Duke Women's Lacrosse To Wear 'Innocent' Sweatbands.

Source: ESPN.com

In a rather surprising show of solidarity, the Duke University women's lacrosse team members are going to wear sweatbands with the word "innocent" written on them. A university spokesman said the school has no objections to the players doing this.

DURHAM, N.C. -- In a show of solidarity with the Duke University's men's lacrosse team, members of the school's women's team plan to wear sweatbands with the word "Innocent" written on them.

The university canceled the rest of the season for the highly ranked men's team because of a woman's complaint she was sexually assaulted in March at a team party where she had been hired to perform as an exotic dancer.

The women's plan to wear sweatbands on their arms or legs was reported Wednesday by The Herald-Sun of Durham. The teams plays Northwestern in the NCAA semifinals Friday.

I understand the desire to stand behind your fellow athletes, but this story bothers me for several reasons.

For one, this stinks of a deliberate attempt by these kids' lawyers to taint the jury pool. The more stunts like this continue to happen, I personally begin to question the "innocence" of the indicted men's lacrosse team rape suspects.

My reasoning is this--you don't go out, actively attack your accuser, and plan several publicity stunts like this one unless you have something to hide. You have to have a great reason for the flood of preemptive attacks on the judicial system trying these suspects to continue this charade.

The other part is the potential outcome. If these men are found guilty of rape and sent to prison, you just spent a ton of money, time and effort to justify rape because a "rich, wealthy white boy" could never commit such a crime.

Doing so, you also have managed to set the entire women's rights movement back and spread fear that any woman who reports a rape or sexual assault involving someone wealthy will be put on trial in the "court of public opinion," themselves.

I really hope that this brash show of support is not in vain in the end. If these men are found guilty of this heinous crime, the heads of Duke University should kick any athlete who publicly supported the rapists out of the college and forfeit any and all women's lacrosse wins or tournament trophies. As a college allowing these female athletes to belittle a potential rape and assault, this sends the wrong message to the young, female athletes of tomorrow.

It also sends the criminal message to future male jocks of tomorrow that you can do anything you please, even break the law, because boosters and the entire college experience will stand behind you even if you are obviously guilty.

I'm extremely disappointed that the rift between the races and the have and the have-nots is so blatantly obvious in this country. The fact that Duke University condones racism, tainting of jury pools (criminal proceedings), and the lack of diversity/class ideals really bothers me.

The future leaders of tomorrow are well on their way to becoming the future snobs, bigots, and racist Americans of tomorrow.

How sad that the college experience seems to be turning for the worse as lack of integrity, morals, and respect for others seems to be the rule of the day to the very crummy end.

Tags: [Duke women's lacrosse to wear 'innocent' sweatbands], [show of solidarity], [women's team plan to wear sweatbands with the word "Innocent" written on them], [former men's lacrosse coach Mike Pressler], [Duke], [Duke University], [sexual assault involving the Duke University men's lacrosse team]