The post title is somewhat gratuitous, but it gets to the point concisely, no?
The Independent Conservative pointed me to a recent article about the Duke case. Apparently, semen found in the “rape” house matches Dave Evans, one of three indicted Duke lacrosse player, and an unindicted player.
That semen was found on a towel in the hallway (and inside the “rape” bathroom, but that DNA belonged to the unindicted player) of a house shared by young lacrosse players is not a revelation. It proves the men ejaculated; it doesn’t prove rape or even sexual intercourse. In Duke Rape Case Report and the Twisted Sister, I wrote:
Consider this: The DNA was found on one of the stripper’s fake nails, which was found in the bathroom trashcan. With a bunch of young, unattached, partying, testosterone-filled men sharing a bathroom, I won’t even try to guess what else was in the garbage. So male DNA “possibly” matching one of the 46 players was found on the discarded nail, and this is why Nifong is going forward with the case? My seven-year-old nephew could figure this out.
But that’s not the point. I’m more interested in why this news wasn’t splashed all over newspapers and web sites. It’s somewhat favorable to the prosecution. Why are the media suddenly reticent? Are they gun-shy? Skeptical? If so, why?
Addendum: Some people have implied that I’m a hypocrite for criticizing the media’s earlier blanket coverage of the Duke case. See Salaciousness Sells. I truly believe that American mainstream media lean leftward, and this bias was evident in their coverage of this case.
Since that is the case, I am compelled to bring some balance to the coverage by providing a different point of view, even if it means I’m blogging “too much” about this case. I do the same with race. I hate how journalists tend to write about race. My blog may not have as many readers as MSM, but at least the few thousand people who read it daily get another side of the story.
Update (4:04 p.m.): A commenter calls me out:
La Shawn,
For a long time you provided excellent coverage of the Duke rape hoax. Lately, however, it appears that you are not following very closely and simply repeating what other blogs are saying. As discussed extensively here http://johninnorthcarolina.blogspot.com/2006/08/duke-lacrosse-fake-herald-sun-story.html and here http://www.liestoppers.blogspot.com, the semen on the towel and the floor HAD ALREADY BEEN REPORTED back in April. This not new information. The real story is that the Durham press revived an old story and made it look new. That is why no one else is talking about it. This was a desperate attempt by sympathetic reporters to prop up the prosecution’s case.
She’s right. I haven’t been following as closely as I was in the beginning. She says the semen-on-the-towel is old news that MSM tried to pass off as new info.
Independent Conservative adds:
I don’t think the issue one of not following the case closely now. Obviously we were not following it closely THEN. Like back in April. In fact I don’t think this aspect of the case was discussed much at all then. It was missed in the flurry. Missed by plenty of “experts†even, who I never heard say a word about it.
The story is now news because this is the first time the names of the players matched with the semen samples has been disclosed.
Please show me an older article that mentions WHO the semen belongs to. That’s what is news.
Now would be a good time to sign off and get ready for the weekend. Rest easy, everybody.
