I am feeling great now that I know a Democratic tsunami is brewing:

http://www.democracycorps.com/weekly/Public_Polling_Report_-_April_24_06.pdf

Anyway, the poll results from SurveyUSA on behalf of WTVD say it all:

41% believe a rape occured, 43% do not and the rest 16% are not sure.

The racial polarization in the community that I’ve spoken of is plainly evident in a poll conducted last week of 500 adults in the RDU viewing area. The defense strategy of polarizing the community is clearly working and will seriously impact the selection of jurors in this case to the extent that the trial should be moved out of metro RDU into another area like the Triad or Charlotte where the intensity of coverage is not so ominpresent. According to WTVD, “Males were slightly more likely than females to believe the rape occurred. An overwhelming number of black respondents – - 72 percent – - believed that a rape occurred, while just 27 percent of whites agreed. Fifty-six percent of whites did not believe the rape accusation, with only 15 percent of blacks agreeing. ”

As I’ve said before, no matter what the truth of this case is, we’ll find it out.

“Haven t heard from ya in awhile. Hope all is well.”

Quite well. And you, Trevor?

Unfortunately you seem to be hopelessly biased against the defendants in this case. Witness: “deliberately overplayed to polarize the community along racial lines “. Some mind reading going on there my friend – on behalf of the accuser. Smells like a progressive lynch mob (which I guess must be OK if the lynching is in support of a progressive political cause – just like leaking, huh – some is OK) to me.

Dugger, Put down the rope and lets just let the facts, instead of race or sexual orientation, determine this case.

But, it is far.

Very far.

Remember how it was all set up in the beginning?

Not “A drug-addled stripper accuses lacrosse player of rape” but “College co-ed from the poor little college across town”….

Comeon guys, give me a break…

Haven’t heard from ya in awhile. Hope all is well. Anyway, there are a set of facts in this case and based on biased media coverage, they form the basis the defense case. The number one fact we have is that there is no DNA match. That was deliberately overplayed to polarize the community along racial lines and make the accuser look as uncredible as possible. The fact that most rape convictions are obtained without a DNA foundation is totally left unremarked upon. Secondly, we have an indicted individual with a history of gratutious violence in the form of gay-bashing. How far is it from gay-bashing to sexual assault and rape. I don’t think its that far. Lastly, we have timeline issues and cell phone photos which conflict with the victim’s account of events. These will have to be resolved in the course of the prosecution. Overall, I am inclined to believe this girl as are most of the people I’ve spoken with. We are pleased that the District Attorney has the courage of his convictions and is poised to press forward agressively in this matter. I believe that the truth, whatever it may be will emerge. I just hope that we allow it to emerge by re-electing him next week.

You do understand that there are a set of facts to this case? Those facts have nothing to do with skin color or past social history or previous remarks about a diffreent topic by one of the accuused. Your kind of comment is what would scare me. You seem to imply that justice will be renderd by finding the accused guilty -0 becasue of skin color and past remarks etc. Otherwise why all the extraneous BS.

Dugger

I’d take it a step further, and say “It is a sad state of affairs when either side of any case tries to claim victimhood when there is only one side that can legitimately lay claim to being aggrieved.”

The politics of race is sometimes nonsensical. Upper middle class sons of privilege playing the victim card over women subjected to racial taunts and sexual assault is a prime example of trying to have it both ways. We are supposed to overlook the lacrosse team’s criminality and run-ins with the law and magnify the past transgressions of the real victims here. The defense plays to the bias in our puritan culture that says unless you’re as pure as the driven snow, don’t attempt to get justice when someone violates you sexually.

It is significant that a prominent white woman in our community, News & Observer columnist Ruth Sheehan, admited to not pressing charges 21 years ago when she was raped. She didn’t want to be tried as though she were the criminal. It is a sad state of affairs when both sides in a rape case try to claim victimhood when there is only one side that can legitimately lay claim to being aggrieved. I cannot wait for the real victim to take the stand and tell her story to the world.

We agree on one thing.

During my ten years on active duty, I served with many who could be considered well off, and at least two who could be considered rich. As JWG pointed out, though, these were officers.

I don’t know, but this is now appearing closer to Tawana Brawley than the Scottsboro boys. We’ll see.

Dugger

I stopped caring about this case a while back — probably on “the anniversary” of the Holloway case (which I stopped caring about a looong time ago.

I am looking forward to possible “civil disturbances” when the white guys are exonerated — thanks to the already flapping lips of politicians, both black and white.

This is one of those stories about which most people have an opinion, and few facts to buttress their opinion.

The young lady in question may or may not have been raped, and if she was raped, the two young gentlemen charged with the crime may or may not have been the rapists.

The last I heard, the DNA didn’t match anyone on the lacrosse team, but the DA went ahead anyway; unless he’s a total loon, he must think he has something. One of the gentlemen charged apparently has an iron-clad alibi, but, again, who knows how that will turn out.

I think that the wisest course of action is simply to wait and see what actually happens.

Americans with money don t join the military

Of course they do. They tend to go to college and become officers (at least at the colleges that don’t force the military away), which is probably why you couldn’t find any.

And hell, as I recommended for Ben Domenech, if these guys weren’t rapists, I nevertheless think their next dormitory should be in Baghdad.