Truthtelling in Durham

There will be a National Day of "Truthtelling" in Durham, North Carolina, this Saturday. No, I am not making this up. When I first read this, I thought perhaps the Feds would be descending en masse, surrounding City Hall and the Courthouse, and letting no one leave until the extent of the corruption and criminal wrong-doing in both places was fully exposed. Apparently, that is not the case ... or not yet anyway. The National Day of Truthtelling, according to a quick look at some of the sponsoring participants on their website, appears to be just another feel-good/flex-flaccid-muscle day for the usual suspects: your friendly neighborhood Marxists, your Professional Victims, a few women who never got over not being invited to Prom, and some guys whose Mommys make them bang pots instead of play ball. Yes, there are even a few once admirable organizations in the list, but they have sadly defined themselves by the company they choose to keep and by their sorry actions in the Nifong-Mangum Hoax. Looks like the parade route will take the participants past the Lacrosse house where, if they make enough of a nuisance of themselves, they may actually succeed in getting Ms. Mangum her day in court ... albeit as a defendant. In the spirit of truthtelling, perhaps we need Crystal Mangum criminally charged and finally exposed to put these Pot-banging minds at rest...

I wonder a bit about the public relations strategy of the folks planning this event though. What member of Mensa suggested Durham, North Carolina, as the home base for any event with "Truthtelling" in its title? With Durham's current national notoriety, it might have been prudent to move the locale to someplace with a better reputation for veracity and accuracy. Perhaps Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, the home of the sometimes credible Phil the groundhog, would have been an upgrade. Right now, "Durham" and "Truth" seem to be mutually exclusive entities. In Punxsutawney, at least once in awhile, the groundhog can be believed.

For the past year, the whole nation has watched as Durham's Homeland Credibility Threat Advisory spiked into Red Alert. At some point, a color coded warning should have been attached to any statements emanating from any of the local "leaders". The Durham power structure seems to be replete with two types of individuals - the deluded liar and the deliberate liar. I don't mean to imply that all the cast of characters we have observed fit into one of these two categories ... No, not at all. Some, by their silence and inaction, are merely enablers of liars. But all of the above are pretty scary, considering the power they did and DO hold. And, folks, they're all STILL THERE, on the job in Durham, North Carolina to this day.

Be that as it may, the National Day of Truthtelling will soon come to pass in Durham. Oh, the heady anticipation! Beyond the requisite march, banners and bluster, one wonders what else we may be so fortunate to observe? Will that great local Truthteller, Sgt. Mark Gottlieb, be on hand, perhaps running a "Pin One of Crystal's TALES on the Lacrosse player" illegal lineup for charity and recreation? Perhaps Linwood Wilson, the Capo-regime of Witness Intimidation will be entertaining the crowd with some righteous gospel music? Can we expect to see Crystal Mangum crowned Truthtelling Festival Queen surrounded by her runner-up court of Bob Ashley and Samiha Khanna? Will City Manager Patrick "She only told one story!" Baker be there to cast his credibility at the feet of his favorite demented local sex worker as her float passes City Hall? Will Judge Orlando Hudson, the latest Hero of the Cause, be carried jubilantly on the shoulders of the crowd? And will that Capo di tutti Capi, the Godfather of all greedy, corrupt morally debased legal Mafioso. D.A. Michael Nifong stand on the Courthouse steps to salute the other "Truthtellers" as they pass in review?

One can only imagine.

In any event, there is something about the concept of a Truth-telling Day that is downright infectious! In that spirit, we pose the following questions, and ask that these noted Truthtelling participants (you just KNOW they're going to be there!) show their own true colors. Truthtelling marchers and preachers, show your own personal veracity, and honor their glorious cause by giving, for once and all, ... straight, direct answers to the following questions. You may E-mail us here at LS with your honest replies. We await your noble display of your own PERSONAL integrity.

Proposed List of Questions for Truth-Telling Workshop:

To: Serena Sebring

From the very start you actively promoted on the Trinity Park List-server & on Durham-Responds that these players were guilty of something. Your e-mails into the Trinity-Park were some of the very first. Considering your close relationship with the Duke 88, were your actions coordinated with them? How did Duke University Professor Faulkner Fox contact you about the proposed candlelight vigil? Will you admit to and apologize for misleading a national TV audience and condemning innocent men when telling Nancy Grace there was "clear evidence of some sort of an assault having happened."?

To: Sam Hummel

We noticed a picture of you walking away from the Vigilante Poster on a trash can and thought you might enlighten us on your participation. Did you create or reproduce the Vigilante Poster? If you didn't, who did? Do you know who distributed it throughout campus? Are you responsible for the false "fact sheet" distributed at the protests? Will you admit that nearly all of the "facts" on the "fact sheet" were untruths?

To:Manju Rajendran

Considering you were the Leader of the 610 protest, intended, in your words, to confront and "shame" innocent men, don't you think you owe a special apology for the sexual harassment & physical threat caused by the huge "CASTRATE" banner carried outside the Buchanan house? Who made that sign? With whom did you meet on March 25 at 4:30 pm to plan the protest at 610? Who were the local media members contacting you prior to the protest without your notice to them?

By the way, Jason Bissey says you woke him up with the pot banging. Try to show a little consideration to others along with your zeal.

To: Theo Luebke

As the son of of Paul Luebke, North Carolina House member, do you have any personal regrets for your rush to judgment considering your father's long and impressive career of fighting for Human Rights? Do you have the decency to issue a statement and say you were wrong? Or do you believe you have some personal dispensation to walk through life, attempting to destroy the lives of others, and never look back? What does Dad say?

To: Dasan Ahanu aka Chris Massenburg, Duke Women's Center Sexual Assault Support Services Assistant Coordinator

As a Duke employee and staff member of the Women’s Center, do you have any regrets for your participation in the protest at 610 now that the three young men have been found innocent? Don't you think the cause of women who actually have been raped has been hurt by your support for the False Accuser? Will you repudiate the ridiculous fairytale that "women never lie about rape" as a first step in restoring your organizations credibility?

To: Sam Hummel, Manju Rajendran, Dasan Ahanu, Serena Sebring, and Theo Luebke

As Leaders of the protest movement against the lacrosse team, both on and off campus, why haven’t you issued an apology for your protests against the Innocent Duke Lacrosse Players? Unless you have the integrity to do so, your own integrity is seriously in question. Don't demand "truth" of others, when you don't deal in it yourself! Why are you marching for Truth, when you can't handle the truth yourself?

Finally, a joint question to the group - Did any of you work with the Duke 88 in organizing these protests, especially Duke Professors Houston and Charlotte Baker, Mark Anthony Neal, Wahneema Lubiano, and Thavolia Glymph?

Can we expect any truth, or moral courage or contrition from our organized Truthtellers? Will they accept any responsibility for their OWN mistakes while banging pots to point out the "mistakes" of others? As they march by, I suggest we look closely for the mite in their collective eye. It allows them to self-congratulate themselves without any moral purview or personal responsibility to their OWN actions and mistakes. Without the integrity to admit grievous error, these marches are little more than vanity strolls...ALL ABOUT FEELING GOOD AND IMPORTANT ABOUT THEMSELVES, "sound and fury, signifying nothing."

We see the real measure of a man's integrity, not when he's right, but when he's wrong.

If these noble souls truly care about others, Sam Hummel, Manju Rajendran, Dasan Ahanu, Serena Sebring, and Theo Luebke will be carrying a banner together Saturday saying:

TO THE INNOCENT DUKE LACROSSE TEAM: WE APOLOGIZE!

And Heaven knows, maybe they will.

If there's one thing we've learned, in Durham these days, anything is possible.

And, that's the truth.

Joan Foster
with Baldo