Trouble in the Neighborhood

As a student at Wake Forest, I have been paying close attention to the ongoing allegations of rape against members of the Duke Lacrosse team. This is not only due to the proximity of our two schools, but because this case has been (or at least should be) of concern to college students around the country. The actual legal case, as far as I can tell, is rather complex, and I will refrain from attempting to apply my not-so-expert opinion to it. However, as I have been following this case, several things I have seen in the coverage have bothered me, and I am compelled to share them.

First and foremost, what the hell ever happened to 'Innocent until proven guilty'??? ESPN, ABC, every newspaper and news organization, not to mention Duke University itself, has told this story, from the very beginning, as if the players had big red 'R's on their chests for 'rapists'. I know that the allegations are very serious, and I know it's not exactly 'cool' to go around defending potential rapists; but they have Rights too, and those Rights need to be respected.

Next, can we PLEASE stop talking about issues of race? If you listened to the media reports on this case during the first week or so, you might have thought that the alleged crime was saying the n-word. Let's remember, there is the possibility that a woman was raped here - and that's just a wee bit more concerning than a drunk college kid calling someone a nasty name. Furthermore, the locals in Durham aren't exactly helping, as they are all protesting because the woman is black. They seem more upset that it was a white man (allegedly) raping a black woman than that it was (or could be), well, a rape. I know that 'race issues' are extremely sensitive for some people, but priorities, folks, please.

Finally, perhaps one of the most annoying aspects of the coverage of the Duke Scandal is the all-out 'bash the rich' session that it has become. Seriously, can I stop hearing about how Duke Students are more 'privileged' than the surrounding Durham community? Maybe, just maybe, the reason the Duke students are so 'privileged' is because they worked hard in high school, were good students, did well on the SAT or were very active in their community and got rewarded with a slot at a top-notch University. Or perhaps the reason all those kids at Duke are so 'privileged' is because their parents worked hard and earned lots of money so that they could afford to send their children to a $40,000 a year University. Why is this kind of success a crime? I'm not saying the residents in Durham aren't hard-working or successful, but should they hate on the Dukies for being so? In fact, considering that about 17% of Durham residents don't even have a high school diploma, maybe they should start taking a cue from some of their (better behaved) neighbors at Duke University.

Well, that's it for now, maybe not the most politically correct of complaints; but honest ones nonetheless. I really hope that this case is solved quickly, although I doubt that will happen. It should be interesting, and let's hope that justice can still be done - despite the media circus that already surrounds this case.