Last night, ESPN aired the latest installment of their fantastic 30 for 30 series, "Fantastic Lies," about the 2006-07 rape allegations of the Duke University lacrosse team. This episode was one of the best the network has ever made and should be required viewing at colleges across the country.
"Fantastic Lies" chronicles how quickly personal agendas can obscure truth, how quests for social justice and media activism can push a story that is ultimately and obviously false. Rather than seek facts and evidence before making judgments, those who attempt to redress perceived inequalities prefer a trial in the court of public opinion rather than regard the validity and legality of the case. Such blindness to truth and law is the premise of this excellent documentary.
From the perspective of the English field, the film is worth watching for its pertinent exemplification of the homepage quote for this very site. It also demonstrates a piece of linguistic and logic advice I explored back on March 2. We also get to see the tremendous amount of reading, writing, researching, and arguing that lawyers do in such cases, proving why English is one of the most common majors for those who want to advance to law school. And finally, we are able to witness the horrible journalistic practices of newspaper and television reporters who were out to produce a salacious story at any cost and neglected the fundamental principles of due diligence and objectivity.
The darkest element of such reactionary and ignorant outrage is that there's no consequence for being wrong. For journalists who publish falsehoods and activists who storm the streets, learning of their own inaccuracies may yield little more than an "Oops, sorry," and victims of such false accusations rarely receive that much. But those whose names and reputations have been slandered in print and on television, or whose homes have been vandalized or whose loved ones have been threatened, are forever changed. They can never be who they once were. So accusers can continue to point fingers without evidence because it's always feels good to be on the side of angels, while those who have had to face the lies head on must rebuild their lives one day at a time.
When we attempt to prosecute people in public based on race, class, gender, education level, or other differences, we run the tremendous risk of chasing our own biased, predetermined conclusions instead of what is real, what is just, what is right. There is perhaps no greater indication of the democratic values that set America apart from most of the world than its intended adherence to the rule of law. And when we suspect someone is guilty--no matter his or her background or circumstance--that person deserves to have the facts examined. If we don't live by the law--the same law for everyone--we can't function as a democracy. And no one needs this message more than today's young people.
Universities today need to be incubating a passion for truth, rather than stoking emotions for spurious activism. Universities must take a closer look at what their professors are fomenting and what their students are practicing. Instead of endless marches on quads, slogans on posters, and inane twitter hashtags, we must be training our students to be tireless seekers and voracious consumers of evidence, to employ sound logic wherever it may lead, and to arrive at truthful conclusions. That is valuable learning. And watching this documentary is a great start to that education.
Check your local listings for ESPN's reruns of "Fantastic Lies."
"Fantastic Lies" chronicles how quickly personal agendas can obscure truth, how quests for social justice and media activism can push a story that is ultimately and obviously false. Rather than seek facts and evidence before making judgments, those who attempt to redress perceived inequalities prefer a trial in the court of public opinion rather than regard the validity and legality of the case. Such blindness to truth and law is the premise of this excellent documentary.
From the perspective of the English field, the film is worth watching for its pertinent exemplification of the homepage quote for this very site. It also demonstrates a piece of linguistic and logic advice I explored back on March 2. We also get to see the tremendous amount of reading, writing, researching, and arguing that lawyers do in such cases, proving why English is one of the most common majors for those who want to advance to law school. And finally, we are able to witness the horrible journalistic practices of newspaper and television reporters who were out to produce a salacious story at any cost and neglected the fundamental principles of due diligence and objectivity.
The darkest element of such reactionary and ignorant outrage is that there's no consequence for being wrong. For journalists who publish falsehoods and activists who storm the streets, learning of their own inaccuracies may yield little more than an "Oops, sorry," and victims of such false accusations rarely receive that much. But those whose names and reputations have been slandered in print and on television, or whose homes have been vandalized or whose loved ones have been threatened, are forever changed. They can never be who they once were. So accusers can continue to point fingers without evidence because it's always feels good to be on the side of angels, while those who have had to face the lies head on must rebuild their lives one day at a time.
When we attempt to prosecute people in public based on race, class, gender, education level, or other differences, we run the tremendous risk of chasing our own biased, predetermined conclusions instead of what is real, what is just, what is right. There is perhaps no greater indication of the democratic values that set America apart from most of the world than its intended adherence to the rule of law. And when we suspect someone is guilty--no matter his or her background or circumstance--that person deserves to have the facts examined. If we don't live by the law--the same law for everyone--we can't function as a democracy. And no one needs this message more than today's young people.
Universities today need to be incubating a passion for truth, rather than stoking emotions for spurious activism. Universities must take a closer look at what their professors are fomenting and what their students are practicing. Instead of endless marches on quads, slogans on posters, and inane twitter hashtags, we must be training our students to be tireless seekers and voracious consumers of evidence, to employ sound logic wherever it may lead, and to arrive at truthful conclusions. That is valuable learning. And watching this documentary is a great start to that education.
Check your local listings for ESPN's reruns of "Fantastic Lies."