Love-Hate Mail

Personality of cult
Cult dynamics are complicated, and there is nothing "ridiculous" about how cult environments affect their victims' psychological well-being, their ability to maintain critical thinking skills, and their ability to make healthy decisions ("Jesus Rx," Oct. 2). Ask a reputable psychologist.There was nothing trivial or amusing about the situation, nor did these victims imagine the abuse they experienced. In consideration of the environment, their feelings that Nancy presents herself as a god-like religious mentor are normal, justifiable, even to be expected, according to what is known about cult dynamics. Just claiming their feelings are "ridiculous" is not an effective argument against the wrongs committed at Mercy Ministries by Nancy Alcorn and her staff.

Biased and disgusting
This article is absolutely disgusting ("Rich Man's Justice," Oct. 10). It makes Edward Duncan out as a rapist when he was released from charges because there was no evidence, and the stories were nonsensical. Not only did the girls have the discrepancies mentioned in the story, but one asserted that Edward jumped into a canoe after the alleged incidents took place.This is disgusting writing which vilifies the Duncans for fighting heinous charges in the best fashion that they could, and I am highly disappointed that it was put into publication. It is highly biased and does not fully present facts.

If innocent, why plead?
People who are innocent generally do not take pleas. This family had enough money to ride this thing until the wheels fell off.

Salem Witch Trial, Part II
TheNashville Scene is a journalistic rag—don't pick up another one. This article is a hatchet job on the Duncan name. It's despicably biased and founded on malicious speculation and gossip.

What we have here are a bunch of Abigail Williamses screaming, "I saw Edward Duncan with the devil!" when in fact this whole accusation was conspired together by these impressionable girls to sabotage a respected Nashville family. It's disgusting, but the Scene has bought every word.

Edward Duncan is innocent
I would not argue that this is slander so much as that it encourages readers to jump to an awful lot of conclusions. It seems to question Edward's side much more than the girls'. It is true that Townes Duncan does have a lot of influence here in Nashville, and it is true that the article does mention discrepancies in the girls' stories, but it seems like it is always quick to remind people that these girls were of such a young age and, in a way, makes excuses for them.

If the author so desired, he could easily question the likelihood of a school-age girl believing a story about a lollipop tree instead of asserting how brave they were to tell a story that has never been proven true.

I believe that Edward is completely innocent and, frankly, can get girls his own age. But that is not my problem with the story. The author seems to have forgotten the American idea of innocent until proven guilty.