I've pretty much been avoiding the entire mess in Durham, North Carolina surrounding a stripper, the Duke lacrosse team, and an alleged rape. Obviously, the story exploded instantly, and with me not having any more knowledge than the next guy, why should I comment? OK, I did comment once to say, essentially, that I figured some privileged, rich, dickbag frat boys were guilty, and I stand by that, but the case has taken enough turns already to approach O.J. levels of madness. I'm staying away from that. I mean, am I going to comment on the legitimacy, or lack therof, of DNA test results? Um, no.
But then I saw this yesterday. Apparently, the stripper was shitfaced...
A woman who claims she was raped by members of Duke University's lacrosse team was described as "just passed-out drunk" by one of the first police officers to see her, according to a recording of radio traffic released Thursday.
The conversation between the officer and a police dispatcher took place about 1:30 a.m. March 14, about five minutes after a grocery store security guard called 911 to report a woman in the parking lot who would not get out of someone else's car.
The officer gave the dispatcher the police code for an intoxicated person. When asked whether the woman needed medical help, the officer said: "She's breathing and appears to be fine. She's not in distress. She's just passed out drunk."
Now, I'm not going to pretend that this helps explain anything. However, I will say that this entire debacle is looking more and more like what I figured went down that night when I first heard this sad story: drunk party boy fucks meet drunk chick and bad things ensue. I mean, is this explanation so farfetched? Doesn't that sound like garbage that goes down on college campuses more than most people would care to admit?
It happens. It happens a lot. Drunk dickbags pound booze, get out of their head, and then have their way with a chick because A) they're drunk, B) they're dickbags, and C) they think the chick wants it and don't understand, or hear, the word 'no'.
Am I saying that the members of the lacrosse team are guilty of rape? No. I have no idea. I'm just saying that when the booze is flowing - and where does booze flow more freely than at a college party? - bad things often happen.
Are there other explanations? Of course.
Is it possible the woman was deemed drunk by the police because she was slipped something at the party and not actually drunk at all? Yes.
Is it possible that between the time of the alleged rape (midnight) and the time she was described by the police officer (1:30 a.m.) she was so distressed by the terrible things that happened to her in that house that she drank herself silly? Yes.
Is it possible that she is some crazy broad who's making up the entire story and the lacrosse players are guilty of little more than being drunken yahoos who hired a stripper? Yes.
I have no idea what happend that night and I'm not going to pretend to.
All I'm saying is that the formula of shitfaced broad + dickbag fratboy fucks = very bad things sounds about right to me.
Of course, a lot of people continue to want to make this about race and class, but is it really that complicated? Maybe. But I'm not so sure. My guess is that the assholes at the party - which, by the way, were almost assuredly only a few individuals and not the entire team - would have been equally content manhandling some white chick if they viewed her as equally drunk and worthless.
I can't help the feeling this story is so much simpler than the world is making it out to be. Drunk people do stupid things - things that, sometimes, should land them in jail. Period.
Of course, what is complicated is how this will all play out in court - this isn't like the O.J. trial where you know O.J did it - but I can't help the feeling that these dudes will skate. The negative DNA tests combined with the portrayal of the woman as being shitfaced must have the rich, elitist lawyers and their rich, elitist clients jumping with glee at the thought of the things they can get away with.
I guess women would be wise to remember that when raped it helps if you weren't drinking beforehand.
