tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post8385416711346115225..comments2024-02-24T05:19:10.949-05:00Comments on Durham-in-Wonderland: Green Light for Nifongkcjohnson9http://www.blogger.com/profile/09625813296986996867noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-37207637339818210852006-12-01T18:27:00.000-05:002006-12-01T18:27:00.000-05:00KC, I noticed that in your summary of the Abby Wis...KC, I noticed that in your summary of the Abby Wisse Schacter article, you failed to mention that she also tore into Donna Shalala, whom you and several members of your audience have held up as a model of the type of person we need to bring in to replace Brodhead as president of Duke. Was there some reason why you left this little tid bit out of your post, such as intellectual dishonesty on your part? By the way, who the hell is Abby Wisse Schacter and since when does her opinion represent conventional wisdom in media circles?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-89918821254822635612006-11-30T17:46:00.000-05:002006-11-30T17:46:00.000-05:00If a university is going to ban a sport because th...If a university is going to ban a sport because the team members drink underage or make noise then no university in this country is going to be able to field a team in any sport.<br /><br />I participated in athletics in college and I can tell you that athletes can be hard partiers. I think the reason for this is that student-athletes have even more responsibilities and pressures than the average student. As a result we feel a need to blow off steam. That's how it was for me anyway. I drank underage on a regular basis and although I wasn't monitoring my noise level, I have a feeling I got pretty loud at times. Our team was involved in a few stunts and situations that we wouldn't want our parents to know about. Such is life. <br /><br />3:36 needs to unclench.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-30991348488133726642006-11-30T10:51:00.000-05:002006-11-30T10:51:00.000-05:005:47, likes to focus on spelling rather than the g...5:47, likes to focus on spelling rather than the gist of the argument. A diehard Duke administrator still trying to squeak out from accepting responsibility? Dean Sue, is that you? sic semper tyrannisAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-51287382096923935522006-11-30T00:49:00.000-05:002006-11-30T00:49:00.000-05:00If you can bear to watch it... here is a link to t...If you can bear to watch it... here is a link to the interview in which RB "questions the logic" of the players lawyering up.<br /><br />http://www.wral.com/dukelacrosseheadlines/index.html<br /><br />select the very last video<br /><br />"Duke news conference regarding rape allegations"<br /><br />darby.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-53895641891408610882006-11-30T00:04:00.000-05:002006-11-30T00:04:00.000-05:00KC. Regarding the following:
"1.) Several people ...KC. Regarding the following:<br /><br />"1.) Several people have mentioned the McFayden email and the firing of Coach Pressler. Both occured on April 5--well after any events described in this post."<br /><br />The McFadyn email may have been made public on April 5. But it apparently was known about earlier. According to the following link the email was written 03/14/2006 (the 3/7/2006 in the text looks to be a mistake - probably meant to be 3/17/06). The "Attachment for Application for Search Warrant" was made 03/27/2006 around your timeframe (see bottom of page in link). <br /><br />Link:<br /><br />http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0405061duke5.html<br /><br />It is not inconceivable that the adminstration as well as the "pot bangers" at that time did know of the email before the public did, either from the police or from the source that sent it to the police. Its content in itself is so startlingly that, at the time, it could have easily skewed opinion dramatically.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-23523583849630620792006-11-30T00:02:00.000-05:002006-11-30T00:02:00.000-05:00Duke09parent said: "That was when I decided to con...Duke09parent said: <i>"That was when I decided to contribute to the defense fund."</i> <br /><br />Our family discussion also included where the support would go this year. Hopefully, there will soon be an "offense" fund.<br /><br />Twaddlefree<br />(I also wrote the previous post...forgot to sign, sorry.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-61147996773491209092006-11-30T00:00:00.000-05:002006-11-30T00:00:00.000-05:0010:29 PM said: ""Duke is going the way of every ot...10:29 PM said: <i>""Duke is going the way of every other university in its practice and philosophy,"<br /><br />So twaddlefree, what university is left for your Duke-caliber children.....</i> <br /><br />My response would be far too lengthy and way off topic for this forum. And, since I can see the smirk in the words you have written here, I will respond only that:<br /><br />1. "Duke-caliber" has long be redefined relative to what it once meant. In fact, once the checks stop, our children are unlikely to even be accepted to Duke. <br /><br />2. Those who desire a liberal arts foundation on which to base graduate level study in business, law, or medicine are now not likely to understand Western Civilization and its impact on modernity if they attend Duke. The 88 have made that abundantly clear.<br /><br />3. There are many universities still committed to truth. All have the problems that were delayed in permeating Duke, but the leadership is such that the loonies are tolerated, not allowed to rampantly run roughshod over the minds of our children. Frostburg and Brooklyn look more interesting with each new day.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-75376084602521545042006-11-29T23:35:00.000-05:002006-11-29T23:35:00.000-05:00One of the reasons that Prof. Johnson's analysis o...One of the reasons that Prof. Johnson's analysis of the 1st month of the crisis is valuable is for high level managers to consider how to handle crises such as this. Rarely are such fast moving and public crises perfectly handled. <br /><br />Johnson rightly points out that his original post did not go as far as April 5th. But several posters referred to the cancellation of the season and the forced resignation of Pressler. Those actions occurred the afternoon of the day the McFadyn email was released by DPD in a search warrant application and that day was April 5th. <br /><br />The injustice of that forced resignation was not immediately apparent to outsiders. The email seemed to be further evidence of a program out of control. The top guy of the program loses his job in such a situation. Only later did we learn that Pressler had exerted efforts to control his players and that Duke lower level administrators had not even informed him of some of the minor infractions of his players. <br /><br />One of the indicators Dave Evans gave of his leadership qualities in his courthouse steps speech was the statement that he was relieved he was one of the ones indicted. He must have felt the responsibility for starting the party, which led to the false accusations which in turn led to so much trouble for his teammates and his coach. So if any of his teammates were going to have to bear the burden of indictment, he wanted to be among them. That was when I decided to contribute to the defense fund.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-57280409859298313242006-11-29T22:31:00.000-05:002006-11-29T22:31:00.000-05:00I think that the only way to make the people at Du...I think that the only way to make the people at Duke respond in any way but what their talking points have declared is through students going elsewhere, and individuals not sending money. Furthermore, these acts must be made public, so others can see the consequences of Brodhead's actions.<br /><br />My oldest daughter, who was graduated summa cum laude from the University of Tennessee and is doing very well right now, had considered Duke. After seeing the "60 Minutes" broadcast in October, she told me that she is very glad she did not go there. As a faculty member of another university, I will once again emphasize that what the Gang of 88 did -- and its approval by Brodhead -- simply cannot be dismissed as the actions of some cranks.<br /><br />These faculty members SPOKE for Duke University, and while other faculty members have disagreed, only a few have dared speak out. This tells me that not only are they intimidated by the Gang of 88, but they also believe that if they speak out, the Duke administration will pull the rug out from under them.<br /><br />Thus, Brodhead supports the bad people and stabs the good people in the back. I have two children who are very smart and are good students, and will be sought after by colleges when their time comes. Rest assured, neither of them will attend Duke University, unless that place makes a full apology for the role it has played in the wrongful criminal charges against the Duke 3.<br /><br />I have no problem whatsoever in criticizing Brodhead. Look, I do not claim to be a competent administrator, and never would be considered for a job like the president of Duke University. However, I do know right from wrong, and no one can tell me that Brodhead did not have a clear choice. He did, and we know that he chose to do wrong.<br /><br />As for his statement about the players hiring lawyers, I did not make it up, no matter what the Duke apologists might say on this post. In other words, I am not lying. Now, I cannot point to the exact link that led me to the story last April, but I remember clearly reading Brodhead's comments, and he declared that he was "disappointed" that the players had chosen lawyers. I guess he wanted them to face Nifong alone.<br /><br />So, Duke apologists, call me a liar if you wish, but if you choose to do so, you do not know me at all.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-13352980813168579082006-11-29T22:29:00.000-05:002006-11-29T22:29:00.000-05:00"Duke is going the way of every other university i..."Duke is going the way of every other university in its practice and philosophy,"<br /><br />So twaddlefree, what university is left for your Duke-caliber children.....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-47878601984884321952006-11-29T21:52:00.000-05:002006-11-29T21:52:00.000-05:005:17 pm said: ”Also, some were remarking yesterday...5:17 pm said: <i>”Also, some were remarking yesterday about Cash Michaels' piece on the NAACP meeting, and the fact that he referred to DA "Knifing." They wondered if he did that on purpose--and they inferred some meaning from it. I think he just used spell-check......”</i><br /><br />Spell-check prompts for changing a word as typed. Either the writer isn’t looking carefully, or knowingly allowed the change. In Cash’s case, it’s definitely a matter of negligence. He has difficulty with grammar, punctuation, spelling, thinking, and truth. I found that slip rather apropos.<br /><br />KC said: “Several people have mentioned the McFayden email and the firing of Coach Pressler. Both occurred on April 5--well after any events described in this post.”<br /><br />Thank you for correcting those who blatantly claim a high road that exists only in their minds instead of with facts. <br /><br />The importance and significance of KC’s article is the PROOF that in hiring a PR firm, Brodhead and Duke are paying for LIES in order to save them. That a firm would lie and that there is a NEED to hire one is a clear indication that Duke and Brodhead are in deep donation do-do. Neither cares one iota about any other aspect. <br /><br />At our annual family gathering, this year, it was a somber time of “Thanksgiving,” indeed. Duke and our support of it were seriously discussed. Collectively, we have five children ready to attend Duke in the next five years. All alumni fundraising letters have been returned check-less with the following statement signed by 24 living alumni in our family:<br /><br /><i>"Until President Brodhead is dismissed and certain Duke faculty appropriately and publicly disciplined for their actions involving the Lacrosse players and the accusations for which they have been indicted, not one child nor one dime will make its way to Durham from this family.”</i><br /><br />To be honest, this has been coming a long while. Duke is going the way of every other university in its practice and philosophy, as so aptly discussed in this blog by Bill Anderson and others. We have designated our support solely to athletic scholarships and other specific areas for the last ten years. This time, the break is likely to be permanent, no turning back. When the young members of our family begin to attend other schools, the loyalty will finally be shattered and the dollars scattered to various other institutions. So be it. <br /><br />TwaddlefreeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-33047292518393214672006-11-29T21:34:00.000-05:002006-11-29T21:34:00.000-05:003:00
"He can craft the most balanced speech,[but h...3:00<br /><i>"He can craft the most balanced speech,</i>[but he's so self-centered that he overlooked the fact that] <i>the paper can take excerpts to make it look slanted..."</i>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-34878389446696528172006-11-29T20:24:00.000-05:002006-11-29T20:24:00.000-05:00These young men are being framed for a crime that ...These young men are being framed for a crime that never occurred. Nifong, DPD, Duke 88, Brodhead, and the pro-Nifungus press all played a role in this. Everyone acts as if they know exactly what Dave, Colin and Reade did, said and act like act the party. Everyone acts like they know them personally and has a right to judge them based on the lies that have been fabricated. If you look at the pictures they don't look drunk, they look board. They never denied being at the party. They never tried to hide information from the police. In fact the police refused to take the lie detector test they offered. These young men were upfront from the very beginning. So the posts who condem these young men for going to a college party are sitting to high on their own alters. Those people who condemn the LAX team in general, you are condeming a group, making general assumptions that are incorrect. To play a sport like lacrosse in a division 1 school and maintain the grades these 3 young men did you have to be dedicated and intelligent. Physically it is challenging, you can't be a hard drinker, especially when they had an early practice the next morning. It seems those who wanted the season to end just hate athletes altogether based on jealousy or hate, such as the Duke 88. All I can say is Thank God the Federal Government has stepped in and is investigating. I believe they will be taking Nifongus's measurements for his striped jumpsuit soon. This new judge is an idiot if he doesn't dismiss this case on December 15th. He is just going to be added to the investigation, as to why he has sat on these motions for so long, and allowed Nifong to get away with so much lying in court. It will be interesting to see what connections he has to Nifong and the Governor.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-53396310194827821082006-11-29T19:14:00.000-05:002006-11-29T19:14:00.000-05:00The only child the 3:36 poster has at Duke, is his...The only child the 3:36 poster has at Duke, is his pet dog, when he takes the dog for a walk. According to him Yale is a much better institution of higher learning, so why isn't his/her child going there instead of a low standard University like Duke. Maybe he/she doesn't want to walk his/her dog that far.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-86886038459950054722006-11-29T19:11:00.000-05:002006-11-29T19:11:00.000-05:00A couple of quick points in response, as I'm just ...A couple of quick points in response, as I'm just out of class and am working on tomorrow's post.<br /><br />1.) Several people have mentioned the McFayden email and the firing of Coach Pressler. Both occured on April 5--well after any events described in this post.<br /><br />2.) Like many people, my opinion of how Brodhead has handled this affair has changed, as more facts have come in. I was initially (in April) somewhat favorably disposed toward him. The more I've learned, the more dubious I've become about his actions. The decisions he faced, as one commenter pointed out, were not easy ones. But that doesn't mean they can't be analyzed.<br /><br />3.) I wrote this (and tomorrow's) post for one reason and one reason only: the recent attempts, based on the DC gathering and other initiatives, to "rewrite" the past and assert that the administration in general and Brodhead in particular actively defended the presumption of innocence and due process.<br /><br />A case could be made, as Duke '03's thoughtful 1.15 comment did, that I have taken an overly critical view of Brodhead. But I don't think it's unfair to evaluate him by the very standard that he, himself, is claiming that he upheld.kcjohnson9https://www.blogger.com/profile/09625813296986996867noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-79341285598725445172006-11-29T18:43:00.000-05:002006-11-29T18:43:00.000-05:00"As Learned Hand reminded us a week or two ago, Br..."As Learned Hand reminded us a week or two ago, Brodhead was recruited to Duke because he is a proven leader who knows how to run a top notch university."<br /><br />Um...wasn't he Dean of Yale College...not President?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-34037770223012685732006-11-29T17:59:00.000-05:002006-11-29T17:59:00.000-05:00...and certainly not Brad Dickhead...and certainly not Brad DickheadAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-16869718136476832182006-11-29T17:47:00.000-05:002006-11-29T17:47:00.000-05:00Re: "I'll bet I go a lot further back and deeper w...Re: "I'll bet I go a lot further back and deeper with Duke University..." "Broadhead, in contrast, is a weak, hollow man..."<br /><br />Clearly from the contents of you post you do know *so* much more than I do about Duke. Ummm... but just FYI its "Brodhead" not "Broadhead"...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-19603194964671664592006-11-29T17:37:00.000-05:002006-11-29T17:37:00.000-05:00Good heavens, anon 3:36, what an angry post!
It's...Good heavens, anon 3:36, what an angry post!<br /><br />It's not just "a group of LAX parents" who are expressing dismay here and on other forums. I suspect there are thousands of Duke alums and friends, like me, quite unconnected with lacrosse, who are aghast that the Duke administration and faculty have shown such disregard for their own falsely accused students.<br /><br />I don't "hate Brodhead" or want to "tear him down." But I am critical of his failure to insist that falsely-accused students entrusted to the care of him and his university be treated fairly. I don't understand his failure to condemn the Group of 88's betrayal of the students, the potbangers' mob action etc. Maybe Brodhead has done a lot of good things for Duke in the past; maybe he'll do good things in the future. I don't know. But that doesn't mean that it's "one-dimensional" or disloyal for alums to decry his handling of this situation and call for a change in direction. Maybe he'll learn something from the criticism -- something about how the Duke community/family expects teachers to support students.<br /><br />And do you really think that Duke should tell all those students who attended the party to "go to hell"? Even those who only dropped by for a few minutes? Those whose only "offense" was drinking a beer? Should Duke tell the same thing to every student, male or female, who attended any party where a stripper of either sex performed? <br /><br />The Duke administration really needs to rethink its approach to the hoax. Hoping to stay off the front pages and throwing mud at the lacrosse team (i.e. even if they're not rapists after all, they're "no angels" and "what they did do is bad enough")isn't acceptable to those of us who love the place. And then the administration needs to pay attention to the issues of academic credibility that the antics of the 88 have brought to public attention. Otherwise prospective students and parents will start telling Duke to go to hell, which would be tragic.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-62274290011718031502006-11-29T17:23:00.000-05:002006-11-29T17:23:00.000-05:00Bill, Please provide a link to Brodhead's speech t...Bill, Please provide a link to Brodhead's speech that questioned the players' need for attorneys. I felt I followed all of his speeches, and I don't recall that (and frankly don't believe it.)<br /><br />Also, what evidence do you have that the administration KNEW the police were coming on campus. I have heard from students that were there that the cops simply showed up and asked some students to let them in--nothing about campus police or the admin. These two claims are very serious, IMO, and I'd like something other that your word that they are true.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-84965205306534906562006-11-29T17:17:00.000-05:002006-11-29T17:17:00.000-05:00To Dukeparent09--very well said.
Also, some were ...To Dukeparent09--very well said.<br /><br />Also, some were remarking yesterday about Cash Michaels' piece on the NAACP meeting, and the fact that he referred to DA "Knifing." They wondered if he did that on purpose--and they inferred some meaning from it. I think he just used spellcheck......Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-28171403299846457882006-11-29T17:14:00.000-05:002006-11-29T17:14:00.000-05:00The Duke campus police knew about the cops coming ...The Duke campus police knew about the cops coming to campus. If Brodhead did not know, or if no one told him, then that would tell me that his underlings do not respect him.<br /><br />The Durham police visit was done purely for show. Afterward, Brodhead DID call for cooperation with the police, and he DID condemn the players for hiring attorneys. Both of those are on the record.<br /><br />So, here were a number of young men being accused of what used to be a capital crime, yet Brodhead condemns them for seeking legal protection? I don't know why people continue to defend this person. He literally called for a bunch of young men who really do not know much about the kind of hardball that prosecutors play, and he condemned them for seeking legal protection when those young men KNEW they had committed no crime of rape and kidnapping?<br /><br />Come now. We are adults on this post. It is obvious that Brodhead either was too weak to stand up for even basic due process, or he really wanted those guys to get plowed under by the law. Either way, the man certainly did not show any leadership in a time of self-induced crisis.<br /><br />Again, the lacrosse team showed bad taste, but it was the same bad taste shown by others at Duke. Furthermore, the rape charges are false, and it was quite obvious that from the start they were false. Read Nifong's early statements about DNA and the like, and you can see pretty quickly that these young men were set up. The whole thing is a lie, and Brodhead is a participant.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-87392804451271313612006-11-29T17:02:00.000-05:002006-11-29T17:02:00.000-05:00I guess I qualify as a Brodhead supporter. I have...I guess I qualify as a Brodhead supporter. I have criticized his actions, too (see above at 11:51 a.m.) but generally I have felt the criticism here and elsewhere of him has been overboard. (You guys don’t need to go over old ground for your reasons; I’ve been reading virtually every day since May).<br /><br />So I’ll give a shot at the quiz from 4:17:<br /><br />1- b. Coaches and teams are not equal at a university. Coach K and the basketball program have much more power than any other entity there. It’s silly to expect him not to get preferential treatment except in a utopian society. I don’t pretend a university is such a place.<br /><br />2. You don’t’ give the right choice. Brodhead wouldn’t fire him absent direct and admitted proof of egregious behavior. If K left, he would have to blame his departure on Brodhead for the latter’s job to be in jeopardy, and then it would take a couple of years.<br /><br />3. Again you don’t provide the right answer. I don’t think Brodhead would have challenged Nifong in that situation either. Before the November election I told Brodhead via email he should issue a statement the day after the election challenging Nifong to recuse himself from the case and apologizing for earlier precipitous actions of (unnamed) segments of the University. That one he didn’t answer, although he had answered two earlier ones I sent. <br /><br />Many of you think Pres. B is unprincipled. I disagree. I just think he is wrong. <br /><br />(BTW I applied spell check to this and Knifing is suggested as the alternative to Nifong.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-18001918573823831442006-11-29T17:01:00.000-05:002006-11-29T17:01:00.000-05:00To 4:48--The Pressler firing, I agree, seems to be...To 4:48--The Pressler firing, I agree, seems to be a very unfortunate outcome of this whole mess. I feel for him and his family. Having said that, I KNOW I don't have all the facts on Pressler, but I do have it from a very good authority that there was more history than we know. There were prior issues, and there were prior warnings, at least according to my source. Hard for me to say whether that "history" provided any justification, but I'm hesitant to judge.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32542246.post-76080319339870519842006-11-29T16:53:00.000-05:002006-11-29T16:53:00.000-05:00Re 3:36
I don't think I will get too excited abou...Re 3:36<br /><br />I don't think I will get too excited about this rant. Rest assured that this is the first shot across the bow of the spin that's coming to get this clown off the hook.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com