Innocent -- finally

As many of you may have already heard, all three Duke lacrosse players who were accused of kidnapping, sexual assault, and rape of a black stripper last year have been completely exonerated of all charges brought against them -- they, in fact, were declared completely innocent by attorney general Roy Cooper. The Durham County DA has issued a public apology to the players, and could be disbarred for violations of ethics rules in the coming weeks. The Duke administration has issued a statement in support of the Duke students, chastising the DA and the "agony" the whole episode has brought to the students, their teammates, and the Duke community.

Yet we must not forget that the Duke administration was quick to point fingers at the lacrosse players when the charges were first brought, with no evidence but an ever-changing and contradictory testimony. The lacrosse students were suspended, the season was canceled, and there was a great lack of support from the faculty and general administration. President Brodhead, though he lauds how "justice" has finally been reached, stated that "If our students did what is alleged, it is appalling to the worst degree. If they didn’t do it, whatever they did is bad enough." The infamous "Group of 88" condemned what they viewed as racist and sexist attitudes of the student body, particularly of the lacrosse players, siding immediately with the accuser. Even after it became clear that the charges were completely bogus and that the prosecution was acting unethically, the administration was not nearly as quick to take back their too quick and too harsh accusations.

Even the DA's apology and the proclamation of innocence -- they are not simply 'not guilty,' they are innocent -- will not be enough to give these students back the time or the respect they have lost. As Democrats, or even simply as just and good individuals, we should always be wary of any cases of ostensibly privileged classes taking advantage of the less privileged classes. It is laudable and praiseworthy to aid those less fortunate than ourselves, and many would argue that one of the Democratic Party's main goals is to bring the bottom up. Yet that does not ever mean turning a blind eye to justice, or presuming guilt when it is convenient or desirable to do so. Granted, it would be wrong to label this scandal a partisan issue, but much of the criticism of the lacrosse players did indeed come from the left. Generally speaking, I hope the Duke administration, as well as those who were too quick to jump to conclusions, learn something from the official proclamation of innocence.

Ahmadinejad's Letter to America

This is actually my first post to the blog, so be nice... I tried to send this out over demstalk, but the fas server is down, so here it will go.

AP is reporting that Pres. Ahmadinejad of Iran has written a lengthy letter to Americans that will be released in New York, but it seems to be on his blog (www.ahmadinejad.ir) already. You can find it there in whole, but here are some interesting excerpts -- I've bolded a few sentences that I found particularly interesting:

"You know well that the US administration has persistently provided blind and blanket support to the Zionist regime, has emboldened it to continue its crimes, and has prevented the UN Security Council from condemning it. Who can deny such broken promises and grave injustices towards humanity by the US administration? Governments are there to serve their own people. No people wants to side with or support any oppressors. But regrettably, the US administration disregards even its own public opinion and remains in the forefront of supporting the trampling of the rights of the Palestinian people."

"You have certainly heard the sad stories of the Guantanamo and Abu-Ghraib prisons. The US administration attempts to justify them through its proclaimed "war on terror." But every one knows that such behavior, in fact, offends global public opinion, exacerbates resentment and thereby spreads terrorism, and tarnishes the US image and its credibility among nations."

"Even the privacy of individuals is fast losing its meaning. Judicial due process and fundamental rights are trampled upon. Private phones are tapped, suspects are arbitrarily arrested, sometimes beaten in the streets, or even shot to death. I have no doubt that the American people do not approve of this behavior and indeed deplore it."

"Undoubtedly, the American people are not satisfied with this behavior and they showed their discontent in the recent elections. I hope that in the wake of the mid-term elections, the administration of President Bush will have heard and will heed the message of the American people."

"Now that Iraq has a Constitution and an independent Assembly and Government, would it not be more beneficial to bring the US officers and soldiers home, and to spend the astronomical US military expenditures in Iraq for the welfare and prosperity of the American people? As you know very well, many victims of Katrina continue to suffer, and countless Americans continue to live in poverty and homelessness."

"What has blind support for the Zionists by the US administration brought for the American people? It is regrettable that for the US administration, the interests of these occupiers supersedes the interests of the American people and of the other nations of the world. What have the Zionists done for the American people that the US administration considers itself obliged to blindly support these infamous aggressors? Is it not because they have imposed themselves on a substantial portion of the banking, financial, cultural and media sectors? I recommend that in a demonstration of respect for the American people and for humanity, the right of Palestinians to live in their own homeland should be recognized so that millions of Palestinian refugees can return to their homes and the future of all of Palestine and its form of government be determined in a referendum. This will benefit everyone."

"I'd also like to say a word to the winners of the recent elections in the US: The United States has had many administrations; some who have left a positive legacy, and others that are neither remembered fondly by the American people nor by other nations. Now that you control an important branch of the US Government, you will also be held to account by the people and by history."

"I pray to the Almighty to bless the Iranian and American nations and indeed all nations of the world with dignity and success."

What does everyone think of this? When I first read it, I was pleasantly surprised that Ahmadinejad still differentiates between our policymakers in Washington and the American people. Admittedly I know very little about his perception of America, but after reading this, it seems that he recognizes that we're unfortunately in the wrong hands. I don't know or think that Democratic partial rule will go so far as to return some contested land to Palestinians, but maybe the midterm elections will usher in more willingness on his part and on Bush's part to pursue a more diplomatic course. Any other thoughts?