Update V (1/8): Commenting closed. To continue discussion, see “Reade Seligmann: ‘Mom, she picked me.’”
Update IV (1/1/07): Merry New Year! Check out this must-read article by “Duke writer” William Anderson, “What the Duke Non-Rape (and Non-Kidnapping/Sexual Assault) Case Taught Me in 2006.” Thanks for the acknowledgement!
Update III (10:30 p.m.): It’s getting hotter in here. Mike Nifong’s colleagues keep up the pressure. The North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys has asked him to step down from the Duke case.
———————————————————————–
For Mike Nifong, Durham County district attorney, his words are coming back to haunt him in real life. His colleagues at the NC State Bar have filed ethics complaints against him, based on statements he made about the “rape” case generally and accused players specifically. Read the 17-page complaint (PDF) or the HTML version at The Smoking Gun.
Watch this space because I’ll update it later today with my assessment of the complaint and predictions about Nifong’s next move. Until then, discuss the new developments here.
I love blogging. 
Update (1:08 p.m.): I decided to open this post for discussion. Durham native Mary Katharine Ham has posted a funny video of her walking “Tour of Things That Did Not Happen in Durham” for her Ham Nation video blog. Clever!
Do I hear “Carolina Girl” in the background?
A special shout-out to frequent commenter Seahawk, who wrote:
If three innocent guys don’t end up in prison for 30 years, then a part of the credit will be due to bloggers like LaShawn, who didn’t give up, weren’t satisfied with the MSM’s portrayal of events, and were willing to swim against the tide of popular culture and preconceptions.
And that’s no small accomplishment for 2006, or for a blog, or for a person.
I don’t think the part I’ve played in the drama is that significant, but thanks all the same, Seahawk. 
More Nifong ethics complaint-blogging: The Johnsville News, LieStoppers, John in Carolina, Crystal Mess, Durham-in-Wonderland, Captain’s Quarters, Ankle Biting Pundits…
Update II (3:40 p.m.): I’ll post my groundbreaking thoughts about the NC State Bar’s complaint next week. In fact, I’ll probably write about it for my next column.
Ring in the New Year safely, everybody.
Update (10:51): Jennifer Gratz, of Gratz v. Bollinger fame, stopped by LBC to give us this update:
“An update on the legal front … this evening (about 3 hours ago) the 6th Circuit lifted the preliminary injunction — which means Proposal 2 will be implemented immediately. The decision also debunks many of the claims made by BAMN, the ACLU, the NAACP, the Universities, etc. The decision can be read here.” (PDF)
Thirteen pages worth. Can’t wait to dig in… (Thanks, Jennifer!)
————————————————————-
What a cause!
Certain Negroes and their white liberal cohorts in Michigan are trying to overturn Proposal 2, which prohibits the state from treating its citizens differently based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin. Fifty-eight percent of voters said “YES” to the measure on November 7, 2006.
The Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, Integration and Immigrant Rights and Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary (BAMN) has filed suit to stop the implementation of Proposal 2.
Back when the measure was known as the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative (MCRI), BAMN and other groups challenged the legality of the petition to get MCRI on the ballot. A Michigan circuit court ruled that the petition language was misleading and should not have been approved, but a Court of Appeals panel disagreed, unanimously affirming the legality of the petition language.
The case went to the Michigan Supreme Court, which declined to hear it. As a result, MCRI appeared on the ballot as Proposal 2, and the people of Michigan decided that government-backed discrimination had seen its final days.
(Isn’t it ironic that blacks, who once struggled for equal treatment before the law, now use their race to rally for special treatment before the law? And I use the word special in the sense of “mentally retarded,” not “good” or “unique.”)
[click to continue…]
by La Shawn on December 28, 2006
in Bloggers
When Deborah Uhler asked me to contribute to her (mostly) conservative bloggers cookbook, Blogalicious, I had to think long and hard about what recipe to send. Being a single gal, I cook well enough and often enough to get by. My culinary fare is quite limited. But…
Over the years I’ve become quite adept at making a dish my mother used to make when I was a kid. If you want to know what it is, you’ll have to order the book.
by La Shawn on December 27, 2006
in General
Thursday, December 28: Frequent commenter Andy writes: “Our view is that nannies are fine, as long as they aren’t used as a substitute for two working parents.”
That’s what I’m talking about.
—————————————————————————-
I read a sad/unintentionally funny story in the New York Times (free reg. req.) this morning about blacks looking for nannies. An excerpt:
“As more blacks move up the economic ladder, one fixture — some would say necessity — of the upper-middle-class income bracket often eludes them. Like hailing a cab in Midtown Manhattan, searching for a nanny can be an exasperating, humiliating exercise for many blacks, the kind of ordeal that makes them wonder aloud what year it is.”
[click to continue…]
Friday, December 29 : Closed to commenting, but resume discussion of this case at Haunt Me In My Dreams…
Thursday, December 28 @ 6:13 p.m.: The North Carolina State Bar has filed ethic charges against Mike Nifong.
Thursday, December 28: KC Johnson, “Duke blogger” and history professor, penned an article for Inside Higher Ed chastising 88 members of Duke’s faculty for their hypocrisy to date.
KC included a statement I also included in a column I wrote last week, which is unpublished because it needs to be updated (emphasis added):
Over the last nine months, Mike Nifong has coupled demagogic appeals to prejudices based on class and race with a habit of making public charges unsubstantiated by material in his own files. Meanwhile, he overrode standard procedures (ordering police to show the accuser a lineup confined to suspects; refusing to meet with defense attorneys to consider exculpatory evidence; concealing DNA test results) and mocked due process. In one of his most outrageous lines, he mused, “One would wonder why one needs an attorney if one was not charged and had not done anything wrong.”
A prosecutor about to charge men with forcible rape wonders why such men need an attorney even if they didn’t nothing wrong? For a reminder of Nifong’s other boneheaded statements, see Scottsboro, NYT, and Hauntings, and keep scrolling.
In other news, 400 complaints have been filed against Nifong…
[click to continue…]
I fear that in the next century we will have many more Muslims in the United States if we do not adopt the strict immigration policies that I believe are necessary to preserve the values and beliefs traditional to the United States of America and to prevent our resources from being swamped.
Reasonable people would be hard-pressed to find the “hate” in that quotation, but certain liberal types and conservatives have got their knickers in a twist.
Last week, U.S. Congressman Virgil Goode wrote those words in a letter to constituents in reference to newly-elected Muslim Keith Ellison in Minnesota. What makes Goode remarkable in my book is not that he had the ba*** to say what needed to be said, but that he refuses to apologize for saying it. (Yes!)
In a world where men are afraid to say what they mean, mean what they say, and stand behind their words like men, it’s a refreshing change to see a politician with integrity. It’s a rare sighting.
[click to continue…]
by La Shawn on December 23, 2006
in Faith
“In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.’”
(Luke 2: 1-12)
Merry Christmas, dear readers.
Update (12/24 @ 6:00 p.m.): New Line Cinema has made available a six-minute clip of “The Nativity Story.” The link will be live for 24 hours, so check it out.
I’m in SC with family and lots of food. See you Tuesday! 
Wednesday, December 27: This post is closed to commenting. To discuss recent case developments, see 2007 Prediction: Mike Nifong Will Drop All Charges.
Update II (12/23): From a reader:
Dear LaShawn,
There are so many things I don’t agree with in your blog, however, you and I have seen eye to eye on the Duke scandal.
As a black woman, I was so annoyed and frankly embarrassed at people jumping to conclusions and lining up to defend this woman and drag these men through the mud. This was a disservice to black causes and to women’s causes. This was a disservice to humanity. To automatically judge a case based on people’s melanin content and whether they have a uterus or a penis is truly a disgrace, and the perpetrators of this are now laying low, hoping the whole thing goes away. I guess crow is a meal better eaten silently.
Thank you for staying on this case the way you did. I am glad those fake civil-righters and lame pseudo-feminists have been proven wrong. Since most of them lack a moral compass, I doubt that they will learn from their lessons but, hey, I can dream.
Jaded in California
Update (12/22 @ 3:33 p.m.): The Smoking Gun has posted the dismissal order. It seems the stripper-accuser may claim she was penetrated by something other than a penis. Under NC law, that’s not rape. Although I don’t believe she was penetrated by anyone or anything at 610 N Buchanan on March 13, 2006, the rape charges can’t be sustained based on the latest version of her gang-rape fantasy.
Commenter Richard Nieporent wrote:
It is perfectly obvious what Nifong is doing by not dismissing all of the charges. He is holding the three Duke Lacrosse players hostage in an attempt to prevent their lawyers from filing criminal and civil charges against him. Nifong knows that it’s much easier to convict the Duke Lacrosse players of sexual assault because DNA evidence is not needed. He is hoping that by holding these remaining charges over their heads they will be amenable to a quid pro quo of Nifong dropping all charges if they do not pursue a criminal or civil case against him.
[click to continue…]
Tuesday, May 29: For the latest on Laura Mallory’s misguided crusade, see Laura Mallory, Foiled Again!
Update II (12/21 @ 2:47 p.m.): Would it be too much to ask readers to follow links and read the articles before commenting on this post? Probably. 
Update: According to Scholastic, J. K. Rowling’s American publisher, Book 7 will be titled, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. More here.
***
Laura Mallory, Christian mother, has been on a year-long crusade to have the Harry Potter books removed from government school library shelves in Gwinnett County, Georgia.
A few months ago, the Gwinnett County School Board refused to remove the books. Last week, the Georgia Board of Education upheld Gwinnett County’s decision. Mallory says she may appeal.
By the way, she’s never read the books. Not one.
Mallory’s quest is misguided, and her efforts will be fruitless. I don’t know any Christians who want to ban books, and I hope I never meet any. In the scheme of things, what Mallory is doing doesn’t matter that much. There are more important things going on in the world for Christians to worry about, and the Harry Potter books are so far down the list, they barely register.
So what is it about the books that offend Mallory’s sensibilities as a Christian?
[click to continue…]
Update III (12/22 @ 12:45 p.m.): Looks like Collin Finnerty, Reade Seligmann, and David Evans won’t face charges of rape. Ding-dong Mike Nifong dropped the rape charges. But kidnapping and sexual offense charges stand. (???) This post is closed to commenting, so please visit the latest post to discuss the good news: DUKE RAPE CHARGES DROPPED!
Every bit of exposure helps. Thanks.
Update: First-time or new readers may be interested in my Duke Rape Case archives (going back to April – sometimes the “Next Page” link at the bottom left of the middle column doesn’t show up in the IE browser unless you move the cursor near the small dash) and two columns I wrote for Townhall, The Most Absurd Rape Story of the Year (original title) and Scottsboro Revisted.
———————————————————————————————–
Let justice be done, though the heavens fall.
I’ve written an op-ed about the latest developments in the Duke “rape” case that I hope will be published at National Review Online this week or early next week. In the meantime, I wanted to highlight a few new items.
It’s becoming incredibly obvious to anyone with sense that Durham County district attorney Mike Nifong is a rogue prosecutor, at least when it comes to the so-called case against the indicted Duke lacrosse team players. At last Friday’s hearing, Brian Meehan (pictured), director of DNA Security, the private lab that analyzed DNA found in and on the stripper-accuser, admitted, under oath, that he and Nifong agreed to suppress evidence favorable to the defense.
[click to continue…]
Blacks and hispanics in Los Angeles County are at each other’s throats.
They’re fighting one another in schools and in prisons. As these groups compete for the same low-skill jobs and “preferred minority status,” tensions mount.
Ethnic groups fighting for resources is as old as the hills.
According to a report released by the Los Angeles County Human Relations Commission, 2005 Hate Crimes Report (PDF), 633 hate crimes were reported in Los Angeles County in 2005, up from 502 last year. This increase was caused by a “sharp spike ” in race-related hate crimes, which jumped 46 percent. Contrary to popular opinion, hate crimes are not primarily white-on-black, at least not in LA.
So-called anti-black crimes increased by 47 percent. About 80 percent of hate crimes involving gangs were committed by hispanics against blacks. “Very few reports indicated that these racial crimes were committed by gang members against rival gang members; most were against victims who were not identified as gang members.”
School-based violence between blacks and hispanics also increased. In 2005, “82% of the total number of school hate crimes were racially motivated, up dramatically from 49% in 2004.” Here’s the interesting part: Hispanic-on-black violence at schools was more common than vice versa. It seems that “Latinos” are the aggressors in most black-hispanic hate crime cases.
[click to continue…]
Update: Check out another book reviewing blogger at Big Mo’s Book Reviews.
Jim Cannon, a blogging pal from way back, interviews a national guard soldier serving in Iraq.
——————————————————————————–
I’ve got it, alright. I’m such a geek.
One of my dreams was to review books for a living. That’s it. No movie or music reviews. Just book reviews. Nothing seemed as cool as receiving free books every week and reviewing them for a living.
Then reality hit. Reviewing books doesn’t pay the bills. But I do it anyway because I love reading and writing and telling people what I learned from reading the book. (See Writings for samples) [4:23 p.m.: The following sentence appeared in an earlier draft of this post. It disappeared, so I'm adding it again: "I don't even know if I'm doing it 'correctly.' I don't care. I just like reviewing."]
[click to continue…]
Tuesday, December 19: This post is closed to commenting. Continue the discussion at Conspiracy in Durham.
——————————————————————-
2:26 p.m.: News of a baby’s birth is greatly exaggerated. The stripper-accuser is still pregnant. Not due until February. She was knocked up after the alleged gang-rape.
Update III (12/15): Last night, FOX News reported that the stripper-accuser had a baby recently. Independent Conservative has linked to video and said yesterday was “exactly 9 months to the day of that early morning of March 14, when the accuser left the Duke lacrosse players’ house and claimed she was raped.”
She was not pregnant the night of the party.
Poor kid. A stripper and a liar for a mother, and now he’s/she’s got to play, “Who’s my daddy?”
There’s a hearing today. If the defense motions succeed…
Update II (12/14): Bill Anderson has a written a more in-depth comparison of the Duke and Scottsboro cases.
Update (12/13 @ 4:27 p.m.): It gets nastier and nastier. The results of the stripper-accuser’s DNA tests showed “genetic material from several males,” Duke lacrosse players not included. Mike Nifong knew and didn’t tell the defense. We’ve known for months that DNA matched a “boyfriend.” I guess she’s got more than one.
Commenter Seahawk posted a link to this article.
—————————————————————————————————————————-
Walter Jones, a U.S. congressman from North Carolina, has asked the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate Durham County district attorney Mike Nifong for violating the civil rights of Collin Finnerty, Reade Seligmann, and David Evans, three men indicted on comically bogus gang-rape charges. (Source)
[click to continue…]
Update II (11:50 a.m.): Sean McHugh, spokesman for Swift & Company, e-mailed this canned press release (PDF) in non-responsive response to my question about why Swift hires illegal aliens in violation of federal law. It’s mostly a CYA piece of fluff that assures investors and clients that production is back on track and reminds everyone else that no criminal or civil charges have been filed against Swift.
Update (10:13 a.m.): Michelle Malkin reports: “One of the victims [of the raid identity theft] was a Border Patrol agent!”
—————————————————————
Yesterday, federal agents arrested a bunch of illegal aliens working for meat-packing plants owned by Swift & Company after an 11-month identity theft investigation.
(I contacted their media person for comment. I don’t expect to hear back, though.)
But it’s all for show. Why? Unless the government “cracks down” on employers and give them heavy disincentives to hiring illegal aliens, the whole thing’s meaningless.
Whoever does the hiring at these plants has to know by now that non-English speaking, Spanish-speaking people seeking jobs there likely are illegal aliens. At the very least, they need to be trained to spot fake Social Security cards and other documents.
The federal government must change the way it operates, too. There is no coordination between the various agencies, and that makes tracking down illegal aliens more difficult. From the article:
[click to continue…]
