Does justice matter?

North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper says the Duke boys are innocent, and I'm not talking about those reckless drivers from Hazzard County. For over a year, three athletes from Duke University were accused of rape, kidnapping, and sexual offense by a troubled stripper on medication and a prosecutor turned persecutor, without a shred of evidence. They were vilified in the media mercilessly...at least until somebody pointed out the tiny little fact that none of it was true. Why was this such a big deal, not just around Durham, but around the country? Simple. Race. They were rich white guys, and she was a poor black girl. It just had to be true, didn't it? Why would she lie? Well, we don't know, really, but it doesn't matter. As relieved as I am for these boys, I wonder if it will matter much to the people out there who almost seem disappointed that they were exonerated, the people out there who are grumbling, "Well, it could've been true. They could've done it." Why was everyone so willing to believe it when the very basis of our legal system demands proof of guilt, the presumption of innocence, and a fair trial before a jury of one's peers? Because the accusation matters more than the truth, that's why. Rape is heinous enough on its' own, and racism is worse, but if you put the two together, it's like a knockout blow from Sonny Liston in the first round. It's even worse when you're a rich white guy, because, for some reason, people think you should be punished just for that, as if all rich white guys get their wealth by squashing the little guy and breaking the law. Even in a case where any girl is raped by any guy, the accuser is believed in an instant, and even when it's proven false, the poor shlub is ruined for life. It doesn't have to be true, it just has to be awful. Rape is a horrible act of personal terror in which one employs sex as a weapon , and we all feel a great deal of sympathy for the victim, even when it never happened. Add on, or even just imply that race was involved, and the accused may well be as hated as Hitler before the trial even begins. Even when the Attorney General holds a press conference, says not just that the charges have been dropped, but that these young men are innocent, that no DNA or any other evidence was collected to show otherwise, and says the accused are deserving of apologies, it doesn't matter to some people. The accusation matters more than the truth. Anyone who ever thought, "boy these kids are gonna get it, we're not gonna let them get away with it, their money and status can't save them," are either feeling very embarrassed or have conceived some conspiracy theory in their heads because, for what ever reason, they needed to believe the lie. Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong went out of his way to make people believe it, and now he owes David Evans and his teammates an apology. He'll probably be disbarred on top of that, but again, will it matter? These young men are going to carry this around with them for life, so although, after 395 days of defending themselves and finally being pronounced innocent of all charges, they may be wondering, as I am, will they ever be forgiven for the things they didn't do? Justice was served...but will it matter?