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Duke LaCrosse-The Gift That Keeps On Giving
To follow-up on my previous blog on the Duke Lacrosse team--you would think that we have heard everything there is to know about this case by now--but no. The latest 60 Minutes program featured the parents of the three boys accused in the case. From this interview we hear that the DA knew 7 days before formal charges were made that there was no DNA evidence found linking the three boys charged in this case. The DA was informed of this information by the guy in charge of the lab where the evidence was analyzed. But it doesn't stop here. The guy from the lab did not indicate in his original report that there were additional stains found that are still unidentified as of yet. Can you see the problems here if you were the administrator overseeing all of this? So now we have a DA who knew the DNA found was not linked to the boys charged and a lab guy that did not tell him about the other unknown stains. Wow! These two guys have their own ethical problems and possibly civil and criminal problems to face as time goes by. But then on the 60 minutes program come the parents of these three boys. "Every mother of a son should be scared to death," exclaimed one of the mothers as she connected her statement to the DA taking the word of a stripper over the evidence. These parents made it clear that they are mad at the DA, mad at Duke University and mad at the President of Duke-Richard Brodhead--BUT here's my problem..why are they NOT mad as hell at the actions of their own sons? Their sons CHOSE to be at a day long, underage drinking party where strippers were hired! When Lesley Stahl tried to get a response from them about their own son's choice to be at this party, one of the father's said "it was a mistake" and quickly used the word BUT right after that. I always inform people that everything after the word BUT is always followed up with an excuse from personal responsibility. There isn't one amongst us who hasn't said or done something and moments later said What a dumb, stupid thing to say or do! We've all made our share of poor choices. That's why we have flat foreheads! And many of us know others that have made even worse choices than the ones we have made. But, don't fall into the trap of condoning the excuse of "I'm not so bad, there are others that are worse. People of good character choose not to adopt other people's worst behavior as a standard or norm. This mentality diminishes a person's responsibility for being ethical and moral. If this were my son Christopher involved in this, I would have made it clear to Leslie Stahl and everyone that I am frustrated with the DA and others in this case for the very same reasons they are. I'm with them on this one. BUT, they are missing a golden opportunity to teach to everyone in this country that they should also state that they are mad as hell at their own son for not only attending this party but staying at this party knowing that strippers were there. Don't forget what I have said before in this case, "Don't raise your daughters to be strippers and don't raise your sons to hire strippers!"