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Originally Posted by dean_acheson
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Originally Posted by JSLTIGER
I think, as a Duke student, that Nifong got what he deserved, and that it's a shame that he's now filed bankruptcy so he can't be sued for all he's worth. What he did was illegal and he should definitely suffer from it.
There is a lot of resentment about Duke in the Durham community, some of it justified, some of it undeserved. Can the students be loud and obnoxious at times? Yes. However, it is the students that have been pumping in $3.4 billion into the local economy and keep Durham on its feet.
As much as I feel for Nifong's family, he didn't just put the three players or even the whole Lacrosse team through hell, he managed to put every student that has attended the school in the last three years through hell. He wronged every student at Duke, and I'd honestly love to get a piece of him for it. Let me tell you, it was not easy to take final exams with thirty helicopters overhead, or with the press running to you every two seconds for an interview to "get a Duke student's opinion" or with the New Black Panther Party wanting to come onto the campus grounds, nor was it fun to be asked all summer:
"Where do you go to school?"
"Duke."
"Oh. You're not on the Lacrosse team are you?" (or some obnoxious variation thereof)
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10/4 on that! Nifong knew early on he didn't have a case. He is richly deserving of his fate of being removed from office, disbarred, jail time, and now being open to civil litigation for his unethical misdeeds in office. Prosecutors simply can't/shouldn't run around playing politics with their cases.
However, he is hardly alone in this. The group of 88 who signed onto that horrible add certainly deserve centure, and Broadhead should go. His lack of a backbone would cause me as an alumni to never send funds. Both Broadhead and these political huckster professors have a responsiblity to their student body to protect, and stand up for, their student body, much less for the 'innocent until proven guilty' standard. I wonder if this same professors had the same comments when discussing, say, O. J. Simpson?
This whole travesty was the PC crowd run amuck, empowered by a small minded prosecutor concered not with justice, but maintaining a government check.
Have you read KC Johnson's book on this? |
Regarding the Group of 88, while I think that their ad was misguided, I don't know that they should be censured for exercising their freedom of speech. I do think that they should have apologized to the community in another ad for rushing to judgment, however. I also find their lack of loyalty to the student body disheartening. Keep in mind, though, that almost everyone had convicted the guys in public without a trial. While some of that is due to Nifong's deceptions, almost everyone was taken in by the media's indictments as well.
I have very little to say about Brodhead, other than in person, he's a really nice guy, and his voice and name are just awesome. My own personal criticism: he should have cancelled finals with all of the media hoopla citing an irregular situation.
I have heard Professor Johnson speak, although I have not read his book.
P.S.: Are you a Duke alum, and if so what year?