News-Record.com

Are any immigrant kids really staying home from school today? Estupido!

I like the Spanish-language version of "The Star-Spangled Banner." (Thanks to Brad and Britt for airing it this morning.)

What day do the rest of us boycott Mexican restaurants?

In Mexico, meanwhile, people aren't going to buy Gringo today. So, what does that do for the Mexicans who sell Gringo?

I'm pretty sure my immigrant grandparents didn't arrive with the attitude that this country needed them more than they needed this country, or that the United States owed them something.

Can I hope that David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez won't be playing for the Red Sox against the Yankees today?

Why do some people say it's racist to oppose illegal immigration? Do they think no one would mind if there were 10 million undocumented Eastern Europeans here?

It's interesting that some immigrants -- Sudanese and Vietnamese come to mind -- don't complain about being here.

If all illegal immigrants here now suddenly were made legal, how many new illegal immigrants would they welcome to come here and compete for their jobs?

Does today's moratorium also mean no one is smuggling drugs across the border? We could stand every day without immigrant drug traffickers.

Finally, is today's boycott really helpful to the cause of immigration liberalization or is it confrontational and antagonistic? I guess we'll know more by day's end.

I'd say it was very appropriate for Duke University officials to keep demonstrators from the New Black Panthers Party off campus today.

President Richard Brodhead said Friday that university officials were assured by the NBPP that its group did not intend to enter the campus. Apparently, that intention changed -- but Duke wisely held the group to its word.

Maybe it had something to do with this, as reported by The News & Observer of Raleigh:

"The Panthers, dressed in fatigues, combat boots and flak jackets -- some sporting knives on their belts -- delivered a list of demands that included the conviction of Reade Seligmann and Collin Finnerty."

Knives? Not a good idea.

As for the demand for convictions, well, I suspect Duke will leave that to the legal system.

Right now, my guess is that DA Mike Nifong isn't going to win any convictions. In fact, I doubt Seligmann will go to trial.

His attorney, Kirk Osborn, has really upped the ante.

As a defense attorney, you don't challenge the integrity of the DA unless you're 100 percent sure you can back it up. But it's abundantly clear that Nifong doesn't have a case against Seligmann.

Finnerty may be a different story; we'll see. But the alleged victim's misidentification of Seligmann from a rigged photo lineup will cripple the case against any other suspects.

For his part, Nifong answered Osborn's charges with a pathetic challenge: "They don't want to go up against me."

Of course they don't. Any lawyer whose client is innocent wants to get the charges dismissed before going to trial. And that's what's going to happen.

I can't wait to see how Nifong explains it to the New Black Panthers Party.

CNN's Lou Dobbs sees a radical, left-wing agenda behind today's immigration demonstrations.

I don't doubt there's an element of that.

Indeed, some of Greensboro's left-wing radicals attended today's rally at the governmental plaza downtown, handing out socialist literature and red flags.

Rally leaders, however, asked the crowd NOT to wave those red flags, proclaiming "that's not what this is about today."

There were many more American flags on display.

If these immigrants really hated America, they probably wouldn't be here.

Wow! Who knew market attendance was as high as 95,000?

Absolutely no one. But that's the registration figure released yesterday by the market authority.

Half that number is buyers.

Unbelievable?

I don't know. This was the first run for the new central registration system. Past estimates hovered in the 70,000 to 80,000 range, with attendance at recent markets pegged at even less than that.

Was there a big surge at this market? No.

We're offered the conclusion that the old guesswork was grossly inaccurate on the low side.

Or we can harbor a sneaking suspicion that the new number somehow overstates the market's size.

How many people might register in advance but not actually come? Hard to say.

The 95,000 number is impressive but so far above the conventional wisdom that it will require substantiation over time.

Congratulations to Guilford County Elections Supervisor George Gilbert, his staff and all the precinct workers for a fine job today. Everything went smoothly, and final results were posted shortly after 10.

Congratulations to the winners. There weren't any local suprises, except that I expected Julia Hejazi to beat Doug Henderson in the DA's race. This was not a day for challengers to oust incumbents in Guilford County, however.

I have no idea what Durham County Democrats -- OK, 45 percent of them -- were thinking in backing their DA, Mike Nifong. His plurality was enough to carry the day for the prosecutor who has badly mishandled the Duke rape case. I don't know whether the crime occurred as the accuser says it did, but I'm dead certain Reade Seligmann, one of the two lacrosse players charged so far, isn't going to be convicted for it.

What's most damning of Nifong's many mistakes -- even worse than the stacked photo lineup used to identify the suspects -- was his refusal to look at evidence of Seligmann's innocence. What kind of officer of the court refuses to look at evidence of a suspect's innocence (as reported by the News & Observer)?

Durham Democrats have just elected a man who is going to embarrass their county. Durham Republicans should be kicking themselves for not putting up a candidate. By November, when his case has fallen apart, Nifong won't have any public support.

My column today:

The United States welcomed more than a million immigrants last year.
Legal ones. Lord knows how many slipped in uninvited.

Well, so what? It's all the same. Everyone from anywhere is entitled to a piece of America, and the rest of us had better get used to it.

That seemed to be the point of Monday's nationwide demonstrations. Illegal immigrants -- many of them, anyway -- stayed out of work to show us how important they are to the economy. They rallied in cities across the country, including Greensboro, to drive home the political lessons. Full civil rights for all, or else!

Sure, let's hear "The Star-Spangled Banner" en Espanol. And a chorus of "Esta tierra es mi tierra" while we're at it. ...

Some leftover thoughts from yesterday's primary results:

Guilford County voters showed they still prefer women judicial candidates, as they did in 2004.

The order of finish locally in the five-candidate field for a state Supreme Court seat: Robin Hudson, Ann Marie Calabria, Jill Check, Bill Gore and Gus Gray.

For a Court of Appeals seat, Christopher Parrish was close but still trailed Linda Stephens. But Parrish is a Guilford County assistant district attorney. Stephens lives in Raleigh.

No women were running for a second Court of Appeals seat.

Bruce Davis came out ahead in his Democratic primary showdown with Ben Collins, netting all of 482 votes. Davis will be on the ballot by himself in November because Republicans don't challenge Democrats in his district.

This is why I object to district representatives serving as chairman of the board of commissioners, as Davis did last year. It's nothing personal, but someone who holds his office by virtue of 482 votes should not serve as Guilford County's top elected official. The post of chairman should be reserved for a commissioner who is elected countywide.

Frank Deford's commentary on NPR this morning razzed Democrats for their lack of athletic politicians. Other than Bill Bradley, they haven't done well in matching the likes of J.C. Watts, Lynn Swann, Steve Largent, Jim Bunning and that muscular guy who's governor of California.

Actually, the Dems do have a jock in Western North Carolina. Former Tennessee and Redskins quarterback Heath Shuler won the party primary yesterday and will take on Charles Taylor for the 11th District congressional seat. Taylor's tough but vulnerable.

Then in the 13th District, Republican voters have graced us with Vernon Robinson, their choice to challenge Democrat Brad Miller. Gee, thanks. Even those of us who don't live in the 13th District are going to be blasted by Robinson's high-volume tirades.

DA Doug Henderson took the Simpkins PAC endorsement into his Democratic Party primary contest with Julia Hejazi Tuesday.

He came out with huge advantages in Greensboro's predominantly black precincts.

This isn't precise, but you can get an idea of the numbers from the precinct-by-precinct results.

First look at the columns showing precinct voting in the Roberson-Dorsett State Senate District 28 race. For the most part, that district tells you which precincts have the most African American voters.

Now look at the Hejazi-Henderson columns directly to the right. Focus on the same precincts that counted in the Roberson-Dorsett contest. That will give you a good idea of how black voters split in the Hejazi-Henderson race.

As you can see, it was overwhelmingly for Henderson.

Both Henderson and Hejazi are white Democrats. It looks to me like they ran pretty even in the rest of Greensboro and the county. So, what made the difference in those predominantly black Greensboro precincts?

It's gotta be the PAC.

I'm OK with the jury's recommendation of life in prison for Zacarias Moussaoui. If Khalid Shaikh Mohammed ever goes on trial, however, I would expect a sterner outcome.

Starbucks reports a 27 percent jump in profits. Outrageous! Congress needs to slap price-gouging penalties on the trendy coffee chain which has hooked much of America on its fuel-your-morning product. Or at least give Americans some kind of rebate to help pay for the overpriced brews.

Who needs a Toyota plant more badly, Davidson County or Rockingham County?

I enjoyed Amy's story today about Thirsty Thursdays at First Horizon Park. I'm definitely not part of the ballpark bar scene, but I did buy a Grandstand ticket once last season. All I can say is it's a good thing the young people who gather out there really don't care about watching the game, because it's the worst vantage point in the park anyway. If you're interested in baseball, buy a $7 reserved seat ticket instead of the $6 Grandstand admission. The extra buck is well worth it.

Some news reports attributed Richard Morgan's defeat Tuesday night to efforts by the conservative wing of the state's Republican Party to put down the moderates. Nonsense. It was all about Morgan's association with Democrat Speaker Jim Black and his immitation of Black's modus operandi. If it signals that voters are tired of political scandals in Raleigh, maybe Black, too, will be out of power after November.

The state says it expects a $920 million funding shortfall for highway projects and other transportation programs. Hey, why don't they raise the gas tax? Oh, no, wait. They've been doing that every six months.

In an earlier post, I mentioned Khalid Shaikh Mohammed. He is the high-level al-Qaida figure said to have masterminded the 9/11 attacks.

He also was a 1986 graduate of N.C. A&T, with a degree in mechanical engineering.

He was captured in Pakistan in March 2003.

With Zacarias Moussaoui on his way to the federal pen for the rest of his miserable life, will Mohammed be put on trial next?

Who knows? His legal status is as mysterious as his whereabouts.

Mohammed reportedly has been good for a lot of inside dope about al-Qaida.

How all that info might have been, er, extracted apparently makes Mohammed's situation a little dicey.

If he were scheduled for trial, his lawyers would file motions to have evidence against him suppressed because it was obtained through coercive measures. What if some judge dismissed the whole case against him?

So, would it be better if Mohammed simply never gets out of whatever hole he's been dropped into?

Or should the government deal with him through the justice system, put him on trial and take its chances?

Do you wonder why the government put on such a show trial of Zacarias Moussaoui? After all, he was a bit player in the 9/11 conspiracy, not a big dog like Khalid Mohammed or Osama bin Laden. Maybe it was because the government doesn't intend for those two to go on trial. I've already discussed Mohammed. And it makes no sense to capture bin Laden alive because that would only inspire his followers to take and murder countless hostages. If bin Laden is caught, he may immediately get a bullet in the head. Don't cry for me, Afghanistan.

So the Moussaoui trial might have been THE 9/11 courtroom show. He was the stand-in for bin Laden, Mohammed and the whole al-Qaida gang -- which is why all the 9/11 emotions were presented in court and why the prosecutors tried so hard to get the death penalty.

Yet, they failed. Moussaoui wasn't given the death penalty. Americans and victims' families who were hoping that someone would pay with blood for the 3,000 9/11 deaths are left unsatisfied.

Will that cause the government to re-evaluate Mohammed's situation? I hope so.

He should be put on trial. Let him say he was tortured and ask for the charges against him to be dismissed. That tactic might not work, but even if it did and he were released, he'd be a dead man anyway. After he fingered so many other al-Qaida people, the terrorists would come gunning for him.

Even better, however, would be a trial of someone who really was responsible for 9/11. He's not Osama, but Khalid Mohammed is a very, very bad character, involved in many of al-Qaida's biggest operations. No jury would spare his life. Tell the Justice Department to get going with it, President Bush.

I'm concerned about State's choice of Sidney Lowe to coach its basketball team.

Not because his record as a head coach in the NBA shows 79 wins against 210 losses.

Wolfpack fans aren't that concerned with winning.

Rather, it's because at the age of 46 he's still working on his college degree.

The News & Observer reports that he's nearly there at Saint Paul's College in Lawrenceville, Va. It didn't mention what he's majoring in.

As I've noted before, State needs someone with compelling academic credentials for this post -- preferably someone who's philosophical outlook can prepare him for the disappointments to come.

Patrick Kennedy said he was given no special treatment from Capitol police after his "prescription medication-caused" mishap.

Right. He was treated just like any other member of the family.

North Carolina's expected budget surplus for the fiscal year ending June 30 has risen to $2 billion. Why do I get the feeling that's money already spent?

The Charlotte Observer gave John Blust some space this week to lay out his proposals for ethics reforms. Only a rumor that Jim Black canceled his subscription.

The Hendersonville Times-News sticks up for Charles Taylor. The congressman's handling of the Flight 93 memorial was never as simple as most media portrayed it.

There must be some slow learners at Duke. A student there claims she was raped by a fellow student after a alcohol-and-drug party that featured a marijuana vaporizer.

So, what's the current score on the city council lie-detector tests?

Eric Swenson reports it's six pass, two won't say and one incomplete.

What was the question again?

Queen Noor, the American-born widow of Jordan's King Hussein, is in High Point. She's the graduation speaker at High Point University this morning.

HPU President Nido Qubein gave a reception in her honor last night. Really, it was an opportunity for guests to meet her.

She is very gracious, personable, not overly regal but certainly dignified.

Check out her bio. She's well educated (among the first women graduates of Princeton) and had launched a successful professional career -- interrupted just slightly to become queen of a Middle Eastern country. But she's been an outstanding ambassador for Jordan for nearly three decades, definitely not a woman who disappeared from public view. Just the opposite; she was usually at her husband's side -- when she wasn't pursuing her own initiatives on behalf of important causes.

She's written a memoir -- last night's guests received autographed copies -- which looks fascinating.

No doubt she'll have a compelling message to share with HPU grads today.

Should SRO's carry tasers in school?

What makes sense about this?

What concerns you?

Addendum, 3:10 p.m.: Who decides what weapons SROs carry? Within his jurisdiction, Sheriff BJ Barnes says he does.

We'll see how that plays with the school board. But I doubt the board will prevail if it challenges him on that point.

School grounds are no different than any other property when it comes to law-enforcement jurisdiction. An SRO is assigned to a certain territory within that jurisdiction just like any other patrol officer has his or her area of responsibility. Barnes says his officers will be armed and equipped the same, no matter where they're assigned.

The issue of stun guns in schools conveys the assumption that they would be used on students. Certainly, that has happened in other school systems such as Charlotte-Mecklenburg. But an SRO also might be called on to protect students against intruders.

Certainly, there's a concern about the effect of 50,000 volts on a young person. That concern should dictate that this weapon is used only in the most compelling of circumstances, when the next alternative would be a firearm. But an officer could be confronted with similar circumstances involving teenagers in other places, too -- malls, parks, neighborhoods. If you argue officers should not carry stun guns in school, you might have to argue they shouldn't carry them anywhere.

True, the liberal N&R isn't known for pushing tax relief.

But in our editorial today, we repeated our call, which we initiated last year, for an expanded back-to-school sales tax holiday.

The annual tax break is scheduled this year for Aug. 4-6. It's been very popular in the past, drawing big crowds of shoppers eager to save a few cents per dollar on items ranging from notebooks to school clothes to computers.

We say make it Aug. 4-13, stretching it out over two weekends. Give shoppers more time to take advantage of the break.

With the big budget surplus, the state can afford it. Families need it. Tell your legislators to do it.

Iran's president lectures George W. Bush on the obligations of Christian leadership.

Ahmoud Ahmadinejad also ...

applauds the toppling of Saddam ...

deplores the creation of Israel ...

defends nuclear research and development in Iran ...

criticizes poverty in the U.S. while money is spent on the war in Iraq ...

asserts that liberalism and Western-style democracy have failed ...

and urges Bush to join in following the will of Almighty God.

Quite a diplomatic message.

I can't wait to see how Bush responds.

Duke President Richard Brodhead asked William G. Bowen and Julius L. Chambers to investigate the university administration's response to the lacrosse/rape case. Their report was released Monday, and it's a very good read.

I'm going to break out some highlights, expressing my own opinions in italics.

At the heart of the matter: "The Duke administration was much too slow in understanding and addressing the serious and highly sensitive issues raised by the rape allegations and associated events."

But this was not the result of attempts to delay or deceive, the report says. Instead, it faults errors of judgment.

One was in placing too much faith on initial comments by Durham police, that the accuser kept changing her story and wasn't credible, that if there were charges they'd be misdemeanors, that the incident would blow over.

The information about the accuser changing her story -- she reportedly first said she was attacked by about 20 men -- will be used by defense attorneys to attack her credibility.

Top administrators weren't told right away that the accuser was black -- "a gap in communication that is extraordinary."

The report's authors seem to indicate that the alleged victim's race should have made a difference in how Duke responded to the case, as if the alleged crime was worse because of the racial issue. Actually, that's probably correct. Without the racial angle, the story would not have caused the racial divide it has in Durham or made such an impact in the national media.

The administration's lack of initial alarm affected lacrosse players who "may have been lulled into a false sense of security about the events shortly to unfold ..." They "might well have sought legal counsel sooner had they been aware of the stakes."

The three residents of the house where the incident occurred were cooperative with police at first, volunteering on March 16 to provide DNA samples and take lie-detector tests. They gave a total of 25 hours of interviews to police. Soon after, however, parents of lacrosse players became concerned about their legal rights and began hiring attorneys, who advised silence.

That's hardly surprising, as every member of the team was considered a suspect in an ongoing criminal investigation. Still is, in fact.

Duke and its athletics department didn't provide proper oversight of the lacrosse team or instill proper values in the players. Nevertheless, after coach Mike Pressler resigned, many of the lacrosse players felt "abandoned" by the university.

Interesting dilemma for Duke: It had to condemn the unacceptable behavior in general of team members, while remembering that in criminal proceedings all are innocent until proven guilty -- and in fact, while recognizing that most, if not all, actually are innocent.

Duke has not monitored off-campus behavior closely enough; some say it has cracked down on alcohol use on campus but merely pushed it "over the wall."

An unanswered question: "It remains unclear to us and to others whether -- had there been no rape allegation and no criminal investigation -- the party itself would have led to a serious investigation and possible disciplinary actions."

Probably not.

"The senior leadership of Duke was handicapped by its own limited diversity. ... We are certainly not arguing for filling positions of any kind by applying some race-gender quota system. But we would encourage President Brodhead to find ways to bring a wider range of talented individuals to his council table."

The report notes that a better effort to integrate academics, athletics and student life would seem to be in order. "A stronger faculty voice in both student life and athletics would be helpful, we believe ..."

It also recommended that the university "take a large step back and think freshly about the role of athletics, and especially the aggressive recruitment of scholarship athletes, in the context of Duke's educational mission ..."

Basketball team excepted? Seriously, it would be an overreaction to de-emphasize athletics as a result of this incident. After all, the basketball programs -- men's and women's -- are examplary at Duke. So are other sports.

This looks like a valuable report, part of an examination that might profit any college or university -- and one better done before a crisis occurs.

My column today:

Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong nailed a Duke lacrosse player Monday.

Dave Evans, a team captain, was slapped with a $100 fine for an alcohol infraction. Punishment for a noise violation may be coming down soon.

Evans, who lived in the off-campus house where the widely publicized rape allegedly occurred March 13-14, was charged with alcohol and noise offenses before all that happened but was granted a deferred prosecution -- provided he stay out of trouble.

Suffice it to say, no one on the Duke lacrosse team has stayed out of trouble. As a result of the out-of-hand party Evans hosted on that infamous night, Nifong revoked the deferred part of his prosecution.

Fair enough. The question is whether Evans' case marks the beginning or the end of Nifong's successes. ...

A couple of school board members are pushing to remove SROs from middle schools if they're equipped with Tasers.

Brilliant. But tell me: If an incident occurs that's so dangerous an officer would have to use a stun gun, who's going to deal with it in the absence of an SRO?

Deena Hayes' concern seems to be that Tasers are more likely to be used on black students. Would it be OK if officers promised only to use them on white, Hispanic or Asian kids?

Stun guns are controversial. But deploying SROs in middle school is not. It's important to have them there. They are not a threat to students; they are there to protect students, teachers and staff. If these school board members succeed in removing them, I'm afraid there will be cause to regret it.

The majority Republican (5-2) N.C. Supreme Court halts an execution after the Democratic governor refuses.

Well, maybe that's how Democrats get elected governor in North Carolina.

In a case like this, however, why wouldn't you allow time for DNA testing rather than put a man to death with even the slightest lingering doubt about his guilt? After all the years Jerry Wayne Conner has been waiting, what's wrong with waiting a few more weeks to make absolutely sure we've got it right?

At any rate, Gov. Easley has the word now: No more executions unless DNA tests are done, if the means exist. Good call by the justices, who apparently are not concerned with showing voters how tough they are.

The Charlotte-Meck school board approves a contract for new chief Peter Gorman:

It's a four-year deal paying a base salary of $250,000; up to $25,000 in annual bonuses; a $35,000 annual payment into a retirement account (initial payment after completion of first year on the job); moving expenses; use of a car; $175 monthly "mobile communications" allowance.

It's a lot, but he promises to "work hard for that money."

I just don't think the country is going to elect another Bush in '08. Or maybe ever.

Should we raise the driving age to 18? It's time to really think about it.

Just a stupid idea: Ask Mexico to pay for the medical, educational, incarceration, border security and other costs of illegal immigrants from that country. If Mexico refuses to pay, repeal NAFTA and slap big tariffs on all goods imported from Mexico.

I didn't attend last night's shouting match between the Minuteman Project people and the International Socialist Organization counterdemonstrators, so I can't offer much comment.

Except, it's pretty darn ironic to see a banner that says "Minutemen out of N.C." being held by people supporting illegal immigrants.

I mean, who has a right to be in North Carolina and who doesn't?

Anyway, I compliment the police for keeping the two groups apart so they could only bash each other with insults.

State Rep. Earl Jones tells Mark Binker that "just to ban (video poker) straight out when we just passed the lottery is kind of hypocritical."

Sure it is.

It was also hypocritical to pass a state lottery when the state already banned, and still bans, private lotteries -- also known as numbers rackets. Not to mention every other kind of gambling.

State lottery supporters like Jones should be eager to get rid of video poker. It's competition. The state wants a gambling monopoly -- outside the Cherokee reservation, of course. And Gov. Easley's trying to make sure the Cherokees don't expand their operations.

Yes, it's all about hypocrisy. Video poker should be banned because it's sleazy and exploitative -- and competition for the state's sleazy and exploitative lottery.

The woman who said she was raped by three men at a party attended by Duke lacrosse players picked four photos out of 46 she was shown by Durham police, according to a transcript posted on WRAL-TV's Web site.

It provides a remarkable view of the process that led to the indictments of Collin Finnerty and Reade Seligmann and leaves two other unnamed suspects in jeopardy.

The first noteworthy aspect of the document is its statement that District Attorney Mike Nifong suggested the unusual process employed. The victim was not asked to look at a "lineup or photographic array." Instead, she was shown a Power Point presentation consisting of mug shots, one after another, of 46 Duke lacrosse players. She was asked to state whether she recognized them and, if so, in what context. Defense attorneys have pointed out this violates the Durham PD's own guidelines and allowed the victim to choose assailants with no possible wrong answers.

Many of the players she did not recognize as being at the party at all. Some she did, in fact with quite a bit of clarity about where they were and what they were doing. She picked out four as the men who assaulted her -- but she was only 100 percent sure about two: Finnerty and Seligmann.

Wait. She said three men assaulted her. How could she pick out four? That's a good question. So is this: Which one of the other two will Nifong seek to indict?

Both unnamed, the other two were images four and five in the Power Point presentation.

No. Four

Sgt: Did you recognize that person?
Victim: He looked like ... but I'm not sure.
Sgt: Who is ...?
Victim: One of the guys that assaulted me.
Sgt. One of the guys that assaulted you? OK.
Victim: Um hum.

No. Five

Victim: He looks like one of the guys who assaulted me sort.
Sgt: OK. How, um, sure of it are you in this image?
Victim: He looks just like him without the mustache.
Sgt: OK, so the person had a mustache?
Victim: Yes.
Sgt: Percentage wise, what is the likelihood this is one of the gentlemen who assaulted you?
Victim: About 90 percent.

Just two images later, No. Seven, Seligmann's face appeared.
Victim: He looks like one of the guys who assaulted me.
Sgt: How sure are you?
Victim: 100 percent.

Then the sergeant asked what Seligmann did to her, and she responded. I found it curious that he did not ask her for those details in regard to Nos. four and five.

At this point, only seven pictures in and with 39 more to see, she already had picked out three assailants.

Then Finnerty's face came up at No. 40.

Victim: He is the guy who assaulted me.

The sergeant asked for details. The transcript notes the victim's eyes welled up with tears.

Sgt: Was he the first or second one to do that?
Victim: The second one.
Sgt: Is he the one that strangled you?
Victim: No.

The identification of Finnerty is powerful, with the victim becoming emotional.

But the transcript exposes problems, which defense attorneys will exploit.

She says Finnerty was not the one who strangled her, nor the first to do what she said Finnerty did to her. Nor did she identify Seligmann as doing those things. So, who did?

I understand that, if everything occurred the way she said it did, it still could be very hard for her to make positive identifications. That could be a problem in any case of this type. But, absent any other evidence, it's probably not good enough to win a conviction in court to be sort of sure or even 90 percent sure of an identification.

Then there's Seligmann, who has a good alibi. (Although Durham police seem to be trying to intimidate one of his alibi witnesses.) If she's 100 percent sure of his identification, but he could not have done it, that poses a credibility problem.

The DA says more DNA test results are due soon. The Durham Herald-Sun reports that tissue found under the victim's fingernail matches a Duke lacrosse player. The question is, which one? If it matches someone she did NOT identify as an assailant, then it's useless for the prosecution. If it does match one of those four, it helps the DA's case -- but only against that one unless a strong case against one can be used to pressure him into testifying against others. But then, the defense could argue that she scratched him as he was helping her to her car. And something like that could well account for tissue under her fingernail.

What needs to be done very soon is for the 42 players whom she did not identify as assailants to be publicly cleared. All this time, the cloud of suspicion has been hanging over all 46, even though the DA has known for many weeks that there is no possible case against 42 of them. That's highly unfair to them and their families.

Howard Dean tells Christian Broadcasting Network News that the Democratic Party platform defines marriage as "between a man and a woman."

Oops. The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force angrily decries Dean's "misrepresentation" of his own party's position.

It notes: "In fact, the DNC 2004 platform says, 'We support full inclusion of gay and lesbian families in the life of our nation and seek equal responsibilities, benefits, and protections for these families. In our country, marriage has been defined at the state level for 200 years, and we believe it should continue to be defined there. We repudiate President Bush's divisive effort to politicize the Constitution by pursuing a "Federal Marriage Amendment." ' "

That's clear. Marriage should be defined at the state level. One supposes in states where marriage is defined as between a man and a woman, Democrats are for that. Where same-sex marriage is allowed, Democrats are for that.

No mention of the Dean misstatement on the party's Web site.

"No one will be hurt if we get our diploma."

So said one of the California high school seniors challenging the state's requirement that students pass a standardized exam in order to graduate. An Oakland judge agreed, suspending the tests for the class of 2006.

The idea of "otherwise qualified" seniors being denied their diplomas is unfair, the judge ruled. He also agreed with arguments that the tests are wrong because students from poor-performing high schools are denied equal opportunities.

What's next? Banning use of bar exams because some law schools are better than others? (This judge did pass the bar exam, didn't he?)

Sure, some kids don't do very well on standardized tests. It puts tremendous pressure on them when a whole year's work doesn't count as much as a single score.

But a year's work also can go down the chute if a student fails a final exam. Should final exams be discarded then?

The California test, by the way, requires 10th-grade proficiency in English and eighth-grade proficiency in math.

So, actually someone will be hurt by receiving a diploma despite failing to demonstrate that modest level of academic proficiency. The students themselves will be hurt because their diplomas won't be recognized as having much value. And the state will be hurt by surrendering standards in the name of "fairness."

Being a parent affords many proud moments, and a few trying ones at times.

Today is one of the best. My son, Kenny, graduates from Wake Forest University this morning.

He's receiving a Bachelor's degree in analytical finance and a Master of Science in accountancy.

Even better, he's got a great job lined up.

Kenny's very smart and has worked very hard, in his studies and in his summer jobs and internships. He's completed an extremely rigorous academic program -- maybe the best in his field. I'm confident not only that he's going to be very proficient in his chosen career but also that he'll always apply the highest ethical standards to his work.

Kenny's also applied himself to intramural sports, participating in just about every one available -- flag football, basketball, hockey, softball, table tennis, I don't know what all else. One of his proudest moments occurred this spring when his team won the intramural soccer title. "Finally, something to show for five years of college," he said.

Honestly, that didn't impress me much. My proudest moment is coming up this morning.

Congratulations, Ken.

And thanks to Wake Forest for making it possible.

Hooray! We've made it through the college years.

Former Gov. Mark Warner of Virginia did a nice job today as Wake Forest's commencement speaker. He delivered a concise message consisting of three points: Don't be afraid to fail; remember, no one in politics has a monopoly on the truth; and, call your mother.

Warner is considered a possible Democratic presidential candidate for 2008. He was highly regarded in Virginia for his ability to overcome partisan differences in order to get things done. As the "Southern alternative" for Democrats, he beats the heck out of John Edwards.

David Evans, the former Duke lacrosse player indicted Monday, was Image 5 in the photo display shown to the woman who alleged she was raped by three men in a Durham house March 13-14.

At that time she said she was 90 percent certain of the identification. She also said this assailant had a mustache.

This is the how the identification was made, according to the transcript:

Victim: He looks like one of the guys who assaulted me sort.
Sergeant: OK. How, um, sure of it are you in this image?
Victim: He looks just like him without the mustache.
Sgt: OK, so the person had a mustache?
Victim: Yes.
Sgt: Percentage wise, what is the likelihood this is one of the gentlemen who assaulted you?
Victim: About 90 percent.

Defense attorneys will point out that Evans did not have a mustache.

Does that matter? Maybe District Attorney Mike Nifong really does have some very strong evidence not publicly disclosed. Surely, a responsible prosecutor would not pursue an indictment based solely on an uncertain identification.

Was a fake mustache found in the house? There's got to be something more than we've seen so far.

President Bush orders National Guard deployments along the border with Mexico.

Is this necessary? Will it be effective?

The Inside Scoop reports today that Steve Arnold didn't give John Parks a warm greeting when Parks finally joined the board of commissioners last week.

"It is my firm conviction and belief that Mr. Parks is only a member of the county commission by virtue of ... (counting) illegal ballots. I think he serves as an illegitimate member."

Arnold, a Republican, is entitled to his opinion. No doubt, he thought fellow Republican Trudy Wade was a better commissioner than the Democrat Parks will be.

But the fact is, the N.C. Supreme Court doesn't share his opinion. It sat on the Parks-Wade 2004 election case from late December until earlier this month and declined to reverse the certification of Parks as the winner.

Most members of the state Supreme Court are Republicans, by the way.

So, there is no legal authority in North Carolina that supports Arnold's view that Parks' victory was supplied by illegal votes.

The case has been up and down the legal system -- twice, actually. It's over. Parks is the certified, verified winner and therefore a legitimate county commissioner.

It looks like Guilford County Schools has a $4.5 million payday coming.

The windfall comes from red-light fines collected by High Point and Greensboro.

The N.C. Court of Appeals today slapped down High Point's attempt to keep the money and revive its shelved red-light camera program.

The unanimous decision by a three-judge panel is unusually long, but High Point city officials won't find any encouragement in it.

Nor will Greensboro officials, who are in the same boat and will end up handing over $3 million to the school system.

At issue was the state Constitution's requirement that "the clear proceeds of all penalties and forfeitures and of all fines collected in the several counties for any breach of the penal laws of the state, shall belong to and remain in the several counties, and shall be faithfully appropriated and used exclusively for maintaining free public schools."

High Point, Greensboro and all other cities that used red-light cameras claimed, however, that they were issuing noncriminal citations for violations of municipal ordinances.

The court didn't buy it. Running a red light in High Point may violate the city ordinance, the court said, but the offense is no less a violation of state law. The constitutional provision still applies.

The appeals court upheld a previous lower-court ruling that High Point must pay 90 percent of the fines collected to the school system.

Unfortunately, as the city already was paying 70 percent to the private company that installed and operated the cameras, it becomes a losing proposition for the city to resume its suspending camera program. For every $50 it collected in fines, it would have to pay out $80. That's almost as bad as buying lottery tickets.

A lot of people didn't like the red-light cameras. Some claimed the cameras forced them to stop too suddenly, increasing the risk that someone behind them would run into their tail end.

Maybe driving slower would avoid that problem.

I like the cameras because I actually stop when the light turns red and prefer that other drivers do, too. My observation is that red-light running is again on the increase.

Hopefully, we can live with that. High Point might appeal this result, but it would be unlikely for the state Supreme Court to take a case that was decided 3-0 by the appeals court, let alone reverse the outcome.

I know the school people will be happy when they get their money, but they've killed a traffic safety program for it. Maybe they can put the money into driver's ed classes.

My column today:

The dog that barked on Carrick Street, and then was shot, got police and residents talking. The result already is a safer neighborhood. ...

Accused rapist David Evans' attorneys release details about the former Duke lacrosse player's polygraph test results, the Durham Herald-Sun reports today.

They say it shows his claims of innocence are truthful.

They also say District Attorney Mike Nifong was not interested.

Lie-detector tests are not 100 percent reliable -- although eight Greensboro City Council members want us to think they are.

But, as I wrote yesterday, the alleged rape victim said she was only 90 percent certain that Evans was one of three men who assaulted her. She also said he had a mustache, which he did not.

You'd think Nifong might have at least looked at the polygraph result before pursuing an indictment of Evans. Sadly, this fits a pattern of Nifong refusing to consider any exculpatory evidence as he prosecutes this increasingly shaky case against the alleged attackers.

By the way, I find it interesting that other team members continue to insist that Evans, Collin Finnerty and Reade Seligmann are innocent. You'd think, now that the three have been charged and no one else is likely to be indicted for anything, those who are off the hook would cut and run, leaving the "guilty" to their fate, if they thought the crime did occur as the prosecutor says.

No way should drilling for natural gas be allowed off our coast.

We can count on global warming to take care of winter heating needs.

(Never mind that the heat is STILL coming on in my house every morning.)

Even if it does continue to get a little chilly during future winters, people who can't afford to pay higher and higher prices to warm their homes can be given extra blankets and wool socks. That will keep the greedy and environmentally destructive energy companies from exploiting them.

It's better that we not even know what energy supplies might be lying off our shores. If we do need oil and gas, we can just get it from somewhere else.

Believe it or not, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad isn't the head nut in Iran.

His surprisingly progressive decision to allow women to attend soccer games was overruled recently by the country's supreme religious authority, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Sadly, being barred from soccer games isn't the worst sort of indignity women in Iran face.

Lately, there's been a crackdown by the Islamic dress code police.

On a similar topic, Andrew writes in his blog that one reason countries like Tanzania remain so poor is that they deny equal opportunities for women.

The Senate voted yesterday to declare English the "national language" of the United States.

It's unclear what impact this legislation will have if it becomes law.

I'm not against the government using other languages to facilitate communication with non-English speakers. But I also believe the government must preserve English as the nation's primary language rather than let us drift into quasi-official bilingualism or even multilingualism.

Gov. Easley is going nuts about Mecklenburg County Manager Harry Jones' proposed use of state lottery funds.

As the Charlotte Observer suggested in an editorial yesterday, the governor's acting like he's "off his meds."

Here's the issue: Lottery money slated to pay for school construction is divided among the counties. The lottery law says counties can use the money to pay off debt incurred for schools already being built.

That's what Jones proposed doing with the estimated $18 million Mecklenburg will get in these lottery funds.

That's $18 million less in local tax money that will be needed for the same purpose, Jones said. Therefore, the county can afford a 1.2 percent cut in its property tax rate.

Easley is outraged. He promised lottery funds won't supplant other tax monies already being spent. Why, why, why, this is just unacceptable!

Bull!

Mecklenburg County didn't make any such promise. Why shouldn't it use lottery money to give its own taxpayers a bit of a break if it wants?

Besides, the governor's supposed promise is bunkum anyway, at least when it comes to school construction money.

Of course the lottery money is going to supplant local funds.

Look, suppose your county has $100 million in school construction needs -- no more and no less.

Suppose you get $10 million from the state lottery fund.

Are you supposed to spend $110 million? Of course not. You don't need to spend $110 million. You're still going to spend $100 million, only now you only have to use $90 million in local funds. Maybe you can afford a tax cut.

I called Guilford County Manager Willie Best this morning to check with him whether my thinking is on target. Bingo! "That's just the obvious thing to do," he said.

Now, Best was more cautious with his proposed budget. Although Guilford is projected to receive about $10 million in school construction money from the lottery fund, he didn't include any of it in his budget plan, simply because he can't be sure how much is coming and when. That will be different next year when -- who knows? -- the state windfall could be used to provide a tax cut here, too.

So, get over it, governor. And quit trying to tell the counties how to spend their money.

Kevin Geddings was indicted Thursday for not disclosing his connection to a lottery vendor at the time he was appointed by Jim Black to the state's lottery commission.

But, come on, did top state officials really not know?

A story in the News & Observer raises doubts.

Meanwhile, the N.C. Democratic Party demands an ethics investigation of Republican Congressman Charles Taylor from Brevard.

Taylor may need to be investigated. But the N.C. Democratic Party doesn't care one bit about ethics in government. If it did, it would have called for investigations of Jim Black, the Democratic speaker of the N.C. House of Representatives. But it's never expressed any concern about him. He may smell like yesterday's fish, but he's a "good Democrat" (he raises tons of money for the party).

The Republicans are just as hypocritical. Both parties use "ethics" as a partisan weapon only, a means to bash each other while never, or rarely, policing themselves.

On the subject of ethics, Greensboro's John Blust -- probably the most dogged advocate for ethics reform in the legislature -- was one of only three representatives to vote AGAINST an ethics bill in the House Thursday. Why? It falls far short of what's really needed, he told me Friday.

He sees it basically as a sham, allowing legislators to continue policing themselves. He would support a Senate version that calls for an independent authority to oversee the conduct of public officials in state government.

Good for John. Don't settle for phony reform.

"The Da Vinci Code"?

I'm just not interested in seeing it.

If you go, enjoy it.

I only hope you do some independent research before believing the movie, or book, conveys ANY accurate information about the history of Christianity.

From its very name, the Truth and Reconciliation process has set unrealistic expectations.

Truth? Reconciliation? How could anyone achieve such absolute and irreproachable outcomes from the conflicting accounts and bitter recriminations harbored by those affected by the tragedy of Nov. 3, 1979?

Yet, now we're told the presentation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's report is meant to convey some sort of spiritual experience.

"The commission's long-awaited report will be released during a somber, quasi-religious ceremony Thursday night at Bennett College," Margaret Banks reports today. "Jill Williams, the commission's executive director, said CD-ROM versions of the report will be 'distributed like Communion.'"

Holy hype!

Christians believe Jesus represents Truth and Reconciliation, and the communion elements of bread and wine are shared in his memory.

The Last Supper, which began the communion tradition, also took place on a Thursday evening. Intentional symbolism by the TRC?

I hope they aren't anticipating a crucifixion on Friday.

If the commission did its work well, it actually can bring Greensboro, or at least those who are interested, closer to truth and reconciliation. But let's not get carried away. I doubt this 300-page report is going to be viewed as a sacred text.

I like Charles Davenport's columns, and I agree with much of what he wrote for our Ideas section today, "Obsession with race and gender is divisive" (not posted).

But I will defend the editorial he criticized, "Patrolling for police."

Charles faults the editorial, which I wrote, because it endorses efforts by the High Point and Greensboro police departments to recruit African-American officers. Without using the term, both departments employ some form of affirmative action in efforts to diversify their force.

I cited Derek Bostic, a rookie officer in High Point, whom the department is very happy to have. He's African American, but he's also a college graduate, speaks Spanish and was a star quarterback at Southern Guilford.

I have to add that Derek was on a Little League baseball team I helped coach years ago. He was a great kid then, and he's a fine young man now.

Charles takes exception to the editorial's contention that every police department needs more officers just like Derek Bostic.

"What every department needs are highly qualified personnel, regardless of race, who understand and equally enforce the law," he asserts.

In a certain sense, Charles is exactly right. But there's more to the issue than this.

For example, Derek is interested in working with kids in the inner city, whom he sees engaging in the wrong sort of activities.

The term "role model" is overused, but Derek could have a very positive influence on young black males. The fact that Derek is a police officer is all the better, because his example can instill a respect for law enforcement in kids who otherwise might look to less worthy individuals for inspiration.

Generally speaking, can black police officers do a better job of working in predominantly African-American communities? I don't know. Some police chiefs seems to think so. In a diverse society, is it better to have a police force that more closely reflects the community? I would think that's a definite advantage.

No one says minority officers don't have to meet the same standards as white officers. It wouldn't do anyone any good to cut corners. Those who can't perform will wash out of training or won't last on the job very long.

What High Point, Greensboro and many other departments are doing in trying to recruit more minority officers isn't politically correct, it's police work correct.

American travel writer Joshua Berman visits Andrew in Mwanza.

Best quote of the day (reported by the Charlotte Observer):

"Even the baby Jesus accepted gifts, and I don't think it corrupted him" -- state Rep. Drew Saunders, D-Mecklenburg, explaining his vote to loosen a gift ban included in an ethics bill passed by the N.C. House of Representatives last week.

If the bill is enacted, legislators won't have to report gifts of less than $1,000 in value or $500 from people having business with or regulated by the state.

Among the 59 legislators voting for this lax standard were Guilford Reps. Alma Adams, Maggie Jeffus and Earl Jones, The Inside Scoop reported today.

All, no doubt, also as pure as the baby Jesus.

Addendum: Sorry, Mark. Didn't realize you had already posted the Saunders quote. A step ahead, as always.