For the "racism doesn't exist/cuts both ways equally" crowd...

http://www.newsobserver.c...21799.html

Dancer gives details of ordeal
A woman hired to dance for the Duke lacrosse team describes a night of racial slurs, growing fear and, finally, sexual violence

Samiha Khanna and Anne Blythe, Staff Writers

The woman who says she was raped last week by three members of the Duke University lacrosse team thought she would be dancing for five men at a bachelor party, she said Friday. But when she arrived that night, she found herself surrounded by more than 40.
Just moments after she and another exotic dancer started to perform, she said, men in the house started barking racial slurs. The two women, both black, stopped dancing.

"We started to cry," she said. "We were so scared."

Forty-six members of the men's lacrosse team submitted DNA samples Thursday in the unusual case. As of late Friday, there had been no arrests. Duke officials briefed university staff Friday on the allegations, and authorities vowed to crack the team's wall of solidarity.

"We're asking someone from the lacrosse team to step forward," Durham police Cpl. David Addison said. "We will be relentless in finding out who committed this crime."

He emphasized the seriousness of the accusations -- first-degree rape, kidnapping, assault by strangulation and robbery.

Details of the accusations were made public this week in a warrant authorizing a search of the three-bedroom rental house where the attack is alleged to have taken place.

The accuser spoke Friday, struggling not to cry as she recounted the events of the early hours of March 14 at 610 N. Buchanan Blvd., next to Duke's East Campus.

It is The News & Observer's policy not to identify the victims of sex crimes.

The accuser had worked for an escort company for two months, doing one-on-one dates about three times a week.

"It wasn't the greatest job," she said, her voice trailing off. But with two children, and a full class load at N.C. Central University, it paid well and fit her schedule.

This was the first time she had been hired to dance provocatively for a group, she said. There was no security to protect her, and as the men became aggressive, the two women started to leave. After some of the men apologized for the behavior, the women went back inside, according to police. That's when the woman was pulled into a bathroom and raped and sodomized, police said.

She hesitated to tell police what happened, she said Friday. She realized she had to, for her young daughter and her father.

A hurt that would last

"My father came to see me in the hospital," she said. "I knew if I didn't report it that he would have that hurt forever, knowing that someone hurt his baby and got away with it."

Jason Bissey, who was on his porch next door during the party, saw the victim that night. He said Friday that he wishes he had called police at the first sign something was wrong.

He saw at least 30 men go into the white three-bedroom house, which Duke officials say is rented by three lacrosse team captains.

Bissey saw two women arrive and, after they were in the house 20 minutes, come out. As they got into a car, men shouted, Bissey said.

"Some of them were saying things like, 'I want my money back,' " Bissey said.

He recalled the racially charged statements at least one man was yelling at the victim.

"When I was outside, one guy yelled at her, '... Thank your grandpa for my cotton shirt,' " Bissey said.

After a few minutes, everything seemed to calm down, he said. One of the women headed back into the house, saying she forgot her shoes.

Days later, Bissey learned one of the young women reported being raped.

"If I had called in the beginning, maybe the cops would have gotten there before this happened," he said.

Bissey and other neighbors are accustomed to hearing loud parties at the house. It's one of many rental houses near the Duke campus where police stay busy, breaking up rowdy parties and rounding up minors suspected of underage drinking.

Last fall, residents were worried about more than drunken antics and loud music. Many complained that students disregarded their neighbors and police, and were disrespectful when confronted.

Police have been called to the house at 610 N. Buchanan Blvd. four times since September, according to police records. The house is one of 15 properties the university bought in February to address neighborhood complaints. The university plans to sell the dwellings to quieter homeowners who agree not to rent them out.

After hearing about the alleged rape, residents in neighborhoods around Duke sent e-mail to one another and police, criticizing landlords for tolerating an "Animal House" atmosphere.

Residents also questioned why police waited two days to search the house after the rape was reported.

Addison, the police spokesman, said that between receiving the call and searching the house, police were interviewing the victim, residents of the house and other witnesses. He also explained that one team member was excluded from the DNA testing because he is black and therefore doesn't match the description of the suspects.

The tests are scheduled to be sent to the State Bureau of Investigation in Raleigh for testing, and Durham authorities said they are trying to have the process expedited.

All that Duke officials can do, they say, is wait for the investigation to be completed.

Art Chase, Duke sports information director, said lacrosse coach Mike Pressler and athletics department administrators had spoken with team captains about the incident. The department was not conducting an investigation of its own, Chase said.

"I think they'll let the judicial system run its course," he said.

Chase said he was not sure of the occasion for the party. Players did not return phone calls, and their parents remained mum, as did Pressler. He and the team were preparing Friday for today's home game against Georgetown University.

Paul Haagen, chairman of Duke's Academic Council, was in a faculty meeting about the incident.

'This is sad'

"There was a sense of, 'This is sad, and it's terrible,' " Haagen said. "Beyond that, people don't know what's going on."

Haagen, a law professor who specializes in sports law, said studies show that violence against women is more prevalent among male athletes than among male students in general -- and higher still among such "helmet sports" as football, hockey and lacrosse.

"These are sports of violence," he said. "This is clearly a concern."

Staff writer Samiha Khanna can be reached at 956-2468 or skhanna@newsobserver.com.

wow...such a sad story...

I guess I don't understand the title of this thread....

Also, does it matter what race this poor victim is? Would it have been any less horrible had this victim been white? Regardless, if the charges turn out to be true, this girl was put through hell and people need to be punished.

ReturnofDOOK said:

I guess I don't understand the title of this thread....

if none of them are going to 'fess out of solidarity, they should all go to jail,i say...

Absolutely horrible... Can't believe none of these animals had the guts to stand up against the others and call the police themselves...

What a bunch of cowards... Nothing more nauseating to me than those that go with the crowd...

Lowest of the low... pure trash... Hope they get a taste of their own medicine in prison....

Heiress said:

I don't think that this thread directly addresses the point that SpecialEd was trying to make. It's hard to in this context where the crime is horrible regardless of who was involved.

But some of you, in overlooking the racial element of this incident, are proving SpecialEd's point. A few of you refuse to acknowledge racism against people as a real problem, and can only acknowledge race in the context of whites suffering from it as well.

kisscamille said:

There are a lot of issues in this case. Some people will be asking if the victims are lying. Some people may say that they deserved it because of the line of work they're in.

I get so sick of hearing about these types of mob mentallity. What is it that makes these men go fucking nuts. Haven't they ever seen a woman's body before. I've been around guys like this BUT it was in high school.

I hope justice is served. Violence, in any form, really really upsets me.


M

Heiress said:

kisscamille said:

I think SpecialEd is saying the media, police & mainstream America would treat this case differently if the races were reversed. Imagine if a bunch of tattooed black basketball/football players did this sh!t - you'd hear words like "thugs", "gangsters", "lowlifes", "animals" & "ghetto-types".

I went to college on Long Island, and I've dealt with suburban trash like this. Ignorant MFers, especially the jocks. Don't delude yourselves, kids today are just as bigoted as their parents.

CptMorgan said:

uPtoWnNY said:

kisscamille said:

dancinggyrl said:

uPtoWnNY said:

I think SpecialEd is saying the media, police & mainstream America would treat this case differently if the races were reversed. Imagine if a bunch of tattooed black basketball/football players did this sh!t - you'd hear words like "thugs", "gangsters", "lowlifes", "animals" & "ghetto-types".

I went to college on Long Island, and I've dealt with suburban trash like this. Ignorant MFers, especially the jocks. Don't delude yourselves, kids today are just as bigoted as their parents.

so true, for some folks, they can't even see that issue. The way a situation is dealt with speaks volumes about how our society handles race issues. This is the perfect example. Unfortunately, the majority race that I belong to, for the most part, won't feel the sense of outrage that they should. I mean, just look at Katrina- it's appauling.

ReturnofDOOK said:

kisscamille said:

namepeace said:

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

kisscamille said:

Yes, I completely agree with you that they should all go to jail. But, having said that we also have to remember that it should be the same for all people. In my city, we have a lot of gun crime and black on black crime. Witnesses never come forward and more often than not, many victims refuse to cooperate with the police. In many cases, those that were present at the time of the crime seem to have a solidarity of silence. I think this is totally wrong. If crimes are going to get solved and criminals put away, everyone must speak up and help, but in most cases they don't. I would never protect anyone that has committed a violent crime just because they were my race, or my friend!

That isn't why people refuse to speak up. They refuse because they still have to live in that neighborhood and most likely have signed their own death warrant by speaking out

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

The idea of a black sports team raping a blonde blue eyed girl while shouting racial epiphets is inconceivable. Heard of Emmit Till? They'd be swinging from the nearest trees.

Would R. Kelly be walking the streets now if he was habitually having sex with little white girls rather than black ones deemed worthless in American society?

Anyway I've already been reported and warned by the white moderating team here for daring to mock white priviledge and the idea of whites being hampered by racism.

Regarding this case it's very creepy that 40+ white guys specifically hire two black dancers who they start racially abusing almost immediately. Even two other passerby black girls on that very night report being called "Nigger" by the Lacrosse team.

Not one of 40 stepped in to help and the team and their university have all closed ranks to discredit the worthless black girl's claims. From day one in America afterall it has been acceptable for white men to use black people as they please. And no this racism does not cut both ways, nor is it equal.

ReturnofDOOK said:

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

They probably would not have called white girls honkeys. The racial aspect might have been what put these assholes over the edge. Please lets stop acting like race aint an issue in this country. Thanks.

They probably would not have called white girls honkeys? What are you talking about? Is that because non-whites are never racist? I'm sure all non-white rapists, while evil, aren't evil enough to be RACISTS!

During my senior year of college at the University of Colorado a group of Asians in a van picked up and gang raped a white girl near campus SPECIFICALLY because one of the guys had never been with a white girl (I can't remember, but I think this was national news... one of the guys was hunted down in Wisconsin or something and shot himself)....

So, yes, racism exists, but the title of this thread makes it seem like this story some how proves that racism doesn't "cut both ways" is just silly. These people are sick people no matter what they said as they raped this girl. I see where you're coming from, but you're getting into the thought police area and that's dangerous . The facts are that some really terrible people comitted a terrible crime and a woman is left to deal with the pain.

SpecialEd said:

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

ReturnofDOOK said:

They probably would not have called white girls honkeys? What are you talking about? Is that because non-whites are never racist? I'm sure all non-white rapists, while evil, aren't evil enough to be RACISTS!

During my senior year of college at the University of Colorado a group of Asians in a van picked up and gang raped a white girl near campus SPECIFICALLY because one of the guys had never been with a white girl (I can't remember, but I think this was national news... one of the guys was hunted down in Wisconsin or something and shot himself)....

So, yes, racism exists, but the title of this thread makes it seem like this story some how proves that racism doesn't "cut both ways" is just silly. These people are sick people no matter what they said as they raped this girl. I see where you're coming from, but you're getting into the thought police area and that's dangerous . The facts are that some really terrible people comitted a terrible crime and a woman is left to deal with the pain.

I'm getting into the thought police area!? That is the fucking mantra of the rabid right in this country! Telling you what you are supposed to think and feel and if you don't obey, they'll exact their beliefs on you through laws! Give me a break with that shit

one can only hope that Duke does the right thing and cracks down on the people involved. and if i were the parent of one of the students, there would be hell to pay.

ReturnofDOOK said:

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

I'm getting into the thought police area!? That is the fucking mantra of the rabid right in this country! Telling you what you are supposed to think and feel and if you don't obey, they'll exact their beliefs on you through laws! Give me a break with that shit

I don't know what direction you're taking... if you want to go off on a tangent, I guess we can do that...

I guess my question is should these people be punished more severely in this case since the victim was black? What if the team raped a white stripper? Do they deserve LESS of a punishment? I think they should be punished equally harsh (and by harsh, I mean to the fullest extent of the law - this shit is disgusting and these people are monsters)....

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said: