tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post7011269046870123216..comments2024-02-24T05:19:10.949-05:00Comments on Durham-in-Wonderland: Weekend Readingkcjohnson9http://www.blogger.com/profile/09625813296986996867noreply@blogger.comBlogger93125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-5260368204165932462009-04-14T09:15:00.000-04:002009-04-14T09:15:00.000-04:00The first half of this commentary -- until it is d...The first half of this commentary -- until it is derailed by comments about Vince and Crystal -- is a <I>magnum opus</I> of the Sunshine Band. (Please, no puns about the "mangum opus".) I mean, all the quotes from Cervantes and Plato ... I think the case can be made that a new course at Duke, "Durham In Wonderland For Credit", is well-justified.<br /><br />As for the derailment, let me suggest that focusing on Crystal is like focusing on the half-wit who set fire to the Reichstag in 1934 rather than on the Nazis who took advantage of the incident to destroy German democracy.<br /><br />RRHAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-14880174034846798392009-04-14T06:58:00.000-04:002009-04-14T06:58:00.000-04:00As good a reason as any to explain why the abettor...As good a reason as any to explain why the abettors keep abetting...<br /><br />Andy Taylor: Goob, did anybody ever tell you you've got a big mouth? <br /><br />Goober Pyle: Yeah, but I don't pay no attention to 'em.<br /><br />Atonement and reconciliation are two words that are not familiar to those in Durham or on the Duke campus. This is quite shocking given Duke's origins.No justice, no peacenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-67670236304856696762009-04-14T05:42:00.000-04:002009-04-14T05:42:00.000-04:00Should I be concerned that I could follow all 13 p...Should I be concerned that I could follow all 13 paragraphs? Ah, comparative literature. Then again, real science has taught me to disregard it as nonsense...AMPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14351946028157797749noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-47506535482797843242009-04-13T23:32:00.000-04:002009-04-13T23:32:00.000-04:00The most well known pastiche of a research paper i...The most well known pastiche of a research paper is Isaac Asimov's <I>The Endochronic Properties of Resublimated Thiotimoline, </I>published in <I>The Journal of Astounding Science Fiction </I> in 1948. On the day he defended his Ph.D. thesis.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-71416379455167691332009-04-13T23:19:00.000-04:002009-04-13T23:19:00.000-04:00To Debrah at 4/13/09, 9:08 AM:
As a Christian (Ep...To Debrah at 4/13/09, 9:08 AM:<br /><br />As a Christian (Episcopalian, on the liberal end), I must disagree with you when you write that the contention that Crystal Mangum deserves our compassion is "total bull shit".<br /><br />We can hate the sin (or crime) and love the sinner (perpetrator) at the same time. <br /><br />Crystal Mangum is, indeed a very messed-up young woman. Mistakes? She has made some whoppers, and continues to make them worse and worse by repeating the obvious lies. Sadly, Vincent Clark is being her enabler by giving her a forum. It's the worst thing he could have done "for" her.<br /><br />Sometimes the best sort of compassion is Tough-love. She got off VERY lightly when she made her false rape accusations and changed her story every time she told it. Maybe the State and the young mens' defense attorneys erred when the did not charge her or sue her. (They've taken a lot of heat for showing compassion themselves -- and CGM clearly has shown appalling judgment as a result.)<br /><br />What CGM needs, I believe, is to be made to bear at least some of the consequences of her actions. That would be the best compassion that anyone could show her.<br /><br />And her enablers must also bear the consequences of their actions -- perhaps in the form of lawsuits.<br /><br />Gus W.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-91828664075127334772009-04-13T09:15:00.000-04:002009-04-13T09:15:00.000-04:00In describing one of the mistakes that writers oft...In describing one of the mistakes that writers often make, Sol Stein writes:<BR/><BR/> ---------------<BR/>A second matter insinuates itself between the writer and success. All of us, in our daily speech to others, are not only trying to communicate information but to get something off our minds and into the consciousness of the listeners. When we write, we put down on paper what we think, know, or believe we know and pay little attention to the effect on the reader. That is discourteous in life and unsuccessful in writing.<BR/><BR/>We practice our craft to service the reader, not our psyches.<BR/><BR/>Stein On Writing, p 8<BR/><BR/> -------------------<BR/><BR/>Sometimes the courteous thing to do is to not publish.W. R. Chambershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10827973470339715021noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-46955790926464993402009-04-13T09:08:00.000-04:002009-04-13T09:08:00.000-04:00"Those horrific acts by Mangum deserve our derisio...<I>"Those horrific acts by Mangum deserve our derision, but this very ill young woman also deserves our compassion."</I><BR/><BR/>Total bull sh!t.Debrahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04567454727276881424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-84578135204495494612009-04-13T08:39:00.000-04:002009-04-13T08:39:00.000-04:00A couple of points:1) For all those who believe t...A couple of points:<BR/>1) For all those who believe that Wah-Wah Lube-em-up-now has not published recently, her CV (that's corpeus vacuumous in her case) should include the Listening Statement, probably her most scholarly work.<BR/>2) Tolerance is something that the left uses to lecture the right on. After all, when a "leftie" is speaking on a college campus, security is heightened and there is no tolerance for questions that don't conform to the leftist agenda. Conversely, when a conservative speaks, the "lefties" believe them to be targets--literally. Throw a pie, whatever, but don't let a conservative speak. The truth hurts so the motivation is to keep it from being conveyed.<BR/>3) Money drives the telling of Crystal's story. We need another good science fiction novel out there. Let it be published. Then let the lawsuits begin!<BR/>4) Any link to this current group of civil rights activists to the late Martin Luther King is a blemish upon his reputation and ideology. Dr. King believed in fairness and justice. McSurly, reverend Barber, and the others of that ilk would be an spot upon the premises that Dr. King believed. <BR/>5) Vince, nice tactic. Quote the Bible. Do you really believe it or did you just google to find some passages?afnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-63235815414685496912009-04-13T07:23:00.000-04:002009-04-13T07:23:00.000-04:00Bill Anderson, inre: "..The book was a last-ditch ...Bill Anderson, inre: "..The book was a last-ditch attempt by Crystal to try to squeeze out a bit more money..."<BR/><BR/>I think it important to split hairs here. There is no evidence to suggest this book will be her last attempt to extract financial gain from the harm she manufactured.<BR/><BR/>As such what is lacking is any atonement for ones mistakes or reconciliation with the truth. <BR/><BR/>Well done on your prior and concise use of language to get to the core matter - she lied. Though I much prefer the more precise "fantastic" lies.No justice, no peacenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-52573619658161700702009-04-13T07:00:00.000-04:002009-04-13T07:00:00.000-04:00While it is admirable that VInce wanted to help ou...While it is admirable that VInce wanted to help out Crystal Mangum's children, the real question is where are their fathers? Cystal has a degree in criminal justice, why has she not pursued the legal means to get her chidlren's father(s) to contribute to their upbringing. What is Crystal herslef doing (besides hoping that her book will bring in revenue) to support herself and her offspring?<BR/>While Vince may be motivated to help others, in Cystal Mangum's case he is nothing more than an enabler - as he gives her the opportunity to continue with her false claims that continue to harm others. That is in no way helping anyone to move on and to put the past behind them. The book is nothing more than a last ditch attempt for Cystal to "cash in" on her claim - a claim that she hoped would result in a shake down for hundreds of thousands of dollars but which, if it had not been for the Christian attitude of RCD and their families and AG Cooper,would have (and I would argue should have) had her seen real jail time.<BR/>cksAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-65643710491119795422009-04-13T00:40:00.000-04:002009-04-13T00:40:00.000-04:00Debrah writes @ 10:52 PM:"This must be the website...Debrah writes @ 10:52 PM:<BR/><BR/><I>"This must be the website for FireFilmz."</I><BR/><BR/>You're just now discovering a site that has been in existence for several months. <BR/><BR/>That site shows a part of Mangum that most of us have not seen --- the college graduate with a gold cord on her graduation gown to indicate graduation with honors; Mangum and her adorable children in their "Sunday Best"; and Mangum as a young US Navy enlistee.<BR/><BR/>That is Crystal Mangum.<BR/><BR/>Crystal Mangum is also a deeply troubled, pathological liar who likely suffers from bi-polar disorder. She manufactured a false story in every respect about three young men who, along with their families and their colleagues, suffered a great deal. <BR/><BR/>Those horrific acts by Mangum deserve our derision, but this very ill young woman also deserves our compassion.<BR/><BR/>At the dismissal of the charges and the declaration of innocence, the defense attorneys spoke of that compassion. The families of the players involved exhibited compassion toward Mangum, as did Attorney General Cooper in not preferring criminal charges against her.<BR/><BR/>When the announcement of her planned "book" became public, certain attorneys that had been involved and certain family members discussed the potential of lawsuits. Those statements had a chilling effect on any potential publisher and none, except Vince Clark, chose to provide Mangum a forum. <BR/><BR/>By any measure, Clark erred in entering into an agency agreement with Mangum. As others have suggested, this only enabled the deeply troubled Mangum to have a forum, albeit a minuscule forum that probably does not extend beyond Durham County.<BR/><BR/>To me, where our efforts are best suited is not with Mangum or her agent Clark, but with the institutions and individuals who violated law and procedure and who <B>should have known better</B> --- Duke University and certain of its professors and employees; the City and County of Durham; the NC NAACP; and the media. Continuing to shed light on their craven behavior and misdeeds, and working to see that they are penalized promotes hope for the future.<BR/><BR/>The best thing we could do for the very troubled Mangum and the error-prone Clark is to ignore them and let them return to the obscurity from which they came.<BR/><BR/>One SpookOne Spookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00592774438681904368noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-2626490274455652982009-04-12T23:02:00.000-04:002009-04-12T23:02:00.000-04:00Podcasts from Vince.<A HREF="http://www.firefilmz.com/podcast.htm" REL="nofollow">Podcasts</A> from Vince.Debrahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04567454727276881424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-79252814008586524772009-04-12T22:55:00.000-04:002009-04-12T22:55:00.000-04:00Does Vince actually say he believes what Ms Mangum...Does Vince actually say he believes what Ms Mangum has in her book? He seems to me to just be publishing her story, flawed as it is.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-83703137935844529622009-04-12T22:52:00.000-04:002009-04-12T22:52:00.000-04:00This must be the website for FireFilmz.On this gal...<A HREF="http://www.danceforgrace.com/gallery/gallery.htm" REL="nofollow">This</A> must be the website for FireFilmz.<BR/><BR/>On this gallery page you can flip through various photos that appear to be Mangum.....through the years.<BR/><BR/>In some of them, she is shown at her "graduation".<BR/><BR/>Too bad she messed up such an occasion for others.Debrahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04567454727276881424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-2209082260072411942009-04-12T21:36:00.000-04:002009-04-12T21:36:00.000-04:00An example of how some others have responded to th...An example of how some others have <A HREF="http://www.whataboutourdaughters.com/2008/09/duke-rape-accusers-manager-vincent-clark-responds-to-yallz-impertinent-comments/" REL="nofollow">responded</A> to this enterprise.Debrahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04567454727276881424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-59780160769349390402009-04-12T21:22:00.000-04:002009-04-12T21:22:00.000-04:00Bill:Just for the record, I am not troubled by you...Bill:<BR/><BR/>Just for the record, I am not troubled by your comments.<BR/><BR/>At the same time, in reading Vince's comments here, I do not see where he has not "come onto this blog and told the truth."<BR/><BR/>And, I agree what he [Vince] does is "fair game." <BR/><BR/>What he has done, in making the mistake of believing Mangum's false story, is help promote lies, and he needs to admit that and end it.<BR/><BR/>As I wrote, he has the opportunity to redeem himself, and I hope he does.<BR/><BR/>One SpookOne Spookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00592774438681904368noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-25289599826012334562009-04-12T20:10:00.000-04:002009-04-12T20:10:00.000-04:00I don't back off my criticism of Vince by one bit....I don't back off my criticism of Vince by one bit. True, he chose to come onto this blog, but what he tells us, and, more important, what he does is fair game.<BR/><BR/>The book not only claims that RCD raped her (although this time she did not name names, as Vince already had been advised by Al McSurely not to do that, as the action would lead to lawsuits), but she also claims that Roy Cooper, James Coman, and Mary Winstead <I>deliberately</I> covered up evidence of a rape. So, she not only accuses these young men of serious crimes, but she also accuses the state's attorney general and two special prosecutors also of committing felonies. In other words, she has raised the stakes.<BR/><BR/>So, she and Vince are on very shaky ground. It is bad enough to make false rape accusations, but then to accuse the state's top prosecutor that he also is covering up the rape really ups the ante. <BR/><BR/>To make matters worse, Crystal Mangum defrauded the government of thousands of dollars that she received under false pretenses. That is fraud, and had the prosecution in that state (not to mention federal prosecutors) had any guts, they would have charged her with financial fraud.<BR/><BR/>Vince's remarks about Crystal's children are quite touching. Please do not tell me that the only way a woman in Durham can care for her kids is to engage in prostitution and "exotic dancing." In reality, Crystal's children are wards of the state and have been so for quite a while.<BR/><BR/>The book was a last-ditch attempt by Crystal to try to squeeze out a bit more money, but I cannot believe this enterprise made anything at all. As I said before, had there been even a smidgen of evidence of a rape, Willie Gary would have been back in Durham in his private jet holding pressers, filing suits, and filling his pockets with money.<BR/><BR/>You know, Vince, I would have admired you a lot more had you come onto this blog and told the truth. But you are painted into a corner now. If you admit the whole thing is and was a lie, then you set yourself up for legal troubles.<BR/><BR/>So, your end game, and the end game of William Barber, Cash Michaels, Wendy Murphy, and Al McSurely is to continue to lie, since that is what everyone has done from the start. In the end, you gave us Tawana Brawley II.<BR/><BR/>Now, you can take pleasure in knowing that Karla Holloway still claims that both Brawley and Crystal were telling the truth. Hey, she teaches at Duke Law School, so she never would say anything that was not true, right?bill andersonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-65852450697835295852009-04-12T19:11:00.000-04:002009-04-12T19:11:00.000-04:00I confess to feeling a level of satisfaction that ...I confess to feeling a level of satisfaction that the angry race hating Group of 88 thugs on the Duke campus - will NEVER rid themselves of anger and self hate...<BR/><BR/>Their hate originates from self loathing and the realization they are truly insignificant, incompetent and yes - unequal in Academia..<BR/><BR/>All protestations to the contrary are negated by the clear and unbiased observation of their lack of meaningful accomplishments and their insignificant contributions to furthering knowledge.<BR/><BR/>I despise them for the damage they do to honest race relations - and insulting the memory of the fine black men and women I knew and served with.river rathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04367729188948782171noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-52567384687134816802009-04-12T18:53:00.000-04:002009-04-12T18:53:00.000-04:00First, a Kudo to DM @ 11:38 AM for an outstanding ...First, a Kudo to DM @ 11:38 AM for an outstanding comment. To your list of groups who have outlived their usefulness and exist only to "keep their power," I would add N.O.W. and the ACLU, two groups to whom I used to contribute but never will again.<BR/><BR/>And now to Vince, for whom I have a great deal of admiration for having entered this discussion. That took guts and frankly, I'm bothered by the way a few of you have responded to Vince. While I can both sympathize and relate to part of your anger here, portions of some of your comments were inappropriate and uncalled for at best.<BR/><BR/>Vince: I’m not going to call you names or make up things about what you or anyone else said.<BR/><BR/>I am going to question your judgment.<BR/><BR/>And, I am going to approach the examination of your judgment from a purely “business” standpoint because I believe that is precisely where you erred. I have been in business my entire adult life and I would add that my years in business exceed the number of years you’ve been on the planet.<BR/><BR/>I have read everything on your various websites; your biography; and all of the words you have written about your projects, including this book. I watched all of the video in the press conferences you hosted. And, about your projects, you have written here: <I>“Our original plan was to publish books on self-help, motivation and organizational development. Meeting Crystal made us put those plans on hold.”</I><BR/><BR/>I recall that you wrote that Crystal Mangum approached you because she heard your commentary on a local radio program. I read your very effusive praise of her on your first meeting --- that she appeared as not at all what you expected based on what you had read about her. Based on your reaction to that first meeting, you were obviously, and by your own admission, quite enthralled by her. You entered into an agency relationship with her. At that point, you were “in business” with Mangum, and I’m reminded of my first boss who told me, “Anything over five dollars is business.”<BR/><BR/>And, at that point, you have to put your “business hat on” and proceed with a hypercritical approach from then on. You must heed the words of the old reporter who told the young reporter, “If your mother tells you she loves you, check it out!”<BR/><BR/>In approaching a business relationship with anyone, it is prudent to do thorough due diligence about the project as a whole. If you had done that, you should have read reports that asserted Mangum had been diagnosed with a bi-polar disorder. You should have learned that the sole and only legal information about the lacrosse case that was NOT in the public record was over one thousand pages of Mangum’s mental health records which were sealed from public release by an order of the court. <BR/><BR/>At the least, you should have requested those records from her and examined them. Perhaps you did. If she was not willing to release her records to you, that should have been a huge red flag in your business relationship with her. If you were conversant with those records, prudent judgment would have dictated that marketing the “story” of a person with bi-polar disorder is fraught with danger and a high chance for failure. You should have considered that Ted Bundy told very convincing stories, had an extremely high IQ, and was described by virtually all who had met him as “charming and convincing.” He also possessed a very evil side and was a convicted serial murderer who had brutally killed several young women.<BR/><BR/>But, you continued to market her story. Of that effort, you wrote, <I>”What we did do was not preprint a lot of copies because our promotional efforts were constantly being interfered with. Everyone we had commitments from backed out.”</I><BR/><BR/>This should have been red flag number two. Regardless of the reasons you were given (and you did not share those with us) for their rejection of Mangum's story, you should have considered this:<BR/><BR/>Publishers are liable for what they print. Accordingly, they too do their own due diligence. In examination and verification of the facts of the story in the advance copies you submitted to them, they would have learned that Mangum told myriad stories to the police; to health professionals; to law enforcement investigators; and once to the media; that she was unable to correctly identify any of the alleged perpetrators on several occasions until a patently dishonest "photo lineup" wherein error was not possible, was devised.<BR/><BR/>Potential publishers would also have learned that individuals who had publicly made false statements about the individuals indicted were being sued, and others who were wronged in the episode were similarly being sued.<BR/><BR/>A prudent publisher examining Mangum's "story" would have concluded that a mountain of factual evidence exists that her story was absolutely untrue; that no fact, evidence, or other witness testimony exists to support Mangum's version of the events.<BR/><BR/>To a publisher, Mangum's story has "LAWSUIT" written all though it. Similarly, others have mentioned that a prominent black plaintiff's attorney whom the Mangum family had contacted, also "backed out" from "helping" her.<BR/><BR/>Allow me to digress here. Suppose you and I are planning to enter into a business relationship. In checking your background, I read that you ran track in college. <BR/><BR/>In time, I meet a delightful, charming, and articulate young woman who was a classmate of yours in college. I mention my plans to do business with you and casually mention "I understand Vince ran track in college," to which she replies, "Vince never ran track; he couldn't run bath water!"<BR/><BR/>I mention this to you, and you reply, "She's lying!" and I say "Prove it!"<BR/><BR/>You then show me college yearbook photos of your track team, newspaper clippings of meets naming you as a competitor, and you introduce me to a coach at your college who mentored you in track.<BR/><BR/>I conclude that the young woman was lying to me.<BR/><BR/>But, yet you persisted with Mangum's story. At one of the press conferences, Mangum said, <I>"“I want to assert, without equivocation, that I was assaulted."</I><BR/><BR/>That is a lie.<BR/><BR/>In the books, Mangum writes, <I>"the third attacker said, ‘I don’t want to. I love my fiancé and we are going to get married.’ The other two attackers coaxed him into taking his turn. When he finally did, each thrust hurt and it felt like my insiders were being ripped out."</I><BR/><BR/>None of that ever happened. Had that happened, DNA evidence of the "attackers" would have been found on her body and it would not be possible for anyone to have <I> "wiped </I> [her] <I>off"</I>.<BR/><BR/>In conclusion, Vince, I sincerely believe that you are a good, honest and decent man. You have trained others and helped others in the past. You had a good library of potential stories to pursue and were sidetracked after meeting Mangum.<BR/><BR/>I would contend that you too were duped by Mangum; by the very troubled and evil side of her that somehow causes her to concoct fantasy stories and convince others of their truth.<BR/><BR/>You made a serious mistake. I've made my share in business too; many of us have.<BR/><BR/>Rebounding from a mistake begins with acknowledging that it in fact, was a mistake. People will not condemn you for having made a mistake. People will condemn you and not do business with you if persist in promoting a lie.<BR/><BR/>The reasonable commenters here have raised numerous facts and matters of evidence that should be yet another instance of major red flags to you.<BR/><BR/>It is up to you to admit a very human error and move on, Vince, and I hope you do.<BR/><BR/>One SpookOne Spookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00592774438681904368noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-7255021802096912742009-04-12T15:28:00.000-04:002009-04-12T15:28:00.000-04:00Speaking of Al McSurely, get a load of this conniv...Speaking of Al McSurely, get a load of this conniving, obsequious, scheming, and retro feed sack <A HREF="http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A164381" REL="nofollow">twit</A>.<BR/><BR/>McSurely opines as majestic violins assemble in the background........<BR/><BR/><I><B>"Since I joined the movement, I've always felt much more comfortable in a black setting than in a white setting," he says. "I feel very uncomfortable when I'm in a room with all white people."</B></I><BR/><BR/>What a doughnut.<BR/><BR/>LOL!!!Debrahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04567454727276881424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-90612031831165382712009-04-12T15:15:00.000-04:002009-04-12T15:15:00.000-04:00From Wahneema's CV you get entries like these:"'Sh...From Wahneema's <A HREF="https://fds.duke.edu/db/aas/Literature/faculty/wah/files/CV.pdf" REL="nofollow">CV</A> you get entries like these:<BR/><BR/><I>"'She's Gotta Have It' and Womanist Deconstruction," presentation at the Neighborhood Film/Video Project, Inter <BR/>national House of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, 06 May 1991.</I><BR/>*************************<BR/><BR/>I'm assuming "She's Gotta Have It" is referring to Spike Lee's movie which was full of <I>deep intellectualism</I> like when a girl wants to satisfy her sexual urges.<BR/><BR/>She most likely then will become a "womanist".<BR/><BR/>Bet Wahneema liked that one a lot!<BR/><BR/><BR/><I>RESEARCH INTERESTS: Black nationalist discourse; Black intellectual history; Racialized Discourses / Race <BR/>Theory; Feminist Theory and Women's Studies; Black American modern and postmodern fiction; Black <BR/>American literary history and theory; Black American women writers; Whiteness Studies; Black American <BR/>popular culture and film; Queer Theory.</I><BR/>***************************<BR/><BR/>I hadn't previously been aware that there was anything called "Whiteness Studies".<BR/><BR/>My senses tell me that Wahneema's "research interests" will result in a whiter shade of pale since so many of us have left the tanning days behind, having realized how harmful the sun can be over a long period of time.<BR/><BR/>But of course, "Whiteness Studies" in Wahneema's world would focus more on <I>cultural differences</I>.<BR/><BR/>Bet she finds lots of <I>damaging</I> statistics!<BR/><BR/>Lastly, given her penchant for carnal exploits I think it's time that she team up with the professor of <I>luv</I> Michael Hardt as soon as she gets back from Prague.<BR/><BR/>I would certainly like to see some research done inside the "Whiteness Studies" realm.<BR/><BR/>And I would be anxious to know the aerodynamic differences between the "white floating phallus" and the myriad other "colors" floating around out there.<BR/><BR/>Thanks in advance, Wahneema!Debrahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04567454727276881424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-39401574374710832622009-04-12T13:52:00.000-04:002009-04-12T13:52:00.000-04:00Vince,If you claim to be promoting the truth, then...Vince,<BR/><BR/>If you claim to be promoting the truth, then why did you not have Crystal naming names? After all, the DNA from semen found near the toilet (it had been wiped up) belonged to someone who lived in that house. I am sure that Crystal was trying to intimate that the person who fit the DNA profile was one of the rapists. We know that person's name, so it would seem obvious to me that Crystal was telling us he did it.<BR/><BR/>(Interestingly, she did not point him out in the lineups, so I suspect that she changed her story to make it fit the forensic information we already knew.)<BR/><BR/>But, since Crystal insists she is telling the truth, and since your publishing outfit is the vehicle by which she is making her public claims, why did you not have her name names? Are you claiming that she had a very precise memory of everything that occurred, yet could not recognize any of the three men who raped and beat her?<BR/><BR/>Well, we know why you did not name names; it was because you would have been hit by a lawsuit. Al McSurely told you how to avoid being sued, and you followed his instructions, didn't you?<BR/><BR/>By the way, the late Kirk Osborn offered to show McSurely the entire case file to demonstrate why he believed Reade Seligmann was innocent. McSurely refused. Gee, I wonder why?<BR/><BR/>Lies, lies, and more lies. That is what we have heard from Durham, and I guess that is not going to change. By the way, Vince, you might remember that Jesus Himself said that Satan was the "father of lies" and a "liar from the beginning."<BR/><BR/>Do you really wish to be in the company of liars? Do you wish to be the conduit by which people lie?<BR/><BR/>This case ultimately is not about race, class, sex, or any of the "isms" that float around our society. Instead, it is about lies and the truth, and how certain people for political purposes will lie when they believe it suits them. If you wish to stand up for lies, then be my guest, but don't expect some of us to follow you.<BR/><BR/>And, please let me know why Crystal was wearing those vanity contact lenses at her presser. She wasn't hiding anything, was she? Oh, no, Crystal is as truthful as, as, as Mike Nifong.bill andersonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-86417706253599979072009-04-12T12:04:00.000-04:002009-04-12T12:04:00.000-04:00Vince:You may or may not have your own intentions ...Vince:<BR/><BR/>You may or may not have your own intentions at heart, I do not know. But, you are defending a woman who claimed rape and was proven wrong. If it was a simple "he-said, she-said" case and you want to defend her position, more power to you. But all she has going for her is her word (and remember, she is a drug addict, has a criminal past which includes trying to run over a police officer and did not even claim she was raped until it was suggested to her) against a mountain of evidence where there is NOT ONE IOTA of evidence that even SUGGESTS the crime occured.<BR/><BR/>So, excuse us if we think your an opportunist as opposed to someone who truly wants to help her. If you did your research, you would not touch this case with a 10-foot pole. Again, you have a mountain of evidence against a known liar, drug addict and someone with a past record. Why do you think even prominent black lawyers would not even touch this case.<BR/><BR/>And as an easily identifiable (overweight) white male who enjoys athletics (I work in an athletic department as a GA at a university, not actually participating), this case and everything surrounding it scare me half to death. Luckily, I was in the office many times on a Saturday night rather than partying. With seeing how easily these men were convicted, I could have been at the wrong party at the wrong time and boom, been charged for rape simply because a woman claimed it.<BR/><BR/>And, expain to us how it was determined CGM was incompetent to stand trial yet competent to get a CRIMINAL JUSTICE degree from NCCU? And what evidence is out there to support the notion she even went to college.<BR/><BR/>And throwing the "supporting the kids" argument is low. In the name of supporting the kids, we are also helping a woman who enjoys sleeping around and is a known drug addict. I am all for helping the kids. However, the help they need is to get them the hell out of under her care.The Random Ramblerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12038017789244905718noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-55797936773139857792009-04-12T11:38:00.000-04:002009-04-12T11:38:00.000-04:00I would like to thank Mr. Clark for joining the co...I would like to thank Mr. Clark for joining the conversation. His insight is much appreciated by me. <BR/><BR/>Some have touched on the point I'm about to make a bit, particular Prof. Anderson with his jaw dropping observations and comparisons of the G88 crowd and the Marxist tyrants of recent history.<BR/><BR/>What's most disappointing to me in this whole sorry affair was the missed opportunity of those who worship at the MLK altar to legitimize themselves as true justice seekers. Anyone who lived through or studied the early civil rights movement could not have been unaffected by the common sense truths that Dr. King spoke. Those in that same group would also have known that the civil rights movement could not have been as successful as quickly without the participation of a significant number of white folks, including white men.<BR/><BR/>But to our disappointment the civil rights leaders and activists which were incepted like labor unions have progressed and morphed as have many of the the larger unions. There was a time when working conditions were so poor that unions were a necessity to protect the workers. Those times are long past and the most unions are now thug groups that threaten the stabilities of the companies that pay them and their workers. The only time the workers actually need the unions nowadays is when the worker has failed to live up to his agreed to job performance. The unions now only protect the poor performers and themselves.<BR/><BR/>Similarly the civil rights groups formed to insure basic protection for "all" citizens under the constitution and received great acclaim in their early work. IMO great strides have been made in my lifetime to equalize the opportunities for all to attain the American dream, whatever that may be. And what has these strides bought us in terms of race relations?? And at what cost??<BR/><BR/>But the civil rights groups have become like the labor unions. When the initial battle was won, they refused to be satisfied, the had to serve another purpose.... to keep their power. In order to keep their power they had to create false obstacles to conquer. In doing so they may have, like the unions, done more harm than good.<BR/><BR/>This case was the ultimate test of the civil rights creed. "We want everyone treated equally"... How many of the so called civil rights groups had to revise their stances on a multitude of established axioms because of skin colors of the accused. I could go down the list from Bowen/Chambers, to Coleman, to all of the G88, to Cash, to Jesse and Al, the Right Rev. Barber, the Innocence Project, ACLU, Justice Department.... on and on. <BR/><BR/>Special recognition must go to the NC chapter of the NAACP and Irving Joyner. The summersaults and gymnastics they must have had to perform to reverse themselves on previous legal positions must have made them sore for months.<BR/><BR/>This case could have solidified the unearned precedence of many in the civil rights groups if they'd just taken a principled position on this case. The fact that they did not, exposed them as nothing more than charlatans who like most of the unions, are threatening the throw the baby out with the bath water.<BR/><BR/>It's a shame too, look how far we had come... now look how much we've lost. I fear the little picnic can't gloss this over.<BR/><BR/>DMAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-58225317240792531822009-04-12T10:16:00.000-04:002009-04-12T10:16:00.000-04:00Just checking the local news and in a comment sect...Just checking the local news and in a comment section of the Herald Sun, Durham's race wars still rage...... on Easter Sunday!<BR/><BR/>There was a brief report about a 70 year-old woman whose own son had her arrested for taking about $2,000 worth of coins from him.<BR/><BR/>Apparently this woman is an outspoken "activist" and people around the town know her.<BR/><BR/>One commenter rightly criticized a man who would have his own mother arrested for such a relatively small matter and wondered why he would allow her to be in such a position to need to steal.<BR/><BR/>The following commenter seemed happy about the arrest letting readers know that many black senior citizens are arrested for much less of an offense all the time.<BR/><BR/>LOL!!!<BR/><BR/>In Durham, race is a part of <I>every</I> dialogue.<BR/><BR/>Even the issue of where people are buried.<BR/><BR/>They like to know what color the people are beside them when they're pushing up daisies.Debrahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04567454727276881424noreply@blogger.com