Living a Lie

No one has forgotten Susan Smith, the South Carolina mother who murdered her two young sons, 3 year old Michael and 14 month old, Alex.

If you recall, she strapped the boys into their car seats and pushed the car into a lake. She blamed a fictitious black man for carjacking her vehicle and stood next to her husband as she repeated the lie, time after time.

Why was she believed? Because a Southern woman could never tell a lie. Despite the initial lack of evidence, tremendous financial and human resources were given before the ugly truth emerged: that she had made the story up.

Now we have another story, equally sinister. An 18 year old Hofstra University (NY) college freshman named Danmell Ndonye, claimed earlier this week, to having been raped by 5 fellow college students. Based on her word alone, four were immediately jailed while a fifth was sought. Now, she admits to making the story up. And the guys were released.

Now her name is being published across America, just as her accusers had been. Their lives have been altered, certainly ruined for along time.

While several other high profile cases (including Kobe Bryant and the hotel maid) remain disturbing, we still cannot forget the Duke lacrosse players and Crystal Mangum. The lives destroyed, including the coach. The only person forced to resign from his job. Little has been said lately of Crystal's plans to write a book. When announced, she has been promised to expect legal action if her story has changed significantly.

Mike Nifong, the former Durham District Attorney, who prosecuted the Duke players, finally admitted not only the absence of DNA evidence, but that he had not interviewed the defendant. Nifong was disbarred, filed for bankruptcy and replaced.

Each year, more people are freed from prison after serving years (sometimes decades) for crimes that they did not commit. Many more people are treated with suspicion, just for being the wrong race or wrong nationality, at the wrong time. Fair? No. Make sense? No.

America, here in the Year 2009, remains a color-blind society. Blinded by color. Healing between sexes and races isn't likely any time soon. New lies will continue to be believed daily.

A salacious lie will always seem more credible than the boring truth. It won't change until we put ourselves in someone else's shoes. Other than the purported 'victim'.