As far as the media’s concerned, when it comes to Crystal Mangum domestic violence is acceptable

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Print and broadcast media have been carrying the tragic story about Kathleen Bertrand, the 41 year-old mother of three who fell victim to domestic violence. She was murdered outside of her workplace in Cameron Village Shopping Center by her ex-husband who traveled from his residence outside of the state in order to end her life. And after accomplishing this deed, he went on to take his own life just miles away.

The News & Observer, which heavily covered the story, published an editorial about the tragedy titled, “Everyone’s Duty: Domestic violence is a community problem, too often a deadly serious one.” “Shops go purple for slain employee” read another newspaper article the following day which covered the successful fundraiser for the three orphaned children.

I have no problem with the coverage of this horrific incident by the mainstream media, and, in fact, I applaud it. However, I believe the media is doing a great injustice to the public by covering up the fact that Crystal Magnum, the Duke Lacrosse victim/accuser, was a victim of domestic violence on April 3, 2011. She fought to defend herself against her intoxicated assailant Reginald Daye, and the stab wound she inflicted did not even have anything to do with his demise. That Daye was the provocateur is without doubt as a reasonable person would easily surmise that Mr. Daye had punched Mangum, pulled out her hair, kicked in the bathroom door prior to being stabbed once by Ms. Mangum… her final act before grabbing her purse and fleeing.

The media, from the git-go, has been successfully misleading the masses into believing that Crystal Mangum got into an argument with Daye, and due to this verbal disagreement became enraged enough to stab him with a kitchen knife… stealing money before leaving. This fantasy, which the majority of people buy into, is far from the truth. True, they were arguing, however not over money, rent, or cashier’s checks. That early Sunday morning in April 2011, Daye, with a stuporous level of alcohol coursing through his vessels, was jealously upset because Crystal had been talking with another man. The argument had absolutely nothing to do with monetary issues as the media has continuously suggested.

One thing the media consistently excludes in covering this story, is that Reginald Daye became physical with Mangum out of anger… punching her in the face and head approximately ten times. He dragged her by the hair, with clumps of hair being noted and recorded by police, and when Ms. Mangum sought refuge in the bathroom by locking the door behind her, Daye kicked it in… off its hinges according to reports. It was only after Daye spit on her, brought in steak knives from the kitchen to throw at her, and was in the process of strangling her that she grabbed a knife lying within reach and stabbed him once. The media conveniently and purposely omits this narrative, not wanting the public to realize that Reginald Daye was stabbed in self-defense. Even with its extensive investigative resources, the mainstream media was unable to unearth Daye’s lengthy criminal record that includes “assault on a female.”

Despite the fact that the injury Mangum inflicted to Daye was not related to his death, the mainstream media allows the public to believe that the wound itself was fatal. Little is mentioned of how the emergency surgery was successful and that his prognosis was excellent. There is an humungous media void regarding the botched intubation, cardiac arrest, and resultant brain death that occurred within he walls of Duke University Hospital, and which led to Daye’s elective removal from life support and death.

The message this biased media reporting is sending to future victims of domestic violence is that if you fight back against your abuser and he/she dies, the possibility exists that you could be charged with murder. Crystal Mangum is not being provided protection under the law as she was turned from victim into assailant in 2010 after she was repeatedly punched in the face by her ex-boyfriend. The media was careful not to mention that the repeated punches to the face initiated the cascade of events that led to Mangum’s unjust arrest. Instead, the media focused on the extremely outrageous charges brought against her, and the alleged statements she made to him after he returned to the house during the police presence. And, of course, the media did not question why the police decided to do nothing and call the fire department for a small blaze in a bathtub that could have easily been extinguished by turning on bathwater.

It is obvious that the authorities as well as the media are after Crystal Mangum, seeking to do the work of the Carpetbaggers by carrying out their vengeful agenda. Both incidents involving Mangum that occurred in 2010 and 2011 are ones in which Mangum was the victim, her assailants were neither arrested nor charged, and she spent, and is spending, significant time in jail away from her three children who need her and love her.

The treatment of Ms. Mangum by the justice system makes it ever apparent that when it comes to the Duke Lacrosse case and its actors and those associated with it, when it comes to the fair application of justice, all bets are off… and those deemed by the Powers-That-Be to be on the wrong end of the Duke Lacrosse case, will undoubtedly be getting the short end of the stick. 



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