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Page 2 Black Ink February 28, 1985 In Perspective Kevin Washkigton Assistant Edita^ Some (%s just don’t scan to go ri^ ftjT students. Last Tliesday Percy Moomian had a bad day. Moorman, 18, wascOTvictedbyanallwhitejuiy ofrapingananonymaus-atleastasferas the media is caioemed-while student in her domiitcxy room last September. The case is unquestionabl y a strange c»ie. Moaman, a quarterback for the N.C. State football team maintains that he was invited to the white girl’s room by her roommate. Whai he got to the roan, the door was unlocked, Moorman walked in, b^an kissing the wanan until she asked him to make love to her. Moot- man tiiai found tfiat he had mistaken the giri for her roommate. The white girl in the case gives an equally interesting account. Slie was on the bed asleep as Moorman had sakl. SJie was dreaming of having interoouree-and all of a sudden, she awoke to find tiie real thirig gdng on. Her immediate respraise was to by to get up, but Moorman pushed ha" back down-so the stoiy goes. Now, aren’t those two of the strangest stories ever presesited in a courtroom? Here’s an athlete who is so promiscous he just walks into someone’s room and b^ins mak ing love to a stianger. And on the other side is a woman who leaves her door open when she’s asleep, dreams about love making and can’t tell the difference belween the real thing and a dream. When given this type of evidence, a jury must decide who is telling the truth accoiding to other evidence. TTiere’s only one problem in this case: Does the other evklence tdl the stoiy? Probably not. First, the prosecution intixxiuced a psychological profile of Moorman based on an examination aixl some background femily history. The psychologists amclusion is that Moorman never learned normal sex patterns because he grew up around a whole bunch of women-then gjrLs flocked to him as a high school athlete. Not veiy much to go on. On the other hand, there is a woman who has certainly had anal sex and regular intercourse, and although she wasn’t physically beaten silly-she may have been raped. But the question remains; Did she invite Moorman to do what he did? That question brings us right back where we started ftiom. Since neither stoiy seems plausible, it doesn’t seem fair that a young man with a “bad at titude” (a description given by his attorney) should spend up to 84 years in a slate penitoitiaiy. (The minimum would be 26 years prison.) Without even touching the racial issues which Paul, newspaper columnists arxl colle^ students have brought up, 1 wonder how does a juiy convia someone on such a shakey story. The law states that a person shouldn’t be convicted unless there is no doubt that the person com mitted the crime. Siixje the crime here is rape, and the punishment is possibly the rest of a man’s life in prison, there should be more evidence to convict him-or at least some reason to believe the girl’s testimony over Moorman’s. But then again, racism may be the issue after all. ITS COMING. THE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK AT THE UNTVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL ANNOUNCES A WORKSHOP ON THE BLACK EXPERIENCE STRENGTHS OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN FAMILIES FRANK PORTER GRAHAM STUDENT UNION FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 1985 Btcr X TEU He INViT&D ^2^- OviB. /AiNU-re TBiNiG X In Reverse, Still Two Damned Strange Stories Apartheid: Not Ended by Diana Lowery Staff Writer The latest ruling of the South African government, which has caused an uproar among Black South Africans and those anti apartheid supporters, is a new government constitution that denies Blacks the right to vote for representatives to Parliament. At the same time the government allows In dians and other non-white races this privilege. No matter how hard people try to put this abomination out of their minds, it still exists. No matter how hard we try to put it at the back of our minds—while at the same time believing in its wrongness—it still ex ists. It’s an everyday fight for political, in dividual and economic freedom. Apartheid is an injustice that cannot be ignored. Why must it continue—continue to break the spirit and will of those that are tired of fighting and just want peace. Freedom is no longer uppermost in their minds. When I, a free Black American, reflect on the struggles that our people had to go through, it brings much closer to heart the oppression in South Africa. Many Black Americans take for granted that our people were in the same position if not worse than Black South Africans. They lay claim to prejudices against non-Blacks. But every day that a Black South African lives, he is made aware that he is not considered an in dividual. Even though many have given up hope, there are still those who fight with the hope that one day soon they may be able to send their children to school and know they’re getting an education that’s due them as individuals or that they may vote for a president who supports their beliefs. I have heard some people say, “.Oh, I’m getting tired of hearing about that!” Those who speak out as such are ignorant of the fact thta it is not going to be forgotten until all non-whites in South Africa are free of discrimination. Ignorance will get one no where. It surely will not bring solutions for fore. Albertina Smith Bhonda Hubbard Kevin Washington Editor in Chief Managing Editor Assistant Editor Cheryl Williams Sharyn McCombs Barry Carson Features Editor Business Manager Advertising Manager
Black Ink (Black Student Movement, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
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