I read "Accused, not convicted" in Wednesday's Spectrum (Sports, April 19), and I have to say that I disagree with Jennifer Gillan's comments. First, I believe Duke University did the proper thing in canceling its season and in accepting the coach's resignation. To me, this illustrated the school's seriousness in acknowledging the allegations of sexual violence perpetrated against this woman.
Second, you seem to excuse the behavior of the lacrosse team by writing, "Let's be real here. Underage drinking happens on college campuses. House parties also happen..." But you allow no such "grace" to the raped woman. In fact, you write, "the alleged victim, who took her clothes off at a party for money and was found passed-out drunk in a stranger's car at a nearby grocery store." Whether this woman "took her clothes off at a party for money" is beside the point. I am not condoning what she did to earn money, but the taking off of her clothes is and was not an invitation to be raped. Neither is being "passed-out drunk." Her job as a stripper is irrelevant when it comes to access to her body. She as a human being gets to determine who touches her body and in what manner she wants it touched. That determination is not for you, for the Duke lacrosse team nor for me to make.
I find it ironic that on the same day that The Spectrum runs an article on "Walk a Mile in Her Shoes" as an anti-rape "stop the violence against women" campaign, you write an column which is against the rape victim and in support of the men. When will we ever learn that we need to stand up for what is right and not let our prejudices get in the way of human rights? I'm sure you would feel differently if you or someone you knew and loved had been the one raped. We all want mercy for ourselves, but we are very stingy when it comes to extending it to others.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
