Beauty in place of horror

Ever wonder how, from a steaming, stinking pile of manure a beautiful rose grows?

I used to, too. Until Saturday.

That's when, from a steaming, stinking pile of wrong, arose a beautiful example of human concern for the least of those among us.

Scores of people, indifferent to 35-degree temperatures, some pushing baby strollers, stood outside 610 N. Buchanan Blvd. in Durham on Saturday night, and again Sunday morning, to protest the alleged rape and brutalization of a young woman there.

More than that, though, they gathered to show the woman that she matters.

You work for an escort service? Their presence screamed, "We don't care."

You're an exotic dancer? That's OK, honey. You're still a human being deserving of respect and love. We love you.

TV news reporters persist in reporting that you "claim" you were raped instead of "said" you were raped? That's all right, too. We believe you.

From what I hear, the young lady was a novice stripper, which won't make a bit of difference to the moralists who'll blame her anyway.

It would, however, explain why she didn't know that she should've hustled her 6-inch clear heels out of that crib as soon as she realized that an engagement to dance for five men turned out to be a "boys gone wild" gig with close to 50 males. (Don't dare call them men.)

She wasn't at the vigils, but I'll bet the supporters standing in the cold warmed her heart nonetheless: they warmed mine more than did the memorial candles they held aloft.

Likewise, I'll bet the display of support and those same candles -- left on the porch as a reminder -- chilled the home's residents to the bone, even though they've apparently gone into hiding.

Odds are they're now wrapped in the protective legal cocoon of mumsy's and popsy's attorneys, being drilled in the art of self-preservation.

Wanna bet they're somewhere scratching their helmeted heads going, "What? All of this support for a stripper? An exotic dancer? Who'd have thought people would get so worked up over a little boys-will-be-boys horseplay? Gosh, she's a stripper, dude, and we're, we're ... well -- you know who we are."

Whether or not some players raped, sodomized and choked the young lady while others stood by earlier this month will be determined in court. It's obvious, though, that something dirty took place in there.

More than a week has passed since the party and since police finally went inside to gather evidence of a crime. A cleanup has occurred and a coverup is under way: the bags of empty beer cans have been hauled away, and one of those yellow, industrial mop buckets sits inside.

Despite the occupants' efforts to tidy up, though, the joint is still a mess. The back and side yards remain littered with beer cans and empty whiskey and MD 20/20 wine bottles.

Imagine that. These are the dudes the lacrosse coach praised, even after they'd marched into police headquarters to give up DNA to determine if three were rapists, as mature, responsible men.

Despite the litter behind the house and the ugliness of a week ago, the scene in the front Saturday night was beautiful.