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Understanding Crystal's Relationship to Duke and Durham; She was and is politically useful
Topic Started: Apr 8 2011, 11:48 AM (528 Views)
Bill Anderson
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In the five years I have been involved with the Duke Lacrosse Case, I think I have come to understand the political thinking that underlies what is happening in Durham and at Duke University, and Crystal's real role. Now, it is not that people at Duke and in Durham -- especially people in decision-making positions -- did not know about Crystal, her lying and criminal behavior.

They knew all these things and more. They also knew that the charges were not true, but at that point it did not matter. Crystal was politically-useful to the powers that be in Durham and at Duke, and even after her story was officially declared a Big Lie, nonetheless she still remained a celebrity in Durham.

I found a couple of articles that were written in the spring of 2006, one by Cash Michaels, and the other from the Washington Post. They are useful in that they present the Durham mindset during that time, and they also explain why Crystal remained a heroic figure in the city even after she was fully discredited.

http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/article_2554.shtml

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/06/AR2006050601359_pf.html

In an article that was published after Cooper's decision, Cash Michaels wrote that Al McSurely introduced him to Crystal as though she were a rock star. Keep in mind that this occurred AFTER the charges were dropped and the system turned on Nifong.

The second incident involved the person who is the latest alleged victim of Crystal's crimes, her short-lived boyfriend. He told a relative that he was dating Crystal, and he spoke of that as though he were going with a real-live celebrity.

I find this interesting, as most self-respecting me would have avoided her, given her behavior, yet even after her last trial, Crystal apparently held a lot of status in Durham.

This is not because she has anything to offer people there (except maybe an STD or two), but rather because of her political symbolism. Think about it. Duke University has been willing to shell out MILLIONS of dollars to protect the fact that the leadership of that university decided to officially believe Crystal Mangum, a drug-addict and prostitute. Furthermore, NO ONE at Duke University has admitted even that officially believing Crystal was a mistake, and the administration, trustees, and faculty to this day are defending everything they did.

Such seeming foolishness cannot be because of the facts of the case, as it was obvious from the beginning that it was a farce. Furthermore, don't forget that people like Brodhead and Burness had access to people in the Duke Police Department that were fully aware of what was happening.

So, why is Crystal still protected? My guess is that the powers that be at Duke and Durham believed that if they could pull off an ideological victory with Crystal, they could to it with anyone. I also figured that they believed they were so powerful and controlled all of the levers that they would be able to get convictions in a trial in Durham.

In other words, we are dealing with outcomes that they did not anticipate, but in order to keep the facade of "something happened," they have to continue to protect Crystal and to continue to promote her as a celebrity.

:bill:

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abb
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Excellent analysis.
:thup:
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kbp

Good points, though I'm left weak on how being with her today helps some feel like they're "with a real-live celebrity". Probably due to my judgment on who is "a real-live celebrity"
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cks
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kbp
Apr 8 2011, 01:08 PM
Good points, though I'm left weak on how being with her today helps some feel like they're "with a real-live celebrity". Probably due to my judgment on who is "a real-live celebrity"
It is all about the being able to say "guess who I know, or guess who I am dating/sleeping with". It is amazing what are considered "celebrities" and how people will walk all over themselves to be in even the ambient light of such people.

Mr. cks has a certain notoriety - it is amazing the people who want to cozy up due to that fact. It is unimportant (something that we made certain that our children understood from the very beginning) - it helped that their grandfather was a big deal but downplayed it entirely. As we told our children, it doesn't matter who you are, you still put on your underpants one leg at a time. Unfortunatley, most people's lives (at least to them) are so lacking that rubbing up against anyone famous (read that to be someone who has gotten heir 3 minutes of fame - no matter what kind) makes them, somehow, a little more special or gives their lives a little sparkle.
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sceptical

cks
Apr 8 2011, 01:15 PM
kbp
Apr 8 2011, 01:08 PM
Good points, though I'm left weak on how being with her today helps some feel like they're "with a real-live celebrity". Probably due to my judgment on who is "a real-live celebrity"
It is all about the being able to say "guess who I know, or guess who I am dating/sleeping with". It is amazing what are considered "celebrities" and how people will walk all over themselves to be in even the ambient light of such people.

Mr. cks has a certain notoriety - it is amazing the people who want to cozy up due to that fact. It is unimportant (something that we made certain that our children understood from the very beginning) - it helped that their grandfather was a big deal but downplayed it entirely. As we told our children, it doesn't matter who you are, you still put on your underpants one leg at a time. Unfortunatley, most people's lives (at least to them) are so lacking that rubbing up against anyone famous (read that to be someone who has gotten heir 3 minutes of fame - no matter what kind) makes them, somehow, a little more special or gives their lives a little sparkle.
Some people. in Durham and elsewhere, confuse the difference between being "famous" and being "infamous." Certainly Crystal fits into the latter category, as do Mafia figures, for example, who gain some notoriety for their misdeeds.

Crystal's boyfriends have learned there is a cost going out with a celebrity (and I don't even know whether they have had their STD testing).

At the beginning of the case Crystal was the "poster child" for the left-- the poor, struggling, abused black victim. Unfortunately the facts did not fit the narrative. However, there are still a few delusional true believers left in Durham and elsewhere.
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Mason
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Parts unknown
cks
Apr 8 2011, 01:15 PM
it doesn't matter who you are, you still put on your underpants one leg at a time.
.

I would like to point out the breach of Etiquette.

You used the word "underpants" in a thread about Crystal.


:uhoh:
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chatham
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Bill Anderson has an excellent analysis of the crystal situation. I see Durham more in general terms rather than trying to glorify any individual. But my take is a little different. As an example of what I will emphasize I will say, has any one ever met anyone or they themselves were ever in the right place at the right time, or the wrong place at the wrong time? It was not your fault but it was your (mis)fortune to have that happen. The LAX event started with a party with a stripper. There were false claims made and opportunities seized from those claims. By this time, the crowds that protested were not concerned about crystal. They were concerned about the accusations. (I will not write false every time because we all know they were false) The protesters were concerned about it being a white on black (rare) event. In fact, that thought was taken advantage of by the intellectuals at Duke. It was not about crystal, although on the surface it appeared that way. But as we all know, just about everything that was written was about the act that was claimed and not the parties to that act. (yes RCD names were used, but it was always related to the white on black issue) It was about white guys and an innocent black female. A lie about "innocent" black female, for we all know she was not. (by we I mean everyone on both sides). So the issues then and the issue now is not directly related to RCD and crystal and the ancillary individuals around the case. It is about the (false) claims that whites did something to blacks. Even to this day, blinded individuals still pursue those claims and make it very vocal.

In fact most associated with this case could care less about crystal and RCD. They were at the wrong place at the wrong time. I dont remember brodhead EVER saying Ms Mangum's name. I dont remember many people specifically mentioning crystal except to USE HER as an example of the white on black lie (as truth).
Bill is right. This whole issue is political and racist. Duke and brodhead were scared about the accusations and brodhead took advantage of his righteous stance to back up all his PC correctness by generalizing " what ever they did was bad enough", a statement telling the world that "white males" are guilty of something as regards black females and sex, we just do not know what. And it does not matter if we do not know what they are guilty of. Brodhead was scared, seeing similar events in New Have at Yale, a very similar set up as Durham.

Durham made it political because they could. They took advantage of a city with no clear majority to berate the students at Duke who were always seen as being better than everyone. As the professors said, it was the plantation, it had to be a white on black crime.

So the whole event that the LAX kids went through, as it turned out, was being in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong ho dancer. The whole issue was not about RCD or mangum. It could have been any party at any time by any male Duke students and a ho dancer. Mangum is no celebrity. No one but her 5 friends and a new boyfriend might consider her a celebrity. She might be viewed by some maybe as something important, but essentially all people will remember the incident by its white on black attacks. That view, IMO, is what is driving crystal to act the way she is. She and her friends keep saying that she, crystal, is a person. But yet everyone acts like she does not exist as an individual. THEY keep bring up the LAX incident, not anyone else. Just read the latest news? She is viewed as a frame about white guys sexually assaulting a very smart, excellent mother of three out of wedlock children. Crystal could kill someone and she would still be ID'ed as the black girl in the LAX frame. Crystal by no means is a good person. She needs help. But if she gets cleaned up, there is no story anymore. She has to act this way because it gives her friends the excuse that the white LAX guys messed her up. As long as crystal is not given help, Duke will be nervous and Durham will be at the forefront of racism against Duke and its students, with help from some of their faculty and staff.

IMO, the whole issue turned into something like Duke did not want race issues to ruin its brand and Durham wanted race to be in the news as white on black crime. In the meantime, nifong took advantage and everyone played along as an organized frame. These cretins could not avoid the fact the nothing happened. To this day, this attitude continues. If crystal gets help, then everyone admits that crustal is sick, now and back in 2006. An admitted unstable crystal who gets help does not make for a story that keeps white on black crime in the news or the justification that something happened alive. If crystal got help it would show that Duke was racist and Durham was racist. For now, crystals crimes can be blamed on 2006. Another frame, IMO

MOO
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Kerri P.
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Mason
Apr 8 2011, 03:45 PM
cks
Apr 8 2011, 01:15 PM
it doesn't matter who you are, you still put on your underpants one leg at a time.
.

I would like to point out the breach of Etiquette.

You used the word "underpants" in a thread about Crystal.


:uhoh:
:laughin: :laughin: :laughin:
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cks
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Mason
Apr 8 2011, 03:45 PM
cks
Apr 8 2011, 01:15 PM
it doesn't matter who you are, you still put on your underpants one leg at a time.
.

I would like to point out the breach of Etiquette.

You used the word "underpants" in a thread about Crystal.


:uhoh:
What was I thinking? I stand corrected.....I should keep my copy of Ms. Manners at the ready! :laughin: :laughin: :laughin:
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