So Duke University President Richard Brodhead has finally apologized to the three Duke lacrosse players in whose lynching he participated.  I suppose it’s better late than never, but I’m not impressed.

How long did it take, President Brodhead?  It’s over a year after the
fact and already well past the time of their exoneration and the
disbarment of that malfeasant, crocodile-tears prosecutor, Mike
Nifong.  Sir, at this juncture, your apology is almost a joke. 

More distressing than the tardiness of Brodhead’s apology, though, is that it’s
obvious such people have learned nothing; they truly haven’t changed.
Brodhead said:

"Given the complexities of this case, getting the communication right
would never have been easy.  But the fact is that
we did not get it right, causing the families to feel abandoned when
they were most in need of support."

Here is the problem: The case wasn’t really that complex. 

That is, if you’re not blinded by political correctness.

Let us review a bit.  A stripper accuses three college boys from good
families of rape, and her story starts to unravel almost immediately.
Despite this, the university faculty, the media and the prosecutor
commence a witch hunt and crucify the boys in the court of public
opinion.  What’s wrong with this picture?

Any sane person understands that strippers aren’t women of high
virtue.  Consequently, not that long ago the stripper would have been
viewed with a jaundiced eye, not the college students.  Oh, I know what
some are thinking, but I’m not saying that we shouldn’t judge every
case on its merits.  But, please, don’t spit down my back and tell me
it’s rainin’.  The credibility of accusers, the accused and witnesses
has to be assessed by the authorities and will be evaluated by the people.  Let’s face it, we all make our judgments. 

And that’s the point.  When making judgments, we have to apply common
sense and not check our brains at the altar of political correctness.
In the Duke case this would have meant, of course, investigating the
allegations, but it also would have dictated that the more upstanding
members of society’s word would have been viewed as more credible than
that of a guttersnipe.  I’m sorry if some don’t want to hear this
(well, I’m not really sorry), but it’s the truth.

By the way, for those who would point out that upstanding members of
society don’t attend strip parties  — thereby attempting to draw an
equivalence between the true victims and the character assassin — note
that I said "more upstanding."  It was a comparison; I wasn’t beatifying the boys. 

As far as I’m concerned, there is only one thing the Duke faculty can
say that would command my respect.  To wit: "We all got caught up in
political correctness and allowed it to blind us to the reality of the
situation; we were governed by prejudice when we should have been
illuminated by a sense of virtue.  We need to re-evaluate our thinking."

Barring this, nothing will change.  The same pseudo-intellectuals will still say left is right and up is down. 

I hope, though, that this was a lesson to those who are not the
"initiated."  We only have two choices. We can view matters through the
lens of political correctness.  Or, we can view them as they are.