“Jena 6″ Update
June 26, 2007 by Laura | Trackback URI
Please read the latest Jena Six post here.
If you don’t know about the Jena Six, read this first: The Jena 6: Since When Do Teenage Boys Watch Lonesome Dove?. Charges have been reduced for one of the Jena 6.
JENA, La. (AP) - Attempted murder and conspiracy charges against a black high school student accused in the December beating of a white student escalating racial tensions were reduced Monday to less serious charges that could mean far less time in prison if he is convicted.
Mychale Bell still faces trial Tuesday on charges stemming from the Dec. 4 beating. But instead of facing sentences totalling 80 years, he now faces maximum sentences totalling 22 years if convicted.
Bell was one of five black Jena High School students charged in the beating, which occurred about three months after three white students were suspended for hanging nooses from a school yard tree.
Another juvenile, whose identity and charges were not released because of his age, was also accused. They were dubbed the “Jena Six” by supporters who say the attempted murder charges resulted from racism by authorities and were far out of proportion to the seriousness of the crime.
However, charges being reduced doesn’t get anyone out of jail. And these charges ARE ridiculous. This was a high school fight, in which the student who was assaulted was brought to the ER and quickly released. Do I wish the fight hadn’t occurred? Certainly, along with everyone else. But let’s recall what led to the fight - here’s the summary by Friends of Justice, with my emphasis and notes in brackets.
• On Thursday, August 31, 2006, a small group of black students asked if they could sit under a tree on the traditionally white side of the Jena High School square. [They felt it necessary to ASK. What does that say?]
• The students were informed by the Vice Principal that they could sit wherever they pleased.
• The following day, September 1, 2006, three nooses were found hanging from the tree in question. Two of the nooses were black and one was gold: the Jena High School colors.
• On Tuesday night, September 5, 2006, a group of black parents convened at the L&A Missionary Baptist Church in Jena to discuss their response to what they considered a hate crime and an act of intimidation. [No laws were broken by hanging these nooses, nor should we have laws for motive instead of action. But it certainly fell under the school disciplinary category.]
• When black students staged an impromptu protest under the tree on Wednesday, September 6, 2006, a school assembly was hastily convened. Flanked by police officers, District Attorney Reed Walters warned black students that additional unrest would be treated as a criminal matter. According to multiple witnesses, Walters warned the black student protestors that, “I can make your lives disappear with a stroke of my pen.” This was widely interpreted as a reference to the filing of charges carrying a maximum sentence of life in prison. [An assembly basically convened to tell the black students to "simmah down, boy."]
• On Thursday, September 7th, police officers patrolled the halls of Jena High School and on Friday, September 8th, the school was placed on full lockdown. Most students, black and white, either stayed home, or were picked up by parents shortly after the lockdown was imposed. The Jena Times suggested that black parents were to blame for the unrest at the school because their September 5th gathering had attracted media attention. [What would you do if your child was threatened?]
• Principal Scott Windham recommended to an expulsion hearing committee that the three white boys responsible for hanging the nooses in the tree should be expelled from school. [Very wise.]
• On Thursday September 7, 2006, asserting that the noose were merely a silly prank inspired by a hanging scene in the television min-series ‘Lonesome Dove’, the committee opted for a few days of in-school suspension. The names of the three students were not released to the public for reasons of confidentiality. [Teenage boys watch MTV, not Hallmark channel mini-series. Give me a freaking break.]
• According to press accounts, on September 10, 2006, several dozen black parents attempted to address a meeting of the school board but were refused an opportunity to speak.
• At a second September meeting of the school board, September 18, 2006, a representative of the black families was allowed to give a five-minute statement, but school board refused to discuss the “noose issue” because the matter had been fully addressed and resolved.
• Although few major disciplinary issues emerged during the fall semester at Jena High School, there is strong evidence that several black male students remained unusually agitated throughout the semester and that disciplinary referrals on these students spiked sharply.
• On Thursday, November 30, 2006, the academic wing of the Jena High School was largely destroyed by a massive fire. Officials strongly suspect arson.
• Throughout the following weekend, Jena was engulfed by a wave of racially tinged violence.
• In one incident, a black student was assaulted by a white adult as he entered a predominantly white partly held at the Fair Barn (a large metal building reserved for social events). After being struck in the face without warning, the young black student was assaulted by white students wielding beer bottles and was punched and kicked before adults broke up the fight. It has been reported that the white assailant who threw the first punch was subsequently charged with simple battery (a misdemeanor), but there is no documentary evidence that anyone was charged.
• In a second major incident, a white high school graduate who had been involved in the assault the night before pulled a pump-action shotgun on three black high school students as they exited the Gotta-Go, a local convenience store. After a brief struggle for possession of the firearm, the black students exited the scene with the weapon. [According to Mother Jones, the black students were charged with aggravated battery and theft.]
• The Jena Times has reported that, in light of these racially-tinged incidents, several high school teachers begged school administrators to postpone the resumption of classes until the wave of hysteria had dissipated. This request was ignored and classes resumed the morning of Monday, December 4, 2006.
• Shortly after the lunch hour of Monday, December 4, 2006, a fight between a white student and a black student reportedly ended with the white student [Justin Barker, later arrested for having a rifle with 13 bullets in his truck in the school parking lot.] being knocked to the floor. Several black students reportedly attacked the white student as he lay unconscious. Because the incident took place in a crowded area and was over in a matter of seconds eye witness accounts vary widely. Written statements from students closest to the scene (in space and time) suggest that the incident was sparked by an angry exchange in the gymnasium moments before in which the black student assaulted at the Fair Barn was taunted for having his “ass whipped”.
• The victim of the attack is close friends of the boys who have admitted to hanging the nooses in September of 2006.
• Within an hour of the fight, six black students were arrested and charged with aggravated battery. [According to the Chicago Trib it was originally "attempted second-degree murder and other offenses, for which they could face a maximum of 100 years in prison if convicted."] According to The Jena Times, at least a dozen teachers subsequently threatened a “sick-out” if discipline was not restored to the school. According to the Alexandria Town Talk, District Attorney Reed Walters responded to the teacher’s threat by upping the charges on the six boys to attempted second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit second-degree murder—charges carrying a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Where was that swift justice for the student assaulted at the Fair Barn? Why was the man with the shotgun not arrested but the students he threatened at gunpoint charged? Those events occurred long before Jena D.A. Reed Walters wrote in the Jena Times,
“I will not tolerate this type of behavior,” Walters wrote. “To those who act in this manner, I tell you that you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and with the harshest crimes that the facts justify. When you are convicted, I will seek the maximum penalty allowed by law. I will see to it that you never again menace the students at any school in this parish.”
The white boy who threw the first punch at the black student [Robert Bailey Jr.] at the Fair Barn was charged with simple battery - others who took part in the beating were not charged at all. The white adult (a Jena high school graduate) who threatened three black Jena students with a shotgun was not charged with a crime. Evidently behavior worse than high school students beating another high school student is, in fact, tolerable and not prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, because the Fair Barn beating was a mirror incident to the Jena High School beating. There’s no comparison to the shotgun threat - unless you count the noose threat, also by whites against blacks. And make no mistake - it was a threat. This is the south, and anyone from here understands the symbolism of a noose. In this circumstance, it was unmistakable.
Now two of these kids [Mychale Bell and Theodore Shaw] have sat in jail (due to the lack of a $90,000 bond - $90k for a high school fight!!) since December 4th. So far, nearly seven months in jail for a high school fight. The charges have been reduced to aggravated assault, instead of attempted 2nd degree murder. This is the game they’re playing in Jena - set the bond ridiculously high to keep them in jail, and keep delaying the trial. If the case is dismissed tomorrow, they’ve still spent more than six months in jail for a high school fight. They were not able to graduate. One of the students, Carwin Jones, is a promising athlete who had college scholarships waiting for him. The scholarships are now withdrawn. The kids’ lawyers have been asking for a speedy trial, which they have the right to. But the prosecutor just can’t seem to get his witnesses together… in this tiny little town of about 3,000 people, where folks know each other. Convenient, that. The students should have been expelled for fighting. There’s no excuse for it, even though they were sorely provoked. But six months - so far - in jail for a high school fight in which no one was seriously hurt is a disgrace. The discrepancy between how the whites were treated and how the blacks were treated is painfully obvious.
As the expression goes, just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean someone isn’t out to get you. The stopped clocks of the ACLU, Mother Jones, a Daily Kos diarist, Pravda and Al Sharpton may still be right twice a day, and this is one of those times.
At this point - since they’re not going to get the nearly seven months back, and the scholarships may also be gone forever, as will their reputations, I’m rooting for the Jena Six, or at minimum the two who have spent half a year in jail, to end up with a whopping big settlement that all but bankrupts the town of Jena.
Trackposted to Outside the Beltway, The Virtuous Republic, Perri Nelson’s Website, Azamatteroprinciple, Big Dog’s Weblog, Right Truth, DragonLady’s World, Stuck On Stupid, Leaning Straight Up, The Amboy Times, , Rightlinx, third world county, Wake Up America, Nuke’s news and views, Pirate’s Cove, The Pink Flamingo, Dumb Ox Daily News, Right Voices, Right Pundits, Committees of Correspondence, DeMediacratic Nation, Maggie’s Notebook, , Webloggin, The Bullwinkle Blog, Conservative Cat, The World According to Carl, Blue Star Chronicles, Gulf Coast Hurricane Tracker, High Desert Wanderer, and The Yankee Sailor, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.
I’ll have to read up on Jenna-6, I don’t think I’ve heard about it.
Thanks for the link as always, I’ll return the favor.
Screw you and your partisiam opinions. I don’t care what color the boys are…they still committed a violent crime and need to go to jail. End of story. Black, white, Asian…who cares? Nobody is over the judicial system. The nooses have nothing to do with the crime at hand…yes, the may have provoked it, but are no reason these boys shouldn’t be prosecuted. And newsflash: country kids don’t watch MTV, they actually do watch Lonesome Dove. I’ve seen it..and I’m 21 years old and from Jena. You got a problem with the type of entertainment people in Jena choose? Now you’re insulting OUR lifestyle. Get your **** straight.
They have nothing to do with the crime at hand - other than provoking it. Niiiice. Okay, what do you think should be done to Justin Barker for having a rifle on campus, or to the white guy who pulled a shotgun on the black students, or the white kids who beat the black kid at the Fair Barn? Are you ready for them to be charged with felonies/federal crimes?
Added: And incidentally, I’ve lived in the country and still have plenty of family in the country. They have cable and the kids watch MTV.
I’m from Jena. It’s very sad how the media has created a frenzy over this incident, riding on the coattails of racism. People in Jena are going about their daily lives as we speak, as if little is going on. There aren’t white folks lined up on one side of the line and black folks lined up on the other. This town has its racist issues, like MANY towns in this area of the country. Most people in this town have friends across racial boundaries. Yes, there are some very racist people around, on BOTH sides of the fence. Some black citizens are as racist as some white citizens. Being from this town, I have several clarifications that need to be made that will paint a more vivid, less media-hungry picture:
1.) Today, the prosecution had up to 20 witnesses, many witnessed one of the defendants coming up from behind Michael Barker and punching him in the back of the head, rendering him unconscious. The others proceeded to kick and stomp him while he was unconscious. One of the teachers that arrived at the scene thought he might be dead because his eyes were rolled to the back of his head. Black or white, this TRANSCENDS a typical “schoolhouse fight.” These 6 guys attacked and put a student in the hospital. I DO believe attempted murder is taking it too far. But they do deserve some punishment for what they did. Just because this guy was a friend of some of the students that hung the nooses didn’t give the others a right to resort to violence. By the way, for the Mychale Bell trial, not one person showed up as a witness in his defense.
2.) Despite the media frenzy, Jena is not a bad town to live in. Like mentioned before, business is going on as usual here. I saw a black man that I went to school with today and we both waved at each other and smiled. Most people in this town have friends (even close friends) across racial boundaries.
3.) The media is pretending as if these 6 students were model citizens just trying to stick up for their right to be in a fair society. Most of these 6 have been in trouble several times with the school and the law. These aren’t straight A students whose lives have been ruined by a town of racist white people. Unfortunately one student had a football scholarship for college. It’s sad that this happened to him. But shouldn’t people be responsible for their own actions? He should have considered his future before doing what he did.
4.) The guys that hung those nooses deserve to be punished. Their actions were clearly wrong. But the actions that followed took a much more violent path. Over the next several months after this happened…there was several black kids (possibly the ones in trouble here) who were going around town trying to pick fights with white teenagers who were country-acting. Matter of fact, this was the case when the guy pulled the gun on the black guys. There were several of them about to start a fight. This is why he pulled out the gun. Whether or not you agree with his actions (pulling the gun), he was still trying to protect himself from getting in a fight with 4 or 5 people. The black student that got beat up by the white student was ONE of the guys that tried to “jump” that guy that night. The media portrays the gun incident as if they were going about their daily business when this white guy suddenly whips out a gun and aims it at them. That wasn’t the case. The town has been uneasy about this situation for several months and he felt a need to protect himself when 4 or 5 guys are approaching him with questionable intentions.
5.) The comment saying “Teenage boys watch MTV, not Lonesome Dove.” I agree with the person above. This article doesn’t understand the culture we live in down here in the south. Teenagers listen to ’70’s country and older rock; they watch older movies; and most people (including teenagers) have watched Lonesome Dove. So think twice before you assume that every teenager is like the ones YOU are familiar with.
6.) This article also doesn’t mention something else: many of the white females at Jena High School were complaining about this particular group of black guys who were being overly flirtatious w/ them (pinching their butts). These black guys sat under this tree to get close to the girls so they could flirt with them some more.
7.) I’m sure this article makes it sounds like the school is racially segregated, where whites are on one side and blacks are on another. The recess area IS segregated, but only by choice. Some white students talk to the black students and vice versa. No trouble ever occurs unless somebody starts trying to cause it. It’s strange how no one says anything about New York, where every ethnicity has it’s own part of town (SEGREGATED), but for this small town’s high school to be segregated, it is racist and unjust.
I now realize the harsh realities of the American media. Take a story and put the spin on it that makes people feel passionate (even angry) about something. Racism is a sensitive issue and should be treated like it. This town is NOT the way the media has portrayed it, and most of the actions these articles and stories mention that the white people do in this town have a horrible bias.
In closing, racism is alive and well in this town, but across both sides of the train tracks. These series of events were provoked by both sides. Both were at fault, and all who have broken the law should be punished. End of story.
[Added by Laura - I responded to this comment in a post: Jena 6: Response to Jena Commenter]
If F.O.J. would print both sides of the story instead of trying to twist one side to much I thinks things would be better…..
I agree, John. They have an agenda of their own and I don’t agree with every item on it. However, I think they are “more” right than the D.A. is in this case.
In response to me and jena person let me start off by saying that I have family there and had the opportunity of visiting every other summer as a child growing up and lived there for almost a year. I’m 36 years old and I can say that Jena is the most racist places that I have ever been. I have been in some and the difference between them and Jena is that at least they attempt to diguise their racistness, Jena is out in the open with hers. All of the black people stay in two parts of the town, and those parts are not even considered Jena, but Goodpine and 10th Ward. Two (2) black families live in Jena and they just moved there less than six years ago. Black people were not allowed to live in Jena only outside of it. Yeah Jena is a good place to live as long you know if you are black you have a role in this town. That role is to keep your mouth shut and do what Mr Charlie tell ya. As long as you stay in your place you’ll do fine in Jena. Robert got out of place when he went to that party and they beat him to put him back in his place. You hate to say this in the year 2007 but he shouldn’t have took his tail to that party whether he was invited or not. None of the other few black kids that were invited went, they had better sense. It’s sad to say that in this 21st century but thats the way it is in Jena 50 years in the past. It will stay like that until the black residents of Jena get fed up enough and decide to stop being a bunch of Uncle Tom’s and actually do something about their sorry, miserible plight in life in the ‘lovely town of Jena’.
To Laura: To your question as to what should be done to Barker about having his gun in his truck? He should be punished too. He committed a crime, and should pay the price for it. I don’t disagree on this. But this has NOTHING to do with the trial at hand. It happened after the fight, therefore the boys that beat him up had no clue he had a gun when they beat him to a pulp. What should happen to the kids that beat up the boy at the fair barn? They should be punished too, if the boy who was beat up presses charges (which, might I add, has NOT pressed charges as far as I know…Barker and his family did.) As far as an opinion on what happened at the gas station, I’ll choose not to comment on that. I’ve heard many different versions of that story, a few in which the boys who had a gun pulled on them were armed too. But my point is that I’m a firm believer in the justice system, and when people commit a crime, they should be punished, no matter who they are. Nobody is above the judicial system. I would also like to add that Justin Barker may not have been near the brink of death because of his injuries, but this is mainly because the fight was broken up by school faculty before it went any further. Do you really think that the boys who obvioulsy wanted to cause harm to him would have stopped after he had sustained only those injuries? Please, they would have kept going. I really don’t care what color they are. If you flip the situation around and had 6 white boys beating a black boy, I would hope they receive the same charges too. And you know just as well as I do that the parents of the Jena 6 would want a group of boys to be sent to jail if it had been their son in Barker’s shoes. By the way…my mistake…country kids do watch MTV…but they also watch Lonesome Dove. My point in that comment (which I mistakenly did not make clear) was for you not to generalize a whole group of people.
Also, by my comment about the nooses in the tree, I meant that these boys being offended by this action does not justify what they did on that day at all. I’m sorry they were offended, the nooses should have never been there, but it’s illegal to take the law into your own hands, and that’s exactly what they tried to do. We all can’t try to inflict harm upon someone else when we’re offended by someone else’s stupid actions. Especially upon someone who had nothing to do with what we were offended by (EX: Justin Barker and the nooses).
And for your closing comment on your blog above: thanks for wishing bankruptcy on a town full of good people. Have you ever been to Jena? Probably not. The media and people like you have portrayed us to be a big bunch of racist bigots, when that is completely not true. We’re good people. Hardworking people. Christian people. Jena is not a terrible place. And if you lived here, you would see that too. I am not a racist, and I cannot speak for all that live in Jena (because yes, there are racist people here), but there are many non-racist people here too. I no longer reside permanently in Jena because I am in college elsewhere, but I see no greater racism problem in Jena than I see anywhere else in the south.
Me: YES, I absolutely do believe the Jena Six would have stopped. Do you really think they would have deliberately killed him in front of a crowd? I don’t. Plus, the witnesses who said they were “stomping and kicking as hard as they could” are either mistaken (which eyewitnesses are notorious for) or lying. We’re talking about football players; athletes. Look at this video, about halfway through, for a glimpse of Barker’s hospital discharge papers. NO WAY is that consistent with “stomping and kicking as hard as they could.”
I can appreciate what you’re saying about vigilantism, but that’s really not how this played out. The black community tried to work within the system. A peaceful protest led to the students being threatened by the D.A. They were blocked from complaining about the too-light punishment of the noose boys except for an eventual five minute statement by one spokesman. Various undescribed school discipline infractions occurred over the next six weeks, until the school was burned on 11/30. I’m assuming that a black person did that in protest against the whites, although no evidence has been presented about the fire. In any event, it was the next major escalation, but obviously not directed against an individual person like the attack on Barker.
The next thing that happened was Robert Bailey being attacked at the Fair Barn by a group of whites. Next, one of those whites pulled the shotgun. Finally, back at school, after “an extended trash-talking session” in the gym where Bailey was taunted for having his *** whipped, Justin Barker was jumped and beaten. While Barker as far as I’ve ever heard had nothing to do with the nooses other than being friends with the boys who hung them, he certainly seems to have taken part in this whole saga. Nothing makes beating him right or appropriate, and I do think the Jena Six should have been punished in some way. Just not with these inequitable charges, followed by almost seven months in jail, for a high school fight. This wasn’t vigilantism, it was a violent temper tantrum. Lots of high school kids resort to violence. Poor impulse control is typical of people that age. Most of the time the punishment is appropriate to the crime and they are given the chance to mature and lead normal lives.
It’s not up to Bailey to press charges for the Fair Barn beating. The state does that, and calls Bailey as a witness. This is a decision made by the D.A. Factors that influence whether the state presses charges include the amount of evidence and the cooperation of the victim, but the decision is not the victim’s to make.
And yes, wishing bankruptcy on the entire town is over the top. I retract that. But good grief, why don’t they step up and stop this thing!
Thanks to both sides for posting your comments. I saw the story earlier today on CNN and I cannot believe we are still dealing with this type of ignorance in 2007. I was looking for more information on the story so I could read as many point of views as possible and I found this site.
I agree that the Jena 6 should be punished, but so should everybody else who broke the law as well as school rules. Justin Barber should be cited for having a firearm on school grounds. Where I am from, Justin would have been sent to an “alternative school” if he had been caught with a weapon on school grounds because my local schools have a zero tolerance policy in place. The dumbass 3 who hung nooses from the tree would have been sent to alternative school too. And what about these hoodlums? Are they being shunned publicly? Can they be charged with inciting a riot? Reckless disregard? They started this whole ugly affair and they should be held accountable socially if not criminally.
It always amazes me when white people minimize the meaning of nooses and burning crosses. White people created these symbols of violence against black people. How should I take it if you hang a noose outside of my door given the historical precedent that has been set? Thats just like saying that you are just joking when you point a gun at somebody.
The symbol of hanging a noose in our sorted historical past has had the same affect as aiming a gun at someone…..people have ended up dead. Yes, I have seen Lonesome Dove, both the mini series and the television series. I listen to 70’s classic rock too. The historical precedent of the noose supercedes popular culture in my opinion. Now, the dumbass 3 who hung the noose may have been referencing something they saw in pop culture, but they are still culpable for what happened because they caused the offense and thats bottom line. Just because something is not offensive to you does not mean that its not offensive.
The town should have been outraged by the actions of the Dumbass 3. The white and black citizens should have held rallies to show that they don’t put up with that kind of ****. Did this happen? If it didn’t then its a shame that good people did not stand up for the right thing in the first place.
Lastly, just because racism is everywhere does not mean its right. We don’t stop fighting crime just because its everywhere so why should we stop calling out racism when we see it or if we think people are being treated unfair?
I agree the people who beat Justin Barker should be punished - and there’s some dispute about who did what; it may be that not every one of the “Jena Six” is guilty. But I say punish them in proportion to what happened. Punish them in proportion to what whites received for the same office. I agree the town - white and black alike - should have been outraged and protesting. The church community did try to do that:
Jena Person,
Your narrative of the events in Jena is a ridiculous twist on stereotypes and fantasies. Not every Black man lusts after white women. Get over yourself.
I can’t speak for Jena Person, but his comments on this particular group of boys and their sexual advances is correct. I was in school with these boys 2 years ago and they were notorious for this then. If I can recall correctly, they even causes trouble for a staff member in this sense. I promise you, these boys are not innocent victims in this. They even cause trouble for members of the black community from what I have heard, by stealing from good people within that community. They are troublemakers…and don’t try to think that I’m trying to justify the actions of the boys who humg the nooses or other whites involved in this situation. They’re not model citizens themselves. I just think we’re all too wrapped up in pointing fingers at everybody else that has done wrong in this situation to actually see what happened during that particualar incident day.
And Laura, seriously, you’re lying to yourself if you think those boys would have stopped beating Barker about the same time the brawl was broken up. If that’s all they wanted to do to him, they wouldn’t have had such a well planned out ordeal that day. Gimme a break, no large group of kids jumps on another just to barely hurt him. I assure you, their intentions were less than innocent that day, and though they probably weren’t trying to kill him, they surely were trying to injure him worse that they had the chance to. I went to school with these boys for 2 years. One of them tried to date a girl that I know. They’re trouble, I promise. And honestly, do you really think that all the witnesses were wrong? Please, I understand that witnesses are often mistaken, but thats the evidence that the prosecution has to go on. You, me, or anybody else that was not there that day has no clue as to what happened. Those people are the only ones who saw it…and you can’t just throw out what they say they saw because it MIGHT be wrong. That’s absurd.
Andrew, Jena person said “This article also doesn’t mention something else: many of the white females at Jena High School were complaining about this particular group of black guys who were being overly flirtatious w/ them (pinching their butts). These black guys sat under this tree to get close to the girls so they could flirt with them some more.” …
Then you say “Not every black man lusts after white women”….
Clearly neither of your statements imply the falsity of the other. Of course your statement is correct. But it has nothing to do with what she said, which was that girls were complaining about a particular group of guys. The fact that you read that yet still came out with the idea that she thinks “every black man lusts after white women” is ridiculous.
The real trial here isn’t whether or not someone had the **** beaten out of them. No, the real crime here is racism. If the victim was potentially a “racist”, then all charges must be dropped and the victim should be put on trial. The physical attack must be forgotten about and we must focus on the thought crime of the victim. Put the victim in jail. Same thing with the OJ Simpson trial. The real trial wasn’t whether or not OJ killed the 2 victims. The real trial was whether or not Mark Fuhrman was a racist and if he was a racist, the whole trial is voided. Same thing here with the Jenna 6 trial. Racism is on trial, not a beating.
Me: Actually, I’ve never contended the Jena Six are innocent victims or that all of this sprung out of a battle for civil rights. In my opinion, they - like most teenagers - have poor impulse control and they lost their tempers when sorely provoked. I’ve said repeatedly that they should be punished for the fight.
As to “well planned out” there has been exactly zero evidence that anything was planned. Certainly Walters included nothing like that in his prosecution. On the contrary, the beating occurred after a “trash talking session” in the gym where Bailey was taunted for having his *** whipped by a group of whites. Who have not been prosecuted for it, unlike the Jena Six. It’s the inequity of all this that makes me so angry.
You say “all of the witnesses” - haven’t you read summaries of their testimony and how conflicted it was? And the attempt at dating some girl you know - I’m sorry, I’m just not understanding the issue here. How again is that relevant, a crime, or offensive in any way?
Steve, I hope you’re being sarcastic. Of course racism isn’t on trial. It’s not a crime, nor should it be. The whole concept of punishing someone for what they think as opposed to what they actually do is offensive. I absolutely do not approve of the fact that Justin Barker was beaten. But I don’t have to approve of it to say that the charges are WAY out of proportion to the crime, AND to take note of the fact that whites guilty of the same offense were not even charged, except one who got a misdemeanor charge of simple battery.
I walk by faith and not by sight.. I am Bryant Purvis’s brother and I serve GOD almighty. I have surrendered my prayers to the one that matter!
For all those who are incredulous to seeing racism in 2007, I have to just sit back and smile. Actually I have to ask, are you serious? We’re talking about a country that was founded on one of it’s main principles being racism (unwritten, of course). “Freedom for all mankind (smallprint: but I buy a group of people from their land and enslave them or better yet, I actually rob and wipe out an entire group of people). Oh I understand how it would be hard for people to visualize racism without the chains, segregated facilities, or people hanging by ropes, but it’s there. It’s called institutionalize racism and it’s a lot scarier than the small town of Jena and these occurances. It’s an entire system of hatred that aims at keeping specific ethnic groups oppressed throught incarceration, unemployment, ecomic deprivation, and the list goes on. Because it’s systematic, it’s not physically visible so it forces the people to beleive it doesn’t exist.
So why is Jena getting hit so hard? Well you’ve done it. You’ve managed to bring up people’s perception of what racism is and gave a clear visual reference to a time we thought was only history. With the nooses, the protests, racially motivated flights, and even school fires. Now the world and American can see it and they remember. They equate the occurences in Jena with slaves, Jim Crow, and a time where black did not have rights in this country.
I don’t blame the whole town of Jena just like I don’t think all white people are racist, but I do beleive in instutionalized racism which unfortunately is a plague in the small town of Jena.
The three were not punished for the nooses. Ok, fair enough, minor prank. I don’t agree with it, but as was stated earlier, they didn’t committ a real crime. What law in Jena forbids students from protesting injustice? Why were the organizers of the protest threatened with having their lives taken from them with the “stroke of a pen” by the D.A? He seems like he carries a lot of weight around there. You want to continue to talk about the law. Where was law and justice when Robert Bailey was assaulted? When did we start sending our students to jail for a fight? Seriously? Jail? Those guys lives are ruined! I’ll give the D.A. this much credit, he kept his promise. He managed to ruin those young men’s lives.
Yes, the 6 guys should be punished, the white guy at Fair Barn could be punished, Justin should be punished, and the noose hangers should be punished, but the punishment as extreme as 20-50 years in jail…well I guess you can be the judge. And guess what, for some strange reason the only people who really got hurt out of all this are well…the black people. Humm, that’s not odd. Well I guess we can add Robert to 50% of incarcerated black men instead of the 20% of college educated ones.
Jena if you want the world to stop criticizing, then you need to get your act together. Instead of defending “the great town of Jena” you need to prove that the people of that town are great by standing up for what is right. The Jena 6 do not deserve to be in jail, expelled yes, but not in jail. You be the judge.
Hello,
I am in Washington DC, a Communications Intern for Advancement Project.
This case is simply appalling.
I have recently written a blog on the Jena 6 which should be up on the Advancement Project website come early next week. I walked away from work yesterday feeling sick. I sorted through so many photos of lynching and burnings from Jena that stayed with me and just couldnt shake off a feeling of disgust and sickness of what is unfolding in Jena today.
I feel like I have stepped back in time.
The events blew me away. I am also suprised by the lack of domestic media coverage on this story.
WHERE IS OUR MEDIA?
Although the BBC did a expose, where is the outcry on US media outlets? I am proud to be a blogger right now- it seems much of the media hits for Jena 6 are from people taking this into their own hands and spreading the word.
I am still trying to find the best way to get involved. I have called NBC and the ACLU and emailed The Jena 6 Defense Committee. I want to be as active as I can in this critical moment in Civil Rights and American history. If anyone klnows of any good organizations that are taking volunteers, let us know. I am going to take this as far as I can. I am planning on flying to Jena for the trial. I feel too sickened by these injustices to let this play out. The LAACLU does not have a link on their splash page to the Jena 6 case the last time I checked. I have emailed them and am awaiting response.
From my research I found some helpful links:
Get Involved:
An Excellent Timeline of Events for Reference:
http://friendsofjustice.files.wordpress.com/2007/06/responding_to_the_crisis_in_jena1.doc
Sign this Online Petition
http://www.petitiononline.com/aZ51CqmR/petition.html
The Jena 6 Defense Committee
PO Box 2798, Jena, LA 71342
jena6defense@gmail.com
Friends of Justice
507 North Donley Avenue
Tulia, TX 79088
http://www.fojtulia.org
ACLU of Louisiana
PO Box 56157
New Orleans, LA 70156
http://www.laaclu.org
417.350.0536.
BBC Article
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/this_world/6685441.stm
Jeep Spreading the Word!
Our Civil Rights is not Over Yet!
-Clare Bakota
Advancement Project
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
Greetings, Children of the Creator
of ALL things great and small,
Sadly, violence is a direct inheritance from
being “human”. MEN have perpetuated it all over the world, much to the detriment of women, children, and the enviornment.
Here is the ghost of our history right in our faces once again. For many millinea humans have found irrational reasons to victimize one another. I would like to direct everyone’s attention to a very stark, vivid and upsetting book.
The name of this book is “Without Sanctuary”.
This book is a collection of photographs which depict the history of lynching in the
United States of America. After viewing the web site, or the actual book, I want each and everyone of you to imagine yourself, or someone you love having been killed in this terrible grisly way. Lynching, or any semblance that represents this heinous practice is unacceptable, and to say it is not a “real crime” to make nooses to send a message to Black Youth is far from being a prank. Young self proclaimed “skin heads” were charged in several instances when thier vandalizing and symbology came in the form of a swastica that was used to frighten and intimidate Jewish people. That symbol means alot more to Jews than to Germans when it comes to intimidation and agression, which is always accompanied by murder. Lynching is something that strikes fear and rage in African people for a reason. We were and still are the intended victims, be it real or a so called “joke”. The disparity in the way the violence was responded to by the “authorities” between the white and black youth in these incidents is obvious and sharply biased. The D.A. has lost his mind. Even the reduced sentances are unacceptable. He should be personally sued by the family of the boy who lost his scholarship behind being jailed over what should have been dealt with as a school problem. If the black youth are expelled, then so should those who performed the hate crime by placing the nooses in the tree.
These young men have already paid a dear price in freedom and opportunity. They should all be released immediately with time served (over served!).
I feel that a direct intervention by qualified organizations to force a revision of this case in in order. Jena, you should be the ones at the forefront. It’s your town, so help correct these behaviours in a way that is beneficial rather than detrimental.
Side note, the only non immigrants in this country are NATIVE Americans. We are the only group who were forced here against our will. Our gruelling history in this country deserves some alleiviation, especially after having endured it for so very long!!!
Love is Lovely, and Ignorance is UGLY,
and GOD DON”T LIKE UGLY!!!
One Heart
Racism is no longer an opinion….it is an institution…it is the mechanism that PUT these black teenagers behind bars as well as KEEPS them behind bars. After the fact, yes…these kids were wrong for what they did. However, forget the reasons, yes….the noose and EVERYTHING….lets look at their trial..their right to due process….EMBEDDED with racism. Jena is a horrible town, and if white people choose not to own up to the problem that racism truly is…Just think, these 6 black kids got tired of it….imagine when the whole population does. I dont care bout criminal records of the kids, it is OBVIOUS that the D.A. had a racial bias and imposed that on this trial…and not just to him, all high ranking authorities in the town do. Last thing you want is to stir up the black community…it is the STRONGEST, UNITED, AND YES…THE MOST BEAUTIFUL COMMUNITY IN THE WORLD…..and when this story really comes to light and hits home….u will see
Truth…. May I ask you a question? What do you think should happen to these boys for their actions? Do you think that they should be set free because they feel like they have been discriminated against??!? My opinion: hell no. Everyone in the wrong in this situation should be sent to jail. This is rediculous. Forget racial stuff…just talking about this makes me sick…and only makes the situation worse. The fact is that these boys beat up another boy for NO REASON. This boy had nothing to do with anything that may have offended these African American students.. and they just choose to beat him up. How is THAT not racist. I don’t hate black people, I have black friends….all I’m saying is that I’m sick of people, black and white, turning this into a racial situation when it can be simplified down into one thing: an attack on another human….”not black, not white…human”. Haven’t we all heard that before? I believe it…but do you?
The people in this town should be ashamed to called themselves American. History is repeating itself here! I’ve never heard of such a ridiculous thing as a tree that can only be accessed by white students! Have your brains got to **** or what? As for the school burning,, too bad it didnt burn down. It certainly is not a place of higher education but a grounds to breed racism. I guess this is the result of poor white folks trying to rule their corner of the world. It surely wouldnt fly up here in Washington state.
Hello,
we are a group of filmmakers in Philadelphia producing a weekly newsshow. Our latest episode is about the Jena 6 and can be viewed at http://www.collateral.blip.tv
If you find the show worthy and believe spreading it might help the Jena 6 please do so (we do not belong to a newsnetwork nor do we make any money with our show).
If you go to http://www.collateral.blip.tv after coming Monday you have to click on the show dated 07.09.07
[Update from Laura - the show was very well done - watch it here in the latest Jena 6 post.]
I first learned about the Jena 6 last week, while listening to a local free speech radio station, KPFA The program is Democracy Now with Amy Goodman. Here is the link that will take you directly to the program, which was on July 10th. Regardless of blame, fault, etc., we, the public, will never know what actually happened in each incident, because we were not eyewitnesses, BUT the punishment does not fit the crime. This type of unfair treatment is happening all over the United States. They have to fill these prisons that they are spending money to build. As you know, it is an industry and keeps people employed.
http://kpfa.org/archives/index.php?arch=21169
b. wallace, thanks for your comment. I linked to that same program in another post, I thought that it was very good. I agree with you that we’ll never know exactly what happened, not having been there, but I have to disagree when you suggest that people are being deliberately incarcerated for money. That makes no economic sense whatsoever because crime and incarceration are actually very expensive. It also disregards the fact that thousands of actual crimes are committed every single day. While I’m perfectly willing to accept the idea that there are unfair prosecutions on a regular basis - lately the much publicized Duke rape/Nifong incident, for example, and that few of them are reported, I simply do not believe that the majority or even a sizeable plurality of those convicted of crimes are either not guilty or are over-sentenced simply to keep other people employed.
this whole case is a testament of the deep-seeded racism that exist today among some white people…it’s absolutely sickening! I stumbled upon your blog while looking for more information on the Jena 6 after hearing one of the mothers on XM RAdio’s black talk station-”The Power.” I appreciate the summary and forum that you have created. For the Jena resident who mentioned “racial boundaries”….you sound like a racist yourself! I feel sorry for the blacks who haven’t had the means or will-power to leave your sad town. I am a black physician in Maryland and will be encouraging ALL of my peers to support (financially and otherwise) the Jena 6! Thank you, too, to the gentleman with the collateral TV spot.
kia, as a physician, do you have any comments on Justin Barker’s discharge papers, displayed in this video, and the extent of his injuries?
I am just now hearing about this incident. And I agree that it is disturbing that this incident hasn’t and isn’t getting more media attention! This charges are just ridiculous and the prosecuting attorney should be stripped of his license to practice law for having these boys indicted on such crazy and outrageous charges. Hopefully, the Supreme Court will step in and rectify the situation. There is always going to be people that try to downplay racism or act as though those offended are just blowing things out of proportion, but all the arguing in the world with these types of people will not change anything. Those who are truly against racism need to make a point to everyday in their life combat this with the hopes that once the ignorant racist people in society die off we can finally have a society where people can actually appreciate each other’s differences.
Racism in Jena Louisiana
Listen to my interview with Alan Bean, an activist who was in the courtroom during the trial
http://www.letstalkhonestly.com/raceinamerica.html
On June 28 2007 a young black defendant Mychal Bell was found guilty of aggravated assault against a young white man by an all white jury despite conflicting testimony from witnesses. Alan Bean talks about the things below:
The weekend before the assault took place nooses were hung on a tree.
The Prosecutor threatened black students about protesting the nooses
A black man was assaulted, no charges were brought up.
During the trial the public defender put up no defense after the prosecution rested it’s case.
Listen to the interview and read about the case hear: http://www.letstalkhonestly.com/raceinamerica.html
this is to “me”. You’re saying that you KNOW that these kids molested white girls (that is what ur saying correct?) and that you went to school with them for 2 years,so does that makes you an expert about these children? no, it doesnt. You may “think” you “know” what these kids did but you werent there so how the hell could you? It is a race issue and you saying that putting up the nooses wasn’t a crime… wtf? it was a hate crime and you know it! Dont give me: there is no law against putting up nooses :”A hate crime (bias crime), loosely defined, is a crime committed because of the perpetrator’s prejudices. This is a controversial political issue within the US. The US Congress (HR 4797 - 1992) defined a hate crime as: “[a crime in which] the defendant’s conduct was motivated by hatred, bias, or prejudice, based on the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or gender identity of another individual or group of individuals…” still think there is no law? The students were supposedly trying to “protect” their white girls from those black guys… race wasn’t an issue? it was and its ignorant of you to say otherwise….
and you cant throw out what they say because it MIGHT be wrong? YES YOU CAN! thats called reasonable doubt! something that this case was full of….. conflicting testimony means that someone or all of them were committing perjury (another crime)….. the DA didn’t do his job…. please think before you post please (not to sound mean but you have to realize that some of the stuff you wrote was stupid)
To Jena Person:
posted by#
minty
July 1st, 2007 at 5:22 pm
4
“
Couldn’t have said it better myself…
and i have to amend my earlier comment “me” because you didn’t say “for 2 years” you said “2 years AGO which makes your entire statement even more worthless…
One of the biggest problems in this country is that despite the fact that racism, bigotry, and prejudice are still viruses that infect our culture, so many people are opposed to discuss it. When an incident like this happens, sooo many people cry “leave race out of this”, “oh, they’re playing the race card”, “we don’t want to discuss the issue if racism is part of the discussion.” It’s interesting that so many people (including those “with black friends”) deny that racism exists in this country, and yet don’t understand that the very denial of racism is racist.
It’s no less tragic than the people that deny the Holocaust ever happened. Just because you say it doesn’t exist doesn’t make it true. Just because you say hanging nooses from a tree was a harmless prank doesn’t make it harmless. Just because you think the “justice” system is color blind doesn’t mean it is.
Every time African-American speak of discrimination or unfair treatment, some cries “oh they are playing the race card.” Well, in case you didn’t know, the race card is in the deck (and it was not African-Americans who created the deck). If the race card is dealt, then the race card will hit the table. Just because you have blinded yourself to what institutional racism is, and choose not to recognize it, doesn’t mean that it isn’t there.
Just because the emperor thinks he’s wearing finery doesn’t cause the rest of us to see it. Naked is naked no matter what the emperor believes. Racism is racism whether you want to acknowledge or not.
This country will never be whole and healed until it atones for sin of slavery, the ramifications of racism, and comes to understand that all our problems are not solved just because people want to declare that they are gone.
Please give a practical example of just how we might atone for the sin of slavery. Seriously. I’m interested in your view on this.
Nate, I never said they molested anyone, thank you. You read entirely too far into something to find the racist part in it. No, those fcuking nooses were not a hate crime, they were a prank. And I never said anything about protection of anyone else. I never claimed to be an expert at this, or even personally know the boys, but I do know a little about the character of the accused in this situation, and you obviously do not. I don’t claim to know what happened that day either. Stop trying to read into what I said and make me look stupid. May I ask you a question? What would the difference be in there were 6 white kids beating a black kid? Civil rights advocates everywhere would be screaming to lock those boys up forever and you know it. I’m sorry that the nooses offended the blacks, they should have never been there, and that has been established. But the fact that these 6 boys were offended by nooses in trees in no way justifies what they did that day to Barker. Most of your comments in your post were completely wrong regarding what I said, you’re the one who looks stupid in my eyes. I’m not arguing here anymore, you people only like to point at racism, which I agree is a problem, but cannot justify the fact that 6 boys attacked another boy.
How could this country atone for slavery? One way to start is to first acknowledge that it was not only the south that benefitted. Northern companies benefitted from the exporting of cotton. Insurance companies benefitted from payments to cover property losses (that property included slaves). Anywhere business prospers, the states and their people prosper.
If we could acknowledge that the country as a whole benefitted from slavery, then perhaps the conversation doesn’t have to be centered around the evil south, and instead could be discussed by the nation as a whole entity.
In that discussion, we should included the fact that the ramifications of slavery, racism, bigotry, prejudice, segregation, and Jim Crow laws did not end in the 60s. There are still cultural, legal, financial, educational, psychological vestiges that must be addressed and remedied. The way in which wealth was accumulated, invested, and passed down from one generation to the next stem from opportunities that were restricted to only a few. So given that, how could we say that we are all now on an even playing field, when advantages from the past are handed down.
If property and wealth are gained through the enforced captivity and labor of slaves, and that property and wealth are handed down one generation to the next, how can the descendants of the slaves be on equal ground with the descendants of the slave holders?
Atonement must start with acknowledgement. People in this time in our history are fond of saying “I had nothing to do with slavery”, “My family were not slave owners”, so why is this my debt - my problem — collectively it is the debt and problem of this nation that benefitted from the work of our African-American ancestors.
Even those immigrants who came after slavery benefitted from a system of things that was in place in no small part to the wealth this nation built on the backs of African slaves.
Firstly “me” molest is a verb which means:
1. to bother, interfere with, or annoy.
2. to make indecent sexual advances to.
3. to assault sexually.
The bolded 2 are the ones that i am referring to and that IS EXACTLY what you are saying! And a prank you say? Did you even read the definition of hate crime? re-read my post if you need a refresher. Using and example from my earlier post: if I had not liked jewish people it had been jews instead of blacks who sat under the tree and instead of putting up nooses I put up wooden swastikas or a huge mass of armbands with the symbol etched into them would it then be a hate crime or a prank? And obviously civil rights activists wouldn’t in Jena because that scenario already happened!! A black kid got the **** beat out of him by more than 6 people already…BEFORE THIS… Or haven’t you been reading up on the issue and are in here just spewing ignorance? I said that it was a reason why they did what they did: they jumped a kid and put him in the hospital just long enuff so that he could go out to party that day… They should be punished but the punishment is extreme and the School system that facilitated the racist spectacle should bear the brunt of it. And if people like yourself would simply accept that it is alive and that it did play a factor in this event and stop hiding behind some b/s like “we as a country have grown past all that” then maybe this wouldn’t have happened….
The way to atone for salvery is to participate in and actively teach antiracism and antislavery, and to stand in solidarity with the suffering and the poor.
Fin, what does “standing in solidarity with the suffering and the poor” actually mean? I can appreciate the value of rhetoric, but the rhetoric demands action - WHAT action? Be specific, otherwise it’s all sound and fury, signifying nothing.
Stella, thank you for your response. You’ve given me plenty to think about. I’m going to mull it over and probably post something in a few weeks, if you’re interested.
This absolutely appalling case has just come to my attention today. Its mind boggling how a major news show can do a segment on the “Barbie Bandits’ but never mention the Jena 6. I live in Atlanta and the evening news will report every fire, every water main break, every un-newsworthy mess going on in the Metro Atlanta area but, never anything that would make us doubt that we live in the “land of the free and home of the brave”.
Anytime you are forbidden to voice your opinion in a public forum or protest an obvious wrong, you are not truly free. It is extremely cowardice to use authority (the DA) to eliminate a threat a to your backwoods way of life. This is an abuse of power and needs to be dealt with as such. Classifying tennis shoes as weapons is a major stretch that should have been laughed out of court.
Whether or not the young men charged had problems in their past is not the issue. The issue for the DA and at least 50 other people (the jurors that found Mychal guilty) in Jena is that these young men we no longer willing to accept the status quo. They are no longer willing to accept the long overdue end of segregation and discrimination.
As for the nooses being a prank…that’s one the most self-serving things I have ever heard. There is no one in the U.S., who has been here more than 10 years (especially in the south) that doesn’t know what a “noose” infers. As a matter of fact, what does it say about the school and the community if the black kids even had to ask to sit under a tree on school property? It probably would never have gotten this far out of hand if the appropriate action had been taken when the nooses were first put in the tree. It’s scary the lack of insight involved in making the decision for the young men who hung the nooses to have a few days of in-house suspension. Anyone over the age of 21 (and quite a few under) should have been able to see the potential for things to escalate if the situation was dealt with appropriately.
One last thing: Be careful Jena, your “sheet” is showing.
Has any one ever wondered why it looks like the so-called “race” problem is actually a “Black” problem? Why other races can get alone well with the Whites? Perhaps the Blacks should do a good check on themselves.
You know, Alan, if you typed that and regretted it when you realized that the white hood slipped a little further than you liked, just comment again requesting it be deleted and I’ll take care of it. That’s a serious offer. Tell you what - just sit back, take a breather, and have a nice hot cup of STFU while you consider your next comment.
The truth is that there is all kinds of racism in this country, against all races, yes, even including whites. But racism against blacks is the one that is most common and most “socially acceptable.” Probably because when I was a baby, it was legal - we had whites-only water fountains, bathrooms, entrances to buildings and everything. Those laws were struck down and things have been gradually getting better, but the problem of racism that motivated those laws still exists. But then, that’s here and maybe things are different up in Ottawa. Maybe “your” blacks are different, and maybe they are wholly at fault for any race issues that exist. Or maybe not. Perhaps you Canadians should do a good check on yourselves. Just a thought…
It is my thought that you all are displaying ignorance–ignorance based on lack of…lack of knowledge; lack of intelligence; lack of understanding; lack of common sense; and especially lack of The United States Constitution. What you are displaying is the town of Jena, Louisiana’s own code of law which is based on the race color code meaning White-Black-Yellow-Tan ooooops I got it wrong it should be White-Yellow-Tan-Black. And remember children practise what they hear and learn from home and the friends they keep.
I just recently heard of the “Jena 6″ incident and I am not surprised that a small Louisiana town that creates, motivates and institutes racial boundaries reacts in this way. Racism is not only a African American problem it is a every race that is not white/Caucasian problem and racism is more openly discussed among the African American community. I know plenty of Chinese Americans, Latinos, Indians, Mexicans, Canadians, Germans, even British American citizens who laugh and ridicule the mentality especially when it comes to the southern small racist town thoughts and ways of life. These people have experienced racism themselves and they speak on it but they hit you Small town Southern racially biased white caucasians where it really hurts…in your pockets….we have taken your gas stations, we own your grocery stores, we buy your land, we own all of your McDonald’s, we also own your Burger Kings, we own your shopping malls and we marry your daughters.
Don’t Hate…..I’m Bi-racial–Asian/African American and White, just like Tiger Woods. And I laugh at the ignorance you people display too.
What is really the topic here with the Jena 6 is it actually a school fight among kids who attend the same high school—is it a fight over a tree that has been deemed and designated for white kids only on the so called white side of the high school–is it because some black kids went to and was assaulted by a white adult as he entered a predominantly white party held at the Fair Barn–is it because some white girls feel that some black boys are being overly flirtacious towards them–is it because a grown supposedly adult white male pulled a gun on a group of black kids they took the gun from him called the police and they were charged and he wasn’t he must be the town drunk–is it because the Jena, Louisiana African American community is sick and tired of being held hostage and told when, where, how high to jump, where they can/cannot go, who they can/cannot speak to and where they can/cannot live and how their kids can/should/will act or else the Jena, Louisiana DA will put them away with a stroke of his pen.
Sounds like the Jena, Louisiana African American community has let the Jena, Louisiana code of law go too far for too long—I’m sick and tired of hearing the stupidity of the whole thing.
Get it together Jena–it’s a new era!!!!
I I am not suggesting that one runs from the community they live but…. if African Americans live subservient lives like in this community then you either make a significant change during and after this incident or move out. I say subservient because in one of the articles I read one person said “…we don’t have any problems with our blacks…” I personally would not trust justice for either of my sons to live in a community like this. Another article states the victim went to a social function that night after being released from the hospital…How that ever became second degree attempted murder. The caucasian youths deserve their just fair also. If that was the case this would not have gone this far. I am a northerner. I used to ask my mother “mom how could people live like that in the 60’s?” Come to find out they are living like that now. As of today if I were a youth being harassed by caucasians I know that it WOULD TAKE IT QUITE PERSONALLY
I PRAY TO GOD HE HAS MERCY ON JENA, LA. RACISM IS STILL VERY PREVELANT THERE AND IT’S SO UNFORTUNANT. PLEASE GET IT TOGETHER THERE IN JENA.
This comment is for ME…I originally wanted to tell you off on here but I prayed about it and realized you can’t respond to ignorance with ignorance. Your main thing is “stop throwing up the RACE issue” when in reality it seems to me that you are racist. First off let me say use the word African American not Blacks! Thank You. Secondly here are your words
“but I do know a little about the character of the accused in this situation, and you obviously do not.”
*Really so you know the boy’s personally?? Yeah I don’t think so…so therefore you do not know their character! Have you lived with them? Attended school with them? Met their families? Your going off of hearsay correct? Please do let me know.Because quite frankly your making an *** of yourself. Please do excuse my language.
Next,
I don’t hate black people, I have black friends…
If this isn’t the lamest line I ever heard…so having African American friends doesn’t mean you hate African Americans…is that the new rule to “Im Not Racist 101″ If this is move to make you feel that you are not racist….its sad think about it. Hmmm…I wonder how your African American friends feel about this…and yes please do answer!
Next,
“I’m sick of people, black and white, turning this into a racial situation when it can be simplified down into one thing: an attack on another human….”not black, not white…human”. Haven’t we all heard that before? I believe it…but do you?”
This could of been simplified into just “an attack on another individual” If these boys were put in jail for 6months! Unbelieveable….have you ever heard of someone getting into a fight in high school and staying in jail for 6months and possibly obtaining a charge that could change your entire life….please THINK ABOUT IT
THIS IS FOR EVERYONE!
TAKE THE TIME TO PUT YOURSELF IN THE SHOES OF THESE BOYS AND THEIR FAMILIES…THIS IS MORE THAN WHAT PEOPLE ARE MAKING IT SEEM! THESE BOYS ARE FACING 20 YEARS IN PRISON OR MORE FOR A FIGHT…BUT YET NO CHARGES ARE PRESENTED FOR THE OTHERS INVOLVED IN THE CASE. YOU CAN SAY WHAT YOU WANT ABOUT THE CASE…THAT IS TRULY YOUR OPINION, BUT THIS JUST SAID FOR ALL OF THOSE WHO FEEL THAT IS NOTHING…JUST WAIT BECAUSE JUSTICE WILL BE GIVEN. THERE IS NO REASON IN HELL THESE BOYS SHOULD BE GOING THROUGH WHAT THEY ARE GOING THROUGH BECAUSE OF A FIGHT…NO NEED TO WORRY BECAUSE JUSTICE WILL HAPPEN. I HAVE HEARD THAT THE INITIAL ACT OF IGNORANCE WAS NOT A “RACIST” MOVE OR A HATE CRIME BUT A PRANK….SAYS WHO? DO YOU KNOW THE INTENTIONS BEHIND THIS ACT? A PRANK OF SUCH MAGNITUDE IS A HATE CRIME….PLEASE LOOK UP HATE CRIME” I COULD WRITE FOR DAYS ON THE ISSUE BUT IM NOT BUT I WILL TAKE ACTION…FOR ALL OF THOSE WHO TAKE THIS LIGHTLY…WATCH OUT FOR THE MOVEMENT BECAUSE THE DREAM IS STILL ALIVE! AND THESE BOYS WILL AND I REPEAT WILL BE TREATED WITH JUSTICE. TO THE FAMILIES OF THE ACCUSED PLEASE STAY STRONG AND JUST PRAY BECAUSE EVERYTHING WILL BE ALL RIGHT. I WILL DO EVERYTHING IN MY POWER TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE BOYS ARE TREATED FAIRLY. GIVE TO GOD AND LET GO, LET GO OF ALL THE HATRED BEING BROUGHT AGAINST YOU, LET GO OF ALL THE IGNORANCE, LET GO LET GO LET GO! MUCH LOVE TO ALL OF YOU AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU
THE MOVEMENT!
Excellent post and I am linking to it from a post I’n working on now after getting an update from the NAACP about a meeting held last night with the US Attorney for the Western District of Louisianna and the FBI.
http://oneblackmansblog.blogspot.com
I hope to have it posted by 10 pm tonight if not sooner.
Thanks, Scotty, I’ll link it as soon as it’s up.
WEll, i think that there should of been punishment from the start (noose hanging from the tree) After that, you can tell that it becomes judicial system( all white jury ) vs. the black students. It’s preety sad how our country is still in the racism chains that should have been broken years ago but all we can do is wait and give support to the Jena 6.
Ruben..WRONG, I totally agree with everything that you stated in your post except that “all we can do is wait” NO that is what they want us to do we must take action and protest, rally do whatever possible to get the word out. it is up to US to make a change so please don’t just sit back and wait because you have a VOICE…use it!
I am so glad to see the discussion and hence attention this case is getting. I won’t be long, as many of my sentiments have already been expressed. But I do want to emphasize a couple of points:
The fact that we are talking about black and white and race is a screaming indicator that race is the underlying problem
Racism is so inherent to the culture of our society that it is like the air we breathe: we don’t even realize it. I don’t want to make a blanket statement without proof, so don’t just take it from me, go to http://www.uwm.edu/~gjay/Whiteness/Underst_White_Priv.pdf
and this article was written by a WHITE person, by the way…
Please, all of you who have been involved in this discussion, read this article and I am interested in what you think.
I believe someone asked HOW does the atonement for the sin of slavery work? Well, I’d have to say it is working now when blacks and whites can have a honest dialogue about the state of race relations and what our personal viewppoints are. Both sides need to be open to hear things that may be uncomfortable, unfair even, and respond with honesty, truth, and a sincere effort to educate. But that’s just my humble opinon
Last, and I don’t mean to be facetious, however it may come across: Please stop using the argument of having “black friends” as an example of not being a racist. To be colorblind is not the answer; to be able to respect people as people, color included, is the solution we seek. I thank you for listening!
I will say this - you’re absolutely right, it’s extremely uncomfortable, because there are plenty of ways to offend someone without even trying. I think most people would rather ignore it than tiptoe around it. And - I’m sorry if this is offensive, but I’m being frank because I’m interested in provoking more discussion - I’m not really interested in atoning for slavery because it was generations ago. Atoning for current conditions, yes indeed. As I’ve pointed out, Jim Crow laws were in effect during my lifetime. Not only is dealing with current conditions helpful and practical, it’s achievable. We’re never going to reach a perfect balance of justice. No other country on the planet has ever “atoned” for slavery. For the most part, they stopped it, and moved on. Well, except in places where it’s currently going on, but that’s another story. I think the difference here is that even after slavery stopped, black folks were never treated as equals and given the same opportunities even several generations down the line. That’s the problem, in my opinion, that we should be dealing with. Well, that’s my 2 cents. But I’m interested in any response, even a (thoughtful and civil) smackdown.
Thank you for commenting, and I’ll read that paper soon. (It’s not that I’m uninterested - I’m moving clients to a new server and need to get it done by Tuesday.)
great, I look forward to maybe seeing a blog from you about the article in the future. As for the “atonement”, I left out something important (my brain was clicking so fast!), that I don’t believe there is can be “atonement” or even that it would make everything better. I meant just as you said, that we have a responsibility to clean up the mess of racism for the future. For example, we as a generation didn’t destroy the environment, but it is our resposibility to change the habits we have inherited that have led to the continuing destruction of the Earth’s en