Duke

I guess I have to chime in on the Duke Lacrosse thing...This is a screwed up situation, I don't think I'm the only one who would really like it to all be over. Did Mike Nifong really believe that something terribly wrong happen that night? I think he did.

All parties of this mess did something wrong. Attention women, there are plenty of ways to make a living in our society that don't include removing your clothes and being sexual in an uncontrolled place for young men. Very poor career decision. It is entirely possible that these dancers looked at these privileged boys, and saw dollar signs. Bad idea. Attention college boys (in a lot of ways, they are boys) why would you think that having beer and naked strange women in the same place at the same time without supervision was a good idea? But for you having to have undressed dancers, this would not have happened. You put your families in this position. It is your fault that the season was canceled. The judgment you used was conceded, selfish and short sighted.

Not even at the beginning of this did I think they raped the dancer, but I have a different perspective, I didn't see the evidence. I didn't hear the stories directly. I wasn't in the middle of the press storm.

Nifong has done many things wrong too. But I doubt it was out of spite. He's out of a job. Maybe it's okay to suspend his law license for a time, but I'm not confident that he should be completely disbarred. Lots of people were making public statements, getting themselves on TV, and putting money into their own pockets. Inability to effectively handle the media should only be a career ender if your career is media. If he loses his license, he'll fight, he should, and I don't know if he'll win or not, but I do want this to be over.

Rape is bad. Rapists should be discouraged from such acts. Let' not go crazy in punishing those whose job it is to try to punish rapists.

I think the Lacrosse players think themselves special, entitled. Most young people do, certainly those prized for an ability or talent. Most of those do eventually grow out of the arrogance of youth, it's just a time of life. When you're only discovering your place in the world. I do think the boys will eventually be fine, I just hope they don't make too much of a career out of being victimized. It's boring. Plus, these players may be special, may have things to accomplish a world to make better, let's hope they put some effort into living their lives, becoming professionals in whatever fields they choose, taking a lesson from this miserable chapter in their young lives. Not allowing it to be anything more than an early chapter in an otherwise long, and more interesting life.

It's time for this to be over. Let's get the page turned.