1. Life was not “boringly normal” for the indicted players.
2. I am hypocritical and unfair and unbalanced in my treatment of DIW/liestoppers vs. potbangers.
3. Summary of the DIW/liestoppers view of the history and significance of the “listening” ad.

I enjoyed reading your perspective and analysis of the Duke Lacrosse incident of 2006 and its aftermath. Finding your blog was very refreshing.

I wish you the best of luck in finding your next direction after nine years at Duke teaching music.

While I believe there are some strident folks on both sides of the argument, who indeed do reek of hypocrisy and detract from the sense of ‘collegial’ discourse, it is useful not to look so much at personalities, which often guides us to subjective, colored, and necessarily polarizing interpretations of the issue, but at the facts.

I do visit DIW and liestoppers occassionally, but have very rarely, if ever, posted (maybe once a long, long time ago). I believe there are many lilke me (a silent majority) who have an inclination to follow events of this clash, most of us who naturally feel we are reasonable people, who are not so strident and probably don’t fit into a one-all, fits-all categorization of ‘liestoppers’.

I, myself, with a career in designing developing database systems in Washington State, have found this case to be very compelling for a variety of reasons, despite the separation of distance and lack of connection to anything Duke or Lacrosse.

I am glad there are strong voices out there arguing issues, even if they are strident are offend our sensibilities.

I find DIW appealing because of its reliance on factual support, for the most part, as the basis of its conclusions. Proofs and logical arguments work this way. It would be great if the other side, or even the different colors of perspective, background, and agenda, even if strident, did the same. I’m willing to give both sides my ear.

Regards,

D in Washington

Thank you for starting (and possibly ending) the comment thread on a positive and open-minded note. I don’t at all blame anyone for finding DIW both interesting and useful. When I get around to the details of my complains it, I hope you’ll let me know whether they make sense to you or not.