Gail Crystal Magnum Deserves Our Compassion

DUKE LACROSSE PLAYERS EXONERATED


I was thrilled to hear the North Carolina Attorney General
pronounce the three accused members of the Duke Lacrosse
Team as categorically INNOCENT. I was thrilled to hear
him call Mike Nifong, "A ROGUE PROSECUTOR." But,
most of all, I was thrilled that he also pointed out that there
was no sense of justice which would be served by charging
Gail Magnum with any offense.



In a twist of events, when the smoke clears, she is indeed
a victim.

With her prior arrests, and antics, splashed across the Internet
today, it is painfully obvious that she has had a very troubled
life. It also seems like she may have been molested in early
life, for her to spin out of control, and have resorted to this
lie about the 3 boys. No matter what caused her to go off course,
she still seems like a young lady who wants to achieve good.

She enrolled in the military, and after many disappointing
events in her life, she went back to school, still determined
to try again. While I would never suggest that being a
stripper, and escort, was an adequate way for her to achieve
those ends, I am not willing to judge her.

All I know is that it seems like after a hard life, she was struggling
to achieve a better life for herself and her children.


It was up to Mike Nifong to discern the facts of this case
BEFORE he publicly excoriated, and slimed the names,
and reputations of these three young men, who will bear
these scars forever.

It was Nifong who used them to achieve a political milestone
for himself. He also used the accuser.

He didn't care enough about her, as a person, to discern
her state of mind, or the circumstances which trapped
her in a lie. He had no respect for her, as little as the
accused suspects, and failed to give them the benefit
of a complete investigation. He broke the legal ethics by
withholding exculpatory evidence, as the cherry on top.

He belongs in JAIL.

Today, the three young men are pretty much considered
heroes, recognized for a year of sheer hell. And they
deserve the reprieve in the public eye.

However, it's hard for me not to pity Crystal, particularly
with news agencies publishing her name and picture, perhaps
in a retaliatory move.

She certainly did the wrong thing, but, it's not for
her to prove her allegations, especially if she's suffering
from problems related to depression and possibly substance
abuse. I don't want to add to her pain, but, I feel that she
has significant psychological problems, that now are open
to ridicule. She is as much of a victim of Nifong's political
motivations, and his corruption.



These men will continue to struggle to regain their momentum
for their hijacked young lives. But, I fear it may be impossible
for Crystal to do the same, and no matter what she did, she didn't
mean for this outcome. I believe she regretted this almost
from the beginning. While millions console the boys, I wish
there could be understanding and love towards her, because
she needs it most of all, in my opinion.


It's easy to cheer the three boys, and vilify her, but, let's
keep Crystal in our prayers. She's a human being, who is
struggling with her own demons, and let none of us judge
her too harshly. It was Nifong who was the opprobrious
wheel in the system, not Crystal.

Hysterical women cry rape, and the false accusers damage
the credibility of the valid rape victims. While what she did hurt
legitimate rape victims, there's a fine line of victimization,
in these cases. It's never all black or all white, forgive the pun.


The Lacrosse players, after all, were engaged in reprehensible
behavior, by drinking, when most of them were underage,
and hiring girls to strip for them in a dirty, and drunken rite
of male passage.

This is behavior that must also come into focus, because,
as long as men with money, pay for needy women to entice
them sexually, there is a component of victimizing young
women, that surpasses the boundaries that our laws are
willing to recognize in this corrupt porno age.

Even though these three boys are feeling like a weight
has been lifted off their shoulders, it's time for college
kids to consider their "Collegiates Gone Wild" sense of
entitlement, of unfettered sexuality, promoting the most
vile and degrading conduct in others. There's no nobility
in the fact that these boys were getting drunk, and objectifying
black women stripping for them.

If these boys never hired strippers, none of them would
have been in the news.

Let's have compassion for Gail Crystal Magnum, and
not displace our anger at a corrupt public officials'
abuse of the system, and victimization of more than
just three falsely accused defendants.

He betrayed his constituents who believed in his
integrity, especially the African American community
in Durham. What he did hurts them, almost as much
as his harm to Duke, the three accused, and the
accuser.

There are so many victims of Mike Nifong, and if
ever a public official deserved to be put on trial,
even in prison, this is the case for it. I hope that
the State of N. Carolina, will pursue every avenue
to hold this bad man, to be accountable for his
political motivation and corruption.

I hope this time next year, this bastard will be in a
prison cell. He's the only real bad guy in this case,
and the only perpetrator who hurt people.