry]

Very, very well put, Giacomo.