In the wake of Rolling Stone’s apology and admission that its controversial article on the alleged campus gang rape of “Jackie” contained “discrepancies,” here’s a double whammy from the Washington Post and Zerlina Maxwell. In an opinion piece published Saturday, Maxwell, a lawyer, challenges the idea of “innocent until proven guilty,” concluding, “In important ways, this is wrong. We should believe, as a matter of default, what an accuser says.”
MY NEW PIECE: No matter what Jackie said, we should generally believe rape claims. http://t.co/nBM5CPiqBn
— Zerlina Maxwell (@ZerlinaMaxwell) December 6, 2014
Are you supposedly an attorney writing for a once-respected newspaper, @ZerlinaMaxwell?
How?
— VACUOUS CIPHER (@THE_DAILY_BLEAT) December 6, 2014
This is literally Orwellian. http://t.co/pTrV421HhP
— Christian Vanderbrouk (@UrbanAchievr) December 6, 2014
https://twitter.com/TheRealBepo/status/541248809180082176
I’m afraid that @ZerlinaMaxwell has just outed herself as an extraordinary dangerous and illiberal person. Shame. http://t.co/6qMyIxsHAa
— Charles C. W. Cooke (@charlescwcooke) December 6, 2014
https://twitter.com/Will_Antonin/status/541248342647660545
https://twitter.com/GOPMommy/status/541285863599001600
@ZerlinaMaxwell Juanita Broderick would like to chat
— Andrews Dad (@Andrew_Dad) December 6, 2014
https://twitter.com/GOPMommy/status/541286510339694593
Cosigned – Tawana Brawley MT @ZerlinaMaxwell: MY NEW PIECE: No matter what Jackie said, we should generally believe rape claims.
— cosmoscon (@gdthomp01) December 6, 2014
@ZerlinaMaxwell your article is beyond disturbing. No matter how horrible the alleged crime is we cannot throw due process out the window.
— Vandal a.k.a. Reggie Trimbach (@iamvandal617) December 6, 2014
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@ZerlinaMaxwell Absolutely chilling article. You're advocating that we throw out due process of law? Innocent until proven guilty.
— Judd Templin (@JuddTemplin) December 6, 2014
Another "for the greater good" piece that's astoundingly dangerous and short-sighted. Unreal. http://t.co/YuPEUlT0Dl
— David Rutz (@DavidRutz) December 6, 2014
What about the young men accused?
I have grown sons. Does writer have any idea what that does to falsely accused men http://t.co/VwSLyq8ia6— Jodi???? (@APLMom) December 6, 2014
https://twitter.com/dangainor/status/541252792845737985
https://twitter.com/VeryBritishDude/status/541254414607343616
https://twitter.com/BlueShiftBlog/status/541256535561998336
No matter what witnesses said, we should automatically believe Darren Wilson http://t.co/1Z0sAJbQr9
— Greg Pollowitz (@GPollowitz) December 6, 2014
We should always believe, as a matter of default, what a cop says http://t.co/1Z0sAJbQr9
— Greg Pollowitz (@GPollowitz) December 6, 2014
The cost of disbelieving cops, on the other hand, is far steeper. It signals that that cops don't matter http://t.co/1Z0sAJbQr9
— Greg Pollowitz (@GPollowitz) December 6, 2014
The reason you don't automatically believe someone who claims something terrible has been done to them is this: People lie. All the time.
— John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) December 6, 2014
@ZerlinaMaxwell No, like any crime, we should investigate first getting ALL sides of story and weigh the facts. Cops are lied to all day.
— Chuck Moffat (@chuckmoffat) December 6, 2014
https://twitter.com/Melvin_Udall_/status/541300172438114305
https://twitter.com/mcmoynihan/status/541257563795652608
Is this a real article? http://t.co/G5vIYo2frV
— Make America Sexy Again (@CPO45) December 6, 2014
This person actually wrote this –> No matter what Jackie said, we should automatically believe rape claims. http://t.co/Fi1aJO4wjt
— Brit Hume (@brithume) December 6, 2014
Again, remember that Maxwell’s words were published under the headline, “No matter what Jackie said, we should automatically believe rape claims.” Those who aren’t in the newspaper business should note that writers in most cases have little or no say in the headlines that accompany their work. The blowback against the piece, though, inspired someone at the Washington Post to quietly change the headline to read, “generally believe rape claims” — a significant alteration that slipped past no one.
Post tries to stanch bleeding by quietly changing headline on story. Note URL/content. h/t @jonswerens http://t.co/9HD8T2O0PD
— Mollie (@MZHemingway) December 6, 2014
https://twitter.com/RosieGray/status/541275213150040067
New headline from the @washingtonpost, right? pic.twitter.com/2FPOdDdXJp
— Greg Pollowitz (@GPollowitz) December 6, 2014
@GPollowitz"Automatically" was too harsh even for them, but even generally is batshit. @washingtonpost
— William Belcher (@EdB_Ohio) December 6, 2014
Some things never change … like base urls Heh See image – No matter what http://t.co/zzM46DbfLr pic.twitter.com/YbcCHtcBvs
— DanRiehl (@DanRiehl) December 6, 2014
https://twitter.com/FilmLadd/status/541273024683868161
https://twitter.com/RobProvince/status/541274067282972672
@ZerlinaMaxwell Which headline do you prefer?
— Jon Swerens (@jonswerens) December 6, 2014
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