second ku class flap, V: mirecki silent, students “censure attackers”
The case of University of Kansas religious studies professor Paul Mirecki just keeps getting weirder. He declined to answer any questions to the Lawrence media, including those that might clear up discrepancies in his story:
Key facts about the reported attack remained unclear Tuesday, including exactly where it happened. A report released by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said the location was “unknown†and listed it as south of 31st Street on either East 1400 Road or East 1500 Road.
Louisiana Street turns into East 1400 Road outside the city limits. Haskell Avenue becomes East 1500 Road.
Also, there was conflicting information about whether Mirecki reported it at the scene or at the hospital. In an interview Monday with the Journal-World, he said he called police from the side of the road, but sheriff’s officials said they were dispatched to the hospital.
Mirecki declined to clarify the discrepancy when asked about it Tuesday outside the sheriff’s office.
“I can; I just don’t want to,†he said.
The sheriff’s report, which is classified as an aggravated battery, says that Mirecki suffered minor injuries. It says the incident started about 6:20 a.m. and was reported about 6:40 a.m.
Yesterday, I mentioned that I didn’t think this was another Kerri Drum situation. There is still no evidence to suggest that it is. Presumably, Mirecki’s lawyer advised him to tighten his lips about the case, though I can’t imagine why, since his “attackers” haven’t been found or charged with anything — there is no case to keep quiet about.
Meanwhile, both Christian and atheist student groups have released statements condemning the attacks, and are planning the requisite politically-correct self-flagellation activities done on every campus in the country.
MORE: Tainted Bill, Richard Bennett, Signifying Nothing, and Eric Scheie. Also, Sean Gleeson is not as circumspect as I am. He has a map which makes you ask questions, though, like “What the hell was he doing way out south of Lawrence at 6:30am, when it’s out of his way to work?” That is not, however, proof of anything; it’s possible there’s a rational explanation. The only point I am making in this post is that we should wait for all facts before tossing labels about either way.
12.07.2005 @ 15:38
Thanks for the link. My point with the map was not so much, “what was he doing way down there?” as “how likely is it that he was recognized while driving in pitch darkness way down there?” If he claimed he was attacked near his home or office, or along the route, then we could suppose that someone might have been lying in wait for him. But nobody could have prepared an ambush for Mirecki based on the assumption that he would drive miles out of town for no reason.
An obvious question then is, if Mirecki wanted to fake an attack, why wouldn’t he pick a more plausible setting for an ambush, like his driveway, or his parking space? Because these are populated areas surrounded by potential witnesses, who could have said, “well, I was right there and didn’t see any attacks going on.” The unnamed country lane story canot be so easily falsified.
12.07.2005 @ 16:33
Wow, I hadn’t heard of any of this news. I read the initial release that he had been attacked, but this is really making me question the whole situation. Given his propensity to label Christian conservatives “fundies” and his desire to have a class to get back at them, I wouldn’t exactly put it past him to make up a story like this to get back at them some more. If the legal process ultimately determines that he faked the story, then I don’t understand how anyone can have any respect for the guy. Standing up for what you believe, or against what you believe is wrong, is one thing… faking an attack to make you look like a victim, though, is completely appalling.
12.07.2005 @ 17:05
Sean: It would be difficult, but not impossible, for someone to have connected Mirecki with his license plate number or make/model of car. Your map, though, tells quite a story.
I’m not ready to call “bullshit” on this story, but it’s certainly starting to smell like it. Again, there are precious few facts supporting either conclusion, so I think we should be circumspect.
Steven: What made me think of it — Google the name “Kerri Drum”.
12.08.2005 @ 01:32
Dang, you thought of the Kerri Drum thing too? Did you hear the one about he “whistle blower” at LANL who was waiting for an informant at a strip club then was beaten by unknown assailants? He claimed it was because he was a whistle blower, but turns out he backed into some guys car and tried to drive off, so the guy and his friends let him have it. His wife still thinks his story was legit…of course, we never found out how many lap dances he had…
Not that Mirecki would do something like that.
12.08.2005 @ 10:08
Naturally, I have a lot more to say about this issue. I haven’t set the odds of “bullshit vs. truth” yet. I just don’t think we know enough.
12.09.2005 @ 09:56
It really feels like a hoax to me. Consider the following:
Lawrence Muni Airport (LWC flight&FBO data aerial photographs CAP aerial photographs street map)
Lawrence, KS (Douglas County)
N39° 00′ 40″ W095° 13′ 00″
For Mon, Dec 05 2005 CST6CDT (GMT-6)
Local time (above TZ):09:27
Midday at: 12:11
Length of day: 09:34
Astro Twilight Start: 05:49
Naut Twilight Start: 06:21
Civil Twilight Start: 06:55
Sunrise: 07:24
(from http://www.cmpsolv.com/cgi-bin/sunset?page=bob&exper=new99&loctype=City&loc=Lawrence%2C+KS&date=12%2F05&tz=Central&tzcustom=&q=&aviation=yes&astro=yes&day1=yes&colors=white&datefmt=0
According to the U.S. Naval Observatory, civil twilight is defined to begin in the morning, and to end in the evening when the center of the Sun is geometrically 6 degrees below the horizon. This is the limit at which twilight illumination is sufficient, under good weather conditions, for terrestrial objects to be clearly distinguished; at the beginning of morning civil twilight … the horizon is clearly defined and the brightest stars are visible under good atmospheric conditions in the absence of moonlight or other illumination. In the morning before the beginning of civil twilight … artificial illumination is normally required to carry on ordinary outdoor activities. Complete darkness, however, ends sometime prior to the beginning of morning civil twilight and begins sometime after the end of evening civil twilight.
Nautical twilight is defined to begin in the morning, and to end in the evening, when the center of the sun is geometrically 12 degrees below the horizon. At the beginning or end of nautical twilight, under good atmospheric conditions and in the absence of other illumination, general outlines of ground objects may be distinguishable, but detailed outdoor operations are not possible, and the horizon is indistinct.
(from http://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/docs/RST_defs.html)
1. Given that the attack took place at between 6:20 am and 6:40 am on December 5, 2005, it would have been dark enough so that potential attackers would have had to know Prof Mirecki’s route in advance, since only the general outline of his car would have been visible given that there are no streetlights or other illumination on either road (1400 E or 1500 E) in the locations south of Lawrence where the attack was alleged to have taken place.
2. The place which the attack took place was not on Prof Mirecki’s route to his office, and he did state that he was driving around somewhat randomly “thinking about things”. This would make it impossible for potential attackers to prepare an ambush along a regular travel route.
3. There’s nothing in evidence to show that the attackers followed Prof Mirecki from his home to the place of the attack. If this had in fact happened, why did he head out to a deserted country road instead of into a well-populated well-lit area where if an attack occurred, there would be good illumination and the possibility of witnesses?
4. If the attack took place as described, how did the attackers know that it was Prof Mirecki’s car and that Prof Mirecki was inside? They would have had to have observed the car in daylight, they would have had to see the license plate in daylight, and they would have had to have known what Prof Mirecki looks like.