Friday, May 04, 2007

Globe Readers Rebuke Murphy

Two letters in today's Boston Globe rebuke adjunct professor Wendy Murphy's misleading, guilt-resuming recent letter to the paper. A West Roxbury writer noted, correctly, that "it's hard to imagine a more compelling vindication of Cathy Young's opinion of Wendy Murphy's stance in the Duke 'rape' case than Murphy's own letter condemning it. I have rarely read a more twisted and venomous piece of self-serving innuendo." Lee Richardi notes that Murphy hopes "we are to infer that she is fair-minded and protecting the public's right to know, when what she is really doing is defending her own right to poison the well and hope that we are foolish enough to drink from it."

A reader from Arlington blasts Murphy for her tendency to "sensationalize limited information." Christopher Walters concludes, "As an adjunct professor of law who dabbles in tabloid news, perhaps Murphy could benefit from some renewed focus on such legal tenets as 'innocent until proven guilty,' and worry less about mainstream journalism's guardianship of our so-called right to know. I'm sure her students would benefit."

Given what we've seen of Murphy in this case, it's rather frightening to imagine what she's like in the classroom.

46 comments:

Anonymous said...

I imagine that, like Nancy Grace, she's out raping puppies.

Anonymous said...

I am expecting a swirling house from Kansas to land on Ms. Murphy any day now, any day now...

Observer

Anonymous said...

Here's a rather uncharacteristic comment from Murphy

>>>>>>
Wendy Murphy, a former prosecutor who now frequently represents victims of sexual abuse, said weeding out phony claims is important because false allegations by the few hurt the legitimate claims of the many.

''It's hard,'' Murphy admitted. ''It's not like insurance fraud started yesterday. The incentive to lie for money is real. There's not a lot you can do if someone is determined to do it, but lawyers generally have created a very good barrier against false claims. It's not perfect, but for the most part it works.''

Having worn both hats, Murphy said prosecutors and plaintiffs' lawyers are looking for two key things in an alleged victim's story: consistency and corroboration.

''It's the consistency of the story, but even more, a common-sense base. Is it a story that makes a lot of common sense?'' said Murphy.

>>>>>>>>


Hmmm, consistency and corroboration. Two things CGM totally lacked are the basis for how to evaluate a sexual assault case in Murphy's opinion. Now I see why she believes Precious.


http://www.boston.com/globe/spotlight/abuse/stories2/080502_fakes.htm

Anonymous said...

Well.....I suppose it's time to begin demanding that Bill O'Reilly and FOX stop using Murphy as a commentator on various issues.

O'Reilly occasionally solicits her opinion on cases of child abuse, etc.....

It should be stated that people like Wendy Murphy are used as fillers on cable news programs. There is a cache of mouthpieces of which Murphy is a part who will come on any show at the drop of a hat. She's pretty cheap goods.

She reminds me so much of Leo Terrell. Both are always over-the-top and seem to bask in causing arguments.

Leo Terrell was recently on a show opposite Larry Elder. Terrell was yelling and physically coming out of his seat when voicing his opinion against Elder's.

It was too funny.

Larry calmly said in reply:

Leo....Prosac.......Leo.....Prosac.

Murphy needs more than Porsac.

Debrah

Anonymous said...

Make that last one "prosac".

Ha!

Debrah

Anonymous said...

Shame on the media for giving this raving lunatic a voice! It's over, you wild-eyed manhater. You are dead wrong about this entire fiasco, so move on - PLEASE!!

Anonymous said...

Wendy Murphy is simply a wacko. The MSM uses her because she is entertainment, not news, not informative legal insight, just pure entertainment to watch her rant and rave. Her words and slander have caused harm and she should be held accountable.

Anonymous said...

Larry Elder rules, by the way. I only wish I had heard his commentary on the Duke case before moving out of his syndication area.

Anonymous said...

TO 2:11PM--

The local Chapel Hill station WUNC used to air Larry Elder's show late at night, but I don't think they continued for long.

The "Sage of South Central" was perhaps too real for their Liberal sensibilities. I'd like to see him with a cable news show.....a...la....Tucker.

Debrah

Anonymous said...

BTW.....Dennis Prager is responsible for getting Elder, who is an attorney with a degree from Brown and the University of Michigan law school, into the radio/TV hosting business.

Elder made his mark back in the 90's for giving such great commentary during the OJ case.

Debrah

Anonymous said...

Barry Saunders is back to his race-baiting now that the lacrosse case did not provide the fertile crop he no doubt would have cultivated to the max.

Saunders is another outlandish kibitzer...a.....la.....Wendy Murphy.

He never allows facts to get in the way of his stereotyping and his preconceived notions about what everyone of every race should be doing....or not doing.

This particular column makes my skin crawl. Why can't people like Saunders just allow others to live their lives as they choose?

Jordan&Woods

Debrah

Anonymous said...

Has anyone sent emails to Murphy? Any responses?? I sent a polite question, but haven't heard back. Gee, wonder why?

Anonymous said...

An aside:

Having followed KC's analysis for some time now, I am reminded of a serious investigator, scalpel in hand, leaning over a brightly lit stainless steel table and concentrating intently on the complete dissection of a large, slimy toad.

Precisely apply scalpel. Remove bloody piece of toad. Carefully examine piece under magnification. Put piece aside. Repeat.

It's fascinating process to observe.

Anonymous said...

What makes Saunders think athletes or other celebs have anything to say worth hearing? Tiger and Mike don't spout off on issues about which they know little--unlike many other singers, actors, directors, athletes, etc

Anonymous said...

There were more than two people that sent off letters to the GLOBE editor. To thier credit they published two from their local area.

Here is my letter to them sent on 2 May.

WENDY'S WICKED WORLD

Does Wendy Murphy really teach Law up there? Her commentary is so devoid of fact and so coated with personal bias that it is scary to think that she would be permitted to try to poison prospective lawyers with her unprofessional conduct. Hopefully the New England School of Law has figured out that they are being used to establish some credibility for a loose cannon. As Murphy is exposed it also reflects poorly on the law school and their graduates.

I understand that the current trend with media talking heads is to gather two extremists and let them yell at each other. That ploy provides the viewer with Jerry Springer like entertainment rather than meaningful reflection. That "quality" has no place in serious education. Nor does it help the real (and under reported) victims of the serious crime of rape. It only victimizes the accuser, the accused, the suspects, the community and in this case race relations. All that hurt just for a few dollars and some rating points. Wendy Murphy is the media rapist here.

In an area where there is a strong black voting block to which Nifong pandered, NC State Attorney General Cooper will take a major political hit for for his brave actions. He would not have exposed himself that way without the "real evidence".

Murphy claims that all the "real evidence" is not in, suggests that Cathy Young is wrong for lack of having that missing evidence, then asks "Could there be witness statements from the defendants' friends -- statements saying that a rape occurred just as the victim described? The answer is NO. The "friends" have been consistent in their recollections which is in turn backed up with photographs and other "real evidence". One has to ask Murphy to which of the accusers many descriptions of an attack is she referring .

Clearly Murphy has chosen not to read the Attorney General's report or check out the timeline evidence that proves that two of the guys were elsewhere in the accusers made up stories, preferring to speculate on some personal "real evidence". Instead she attacks and accuses those who have and those that call on her to prove her wild claims or be accountable for her lies. This deflection technique is wearing thin.

When I was just a kid we had a way of dealing with the likes of Wendy Murphy. We told them to "PUT UP OR SHUT UP". So now it is time for her to produce her "real evidence" and restore her credibility so that she my be worthy to be "an adjunct professor". Otherwise she should get out of the field of education, for the sake of the students.

Jack said...

KC, are you running out of things to say? Surely this woman isn't worth the attention you are giving her. This post simply confirms to Fox, or whomever, that SHE GETS ATTENTION when she opens her mouth! The major media outlets, particularly electronic, aren't so concerned with content, or positions, or right and wrong - they want viewers! Wendy is sure to deliver, and Professor Johnson is assuring her continued employment in that regard.

Anonymous said...

Saunders ignores Woods' charitable foundation and the other work he does for kids.

Saunders is just your typical bloviator.

--Lumpy Gravy

Anonymous said...

3:07

I've sent her two emails, one very early in the case, begging her to stop defending this liar because it was hurting her credibility and was damaging to real rape victims. No response.

I sent her an email this week, quite civil, taking her to task for inferring there was inculpatory evidence that Cooper lied about. No response.

Gary Packwood said...

Jack 3:27 said...
...The major media outlets, particularly electronic, aren't so concerned with content, or positions, or right and wrong - they want viewers! Wendy is sure to deliver, and Professor Johnson is assuring her continued employment in that regard.
::
But in the short run we get to learn how all of these people are linked together in their quest to radically change the culture and perhaps history.
And they ARE all working together.
::
GP

Anonymous said...

The only person I have seen blast Murphy on one of the cable news programs is Tucker Carlson--he really argued well with her, and then laughed in her face when she still would not see reason. Good for Tucker!

duke2009mom

Jack said...

Do you actually think there is a conscious effort on the part of FOX, the NYT, Nancy Grace and others to co-ordinate their activities on this story? I can see people in academia doing so, but the large corporate media entities are concerned with only with profitability and share price - and that means viewers and circulation, any way they can get them.

Anonymous said...

I cannot understand why far left liberal wacko like Murphy is on Fox News. I can understand why she is used by far left media, byt why Fox News.. I think someone here pointed out the likely reason. From Fox news point of view, yes she is far left out of touch wacko, but that's precisely the reason why she is on TV. Her stupid and vulgar comments are good entertainment, and also, it exposed far left wackos what they truly are (far left wackos).

I'm sure she is not on Fox News because of her intelligence or understanding of law.

Anonymous said...

I listened to O'Reilly on his radio show this afternoon (Friday). A caller today suggested to him that Muprhy should be condemned. O'Reilly claimed Murphy had apologized for prejudging the Duke defendants (he didn't say how or when), agreed that the critcism of her was justified but would not condemn her.

Anonymous said...

Her conflicting statements and intellectualy dishonesty -- to the point of absuridty -- indicate that this woman is playing a character (not unlike Ann Coulter).

The way to stop her from propogating her insidious and insincere views is to refrain from giving her a forum and stop giving her attention by talking about her. Ooops.

SG

Cedarford said...

Duke09parent -

I think getting to the tabloid people like O'Reilly, Hannity, Colmes, Rush when they are doing radio is a good way to tell them that they discredit themselves and people actually turn their shows off if Wendy Musphy appears.

As for Tucker, he was a victim of a false rape accusation and he takes delight in bashing Murphy face to face. Another person who regards her openly and contemptuously as a deranged loon is Joe Scarborough. That she is foisted on Carlson indicates producers still believe she is some sort of ratings gold.

I try to do my part. I now turn off any show with her on it. I encourage others to do so on sight of her or when the crazy bitch is announced as coming on soon. I emailed O'Reilly's site of that. Any show with Murphy on, off goes O'Reilly.

Anonymous said...

As a psychologist, I have been asked in the past to appear on some of these tabloid shows. I have always turned them down as they often misrepresent issues, facts and the profession itself. It takes a certain kind of person to appear on these shows regularly (narcissistic maybe)and act the part. Wendy fits the bill, but she has arguably become the character that she plays. A future role might be the wicked witch in "The Wizard of Oz", although it wouldn't be much of a stretch.

Jack said...

Cedarford -
"I try to do my part. I now turn off any show with her on it.

Yeah, sure. And you avert your eyes when driving by a car accident, or keep on channel surfing when some skin flashes across the screen.

Anonymous said...

Cedarford,
I did the same, I wrote O'Reilly and told him that for a show that claims to be a "no spin zone", giving any credence to Wendy Murphy seriously damages the credibilty of that claim.
I wrote him again a few months later after seeing her on the show again, telling him I was not going to watch the show period if she was on, well, she came on, I have not watched since. Same with CNN, I cannot simply believe the lies these organizations allow to be spewed to millions of people, it is just plain unethical.

BDay

Anonymous said...

KC -

If you haven't already seen it, a thread at LieStoppers (Farred's Non-Silent Racism, Williams Lecture Notes -from Ephblog) has a link to more G88 silliness:

http://z9.invisionfree.com/LieStoppers_Board/index.php?showtopic=3422

Anonymous said...

Does she actually teach anything at any school?

Gary Packwood said...

Anonymous 5:41 said...
Does she actually teach anything at any school?
::
Great Question.
We all should be asking that question.
I'll bet all of these people were brought in to beef up the liberal arts as authors and speakers.
And now, they don't know how to turn them loose.
If they need my permission to 'move 'em out' as we say here in Texas, they have it!
::
GP

Anonymous said...

Regarding the appalling and apoplectic Ms. Murphy, viva la difference.

She does much to expose an utterly corrupt legal system, and thus should be supported in all the vileness tabloid-TV can muster.

Anonymous said...

"it's hard to imagine a more compelling vindication of Cathy Young's opinion of Wendy Murphy's stance in the Duke 'rape' case than Murphy's own letter condemning it. I have rarely read a more twisted and venomous piece of self-serving innuendo."

Guess the writer of that is not acquainted with Amanda Marcotte then?

Anonymous said...

Excellent letter. It seems that McClain responded to an earlier discussion letter as any leftist gang88 PC academic would respond (with threats and intimidation).

An Open Letter to Dr. Paula McClain at Duke

How did you respond to this rational and correct description of the situation? Your reply said, “Your continued messages have now moved into the realm of harassment and I have reported you to your service provider for using abusive and inappropriate language in your email which was sent through their servers.”

Anonymous said...

duke09parent said... "I listened to O'Reilly on his radio show..."

The self-righteous O'Reilly thinks way too much of himself, particularly on radio - a patronizing oaf, pontificating as if he's lecturing American Gothic.

GaryB said...

jamil hussein said...

I cannot understand why far left liberal wacko like Murphy is on Fox News.


Come on, Fox news are their own gang of 88 on the right side. The true believers of the right and of the left are almost exactly alike, the bias just a reflection of each other.

Fox employs Murphy because she's a biased idiot much like many of their viewers. That way their audience can feel smug and self righteous while castigating Murphy ... who, again, is ironically an image of themselves, except she's on the left. Murphy and O'Reilly are book ends, perfectly paired. Blow hards.

Look to people like Cathy Young/Reason magazine if you want a chance at thought. Atlantic will often contain some thinking.

Anonymous said...

Have politely responded to Murphys antics but to date have yet to receive a response...surprise there...



Duke Lax Mom AND SO VERY PROUD OD IT!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Come on, Fox news are their own gang of 88 on the right side.

This is probably the most ridiculous statement ever. Fox News people do not lie, forge documents and behave like gang88. There is a huge difference between dailykos/CBS/gang88/Murphy and right wing columnists (OReilly etc). Fox Derangement Syndrome (FDS) is really funny. Maybe leftists believe it since they know that their side lie, mistort and promote racism and hatred (ie in Duke Hoax) so they assume everybody else is doing it. You just cannot compare CBS "News", New York al-Times and al-AP on one hand, and Fox News on the other hand. This case has once again proven it. And yeah, I'm an Iraqi police captain reporting american war crimes from Iraq..I see burned down mosques and shias burned alive. It must have been act of allah if they are well and alive the next day. As you know, al-AP does not lie.

Anonymous said...

To jamil hussein at 6:29

Enjoyed the letter to Ms. McClain, however, I still find it perplexing that so many posters and thoughtful supporters of justice, fairness and the lacrosse players continue to press for apologies. As was noted on JinC the other evening in response to John’s letter to the Dean of Arts and Sciences, do not hold your breath. It’s not that they do not feel they have done anything for which an apology is necessary. It is, quite simply, they are not at all sorry.

Anonymous said...

Just a little over a month before Mikey's big trial.
Wonder if Mikey's nervous.

Steven Imparl said...

Goofy Wendy Murphy is a crazed, man-hating, media-hounding, opportunist feminist nutcase.

Anonymous said...

The only reason I can think of for Wendy being on FOX news channel is that they are constantly being called "right wing". Never mind the fact that Greta, Colmes and others are there. So they put on Wendy who is on a lot of other media outlets. Hard for them to be biased when they are putting on left wingers and other guests from other channels. Also you must factor in that Wendy has been on tv so much she is a minor celebrity. Media outlets must think she pulls in some numbers. Plus Wendy has shown herself as willing to take any position no matter how crazy.

Anonymous said...

"Goofy Wendy Murphy is a crazed, man-hating, media-hounding, opportunist feminist nutcase." ....Steve Imparl

That is very mean amd insulting ... to REAL crazed, man-hating, media-hounding, opportunist feminist nutcases.

Wendy Murphy is way over the top. The esteemed executives of the Fourth Estate show utter contempt for their audiences by serving them such tripe.

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Anonymous said...

Joe Neff has an excellent story in today"s N&O. He has saved the N&O from itself. Why won't Sill own up to the newspaper's role in March 2006 of inflaming the hoax and creating the atmosphere that allowed Nifong to pull off his cold-blooded frame?