A Gruesome Account

Whatever the jury of eight men and four women finally decides, it was clear that some citizens of Indianapolis refused to believe the terrible things that were being said about Tyson in Gifford's courtroom. Eight hours after his accuser had completed her testimony, more than 200 Tyson supporters gathered at Christ Missionary Baptist Church in Indianapolis to hold a prayer vigil for him. Most of them appeared to blame the alleged victim for the predicament Tyson found himself in, believing that she simply should not have been in his hotel room at 2 a.m. At one point in the vigil, a woman declared from the pulpit: "Black women, we must remember that our bodies are our temples, and we control them. If we don't respect ourselves, who will?"

The speaker received a standing ovation. Among the celebrants was Tyson, who applauded. And smiled.