Discussion List for campus-based and allied personnel working to end gender-based violence on campus.

["Abby Tassel" <>]

Thanks so much for bringing this up.  

Some thoughts that I've had:
Independent of what happened that night, it has been clear that the media
has been completely irresponsible in its covering of the case and the NC
AG's assertion that the men are "innocent" seems totally out of bounds.  I
have been searching for some reporting that clarifies the investigative
process and informs the public about the common complications of prosecuting
a sexual assault. 60 Minutes was particularly unbalanced, playing up the
idea that the defendants are victims of the system.  Not only did they show
photographs of the woman (one of which showed her smiling which they said
showed she could not have been victimized!), they disclosed her psychiatric
history including what pharmaceuticals have been prescribed to her in order
to "prove" that her allegations are false and somehow related to her mental
health (with the implication that they are being sensitive to her for
bringing it up).  Nothing about why her story may have changed, that having
sex with someone else has nothing to do with whether or not she was
assaulted, that if she is struggling with mental illness it makes her a more
likely/easy target.  Media has done an awful job of informing in this case.

And speaking of media:  in the Imus story, it is fascinating although not
entirely surprising that a number of editorials point to hip hop as bastion
of sexism and objectification while ignoring the white-world objectification
of women that is everywhere:  in particular beer advertising.

I'm on a roll...the reporting on Virginia Tech has referred to the first two
murders as "only" a domestic.  To give reporters the benefit of the doubt,
it may be what was said to them and it is true, statistically, that if it
was IPV, it would lessen the likelihood of other people being targeted.
But, it certainly also implies that killing a partner is somehow less
horrible and that the victim(s) may actually be somehow to blame. 

OK, enough from me.
Thanks for listening.
Abby Tassel




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-----Original Message-----
From: Anamarie Joosse 
[mailto:]
 
Sent: Wednesday, April 18, 2007 8:29 AM
To: 

Subject: lament for the Duke Case

Colleagues,
There is so much to lament and to grieve about this week, especially
concerning the tragedy at VA Tech.  My sympathies are with the many people
affected so deeply there.

But I am also grieving how the Duke case has ended.  It is so sad that such
great effort went into seeking justice and now it's such a mess.  Was Nifong
really out-of-bounds? or was he a victim of some kind?

Wendy and others who have spoken so eloquently about the Duke case
previously,
would you please comment and explain what you think is really happening?

Anamarie

Anamarie Joosse,MA,EdS,LLP
Broene Counseling Center, Calvin College
3201 Burton SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546
ph:(616)526-6123  fax:(616)526-8504

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