Miller's final column shows no change in tactics

Upon reading The Chronicle April 23, I couldn't help but laugh at Stephen Miller's oh-so-eloquent farewell address ("Farewell"). As the self-proclaimed combatant against the execrable left wing and defender of all that is right and true, who wouldn't expect the young columnist to leave this campus with guns blazing?

Alas, I must say that I am a little disappointed by his choice of weaponry.

In Miller's editorial, he asks: What if the lacrosse players were black males and the accuser was white? What if white faculty showed open discontent despite the players' legal right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty? If you think the nation would not rear an ugly head of injustice in this scenario, you should turn your attention to America's not-so-glamorous past and its handling of supposed African-American male criminals.

Furthermore, there are questions Miller chose not to ask. What if a neighbor overheard these black males directing vicious language at this white woman? And an e-mail was sent shortly after these allegations in which one of the black players joked about "killing the strippers" and proceeding with violent mutilation? This case goes far beyond the construct of a politically correct society. No matter what color you wish to paint this scenario, its suspects, or the accuser, the fact remains that the case was a central topic of discussion because its consequences posed a threat to human decency as a whole.

The time has come to stop pointing fingers and instead work on strengthening intercultural interaction. Continued bickering over a mismanaged case does not help this initiative.

Stephen Miller, with all of your controversy and stubborn conviction, you have shown that some people simply will never change. Rather than supporting strides of improvement, you intend to slow their pace and frustrate even the most placid of us. Still, perhaps you can find a way to be proud of your illustrious career in notoriety. Thank you for your time at Duke University. Feel free to exit stage left.

Jamaur Bronner

Trinity '10