Just in case you didn't know, there are experts on this type of thing.
Key Facts
- Every two and a half minutes, somewhere in America, someone is sexually assaulted.
- One in six American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape, and 10% of sexual assault victims are men.
- In 2003-2004, there were an average annual 204,370 victims of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault.
- About 44% of rape victims are under age 18, and 80% are under age 30.
- Since 1993, rape/sexual assault has fallen by over 64%.
And so it is with great sadness that we witness a question of causation. Although I understand where the sentiment comes from (and perhaps because of that), I want to rid this matter of sentiment. If there is a set of myths in America that need a bit of busting it is that nothing bad happens. We all know that bad things happen to good people, but when such incidents are used to deal with other agendas, that's when the great travesty occurs. You know what I'm talking about. Pretty white girl goes missing. Yeah, it happens. Black woman gets raped. Yeah, it happens. So what are we supposed to do about it? I think the answer is pretty obvious. Support your local police.
In these days of PC and disingenuous apologies, I have never seen such a well-reasoned and considerate statement as made recently by the President of Duke University. (Bomani has the full text.) And while there are still folks who are content to suggest that Duke is a white supremacist institution and that by implication, this is the kind of stuff we can expect from their students, I find myself wanting to play devil's advocate. I can't of course because rape is a terrible thing and if any of these kids is found guilty we're going to hear about it in urban legends forever.
Interestingly enough, my son, who plays the flute is also a big fan of lacrosse. One of the sharpest black men I ever met in the halls of corporate America, one whom I've modeled myself after, was the captain of his lacrosse team at Ohio State. So I've always had a positive regard for the game, only more enforced by my kid's desire. And since in all probability I may end up in NC, I would be absolutely thrilled to see M12 make it onto Duke's team. And if he has to be the only black kid doing so.. well, in my family we're used to being the 'only black' this and the 'first black' that. I can only hope that by the time he's accepted, all of this will have blown over. But you cannot expect that people who would politicize a sexual assault to lose an opportunity to make their simple mined points.
So my advice is to kill the noise and let justice run its course. University, for all of its faults, is not any more conducive to rape than anyplace else. The same sewers run under your neighborhood too. Act like you know.
Oh so the drama continues.
The feminists over at Pandagon have their eyebrows permanently arched despite the news that DNA has come back negative. There's always a fistfight over facts when people don't understand the concept. The basic concept here is crime and punishment, but far too many folks want to speculate of the implications of additional pounds before the cake is in the oven, much less eaten. Anyway, I spewed on 'em a little.
Anderson wants to puke over LaShawn's carpet bombardment. People really hate LaShawn because she doesn't even bother to make them feel comfortable about her black woman-ness. Only proves the power of stereotypes.
But the jewel in all of this is how Jimi Izrael has come with the bomb insight. It's a devastating analysis that only a ho would know. Or a very redeemed ex-ho as is the case for JI.
First Kobe, now this. What a pity for the lynch mob.
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