The Jena 6: Open Thread

Thank you Laura for the explanation. However, I think it will have little impact on those who continually insist we’re condoning the violent behavior these six youths chose to exhibit. It seems like everyone is so caught up in proving the racial factors (or lack of) that the media has portrayed rather than the real issue at hand: Why were these kids charged as adults in the first place? Even if this was an error in judgement by the DA or the judge, neither of them don’t look like they’re in no hurry to correct it.

My point is this: If we’re going to get in the business of charging juveniles for attempted second degree murder in cases like this, we should REALLY get busy building more prisons ASAP, trust me, we’ll need them. Just last Friday, there was a huge “brawl” at a school in Lafayette (and I do mean huge, over 30 students if I’m not mistaken). Some were charged, but none for attempted murder. I doubt very seriously anyone were fighting “one-on-one”, and though I can’t say someone was knocked unconscious, I’m sure quite a few of them walked away with substantial knots and lacerations as well. I can’t speak for how many school fights/beatings/brawls happen in Jena; I know my surrounding area has more than its fair share. If we start throwing them all in jail we’ll have a bigger problem down the line than you think. We’re the adults here; we should be focusing more on awareness and preventive measures to bridge the gap, not bring these kids further apart.

ALL OF THIS WAS BEFORE THE NOOSES, BEFORE THE TREE WAS AN ISSUE, AND BEFORE THE FIGHT

[Maybe you're new to this whole interweb thingie, but ALL CAPS IS SCREAMING!!!! Future all caps comments from you will be deleted. - Laura]

THANKS LAURA,(I AM NOT SCREAMING, SINCE THE BOLD TEXT IS OFFENDING OTHERS-IT IS JUST EASIER!) I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN JASPER, TEXAS….I WAS SHELTERED AND NEVER REALIZED HOW RACIST IT WAS UNTIL RECENTLY…RACISM IS PREVALENT, TRUE. EVERYWHERE. IT DOES NOT MATTER WHERE YOU LIVE, IT EXISTS…JENA 6 COULD HAVE HAPPENED ANYWHERE.(JAMES BYRD INCIDENT, AS WELL) SO, “FROM JENA,” YOU REALLY DON’T HAVE TO DEFEND YOUR TOWN…BY THE WAY I AM AFRICAN AMERICAN-AFRO AMERICAN WHATEVER. I HAVE NEVER REALLY WANTED TO PROTEST(FOR ANY REASON), BUT THIS SITUATION IS TOTALLY LUDICROUS…THE NOOSE IS CLEARLY-A THREAT…THE D.A. MAKES HIS OWN RULES(IF NOT THE VERDICT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN OVERTURNED)HOWEVER, I DON’T CONDONE THE 6 BOYS FIGHTING ON JUSTIN…TO BE HONEST, EVERYTHING IS SPECULATION…I DON’T CARE WHAT THE EYE WITNESSES SAID..THIS WEBSITE HAS BEEN VERY INFORMATIVE. EVERYONE WHO IS TRYING TO PERSUADE “FROM JENA”, IT WILL BE TO NO AVAIL. SO WHY WASTE ENERGY? IF WE CAN HELP 1 OTHER PERSON, YOU DID YOUR PART. BE IT WHITE OR BLACK…..AND FOR THOSE OF YOU, WHO THINK THAT YOUR CITY IS TOTALLY INTEGRATED, THIS IS A BIG MISCONCEPTION. IF ANY OF YOU KNOW ABOUT UNIVERSITY PARK(DALLAS), NONE OF “US” OWN ANY PROPERTY THERE.

Unfortunately I will not be able to attend the rally in Jena on the 19th or 20th. However a friend that lives in Baton Rouge will and informed me to let others know that if you cannot attend you CAN show your support by wearing all black on those days or at least on the 20th. Please spread the news and encourage others to wear all black and inform your local radio and t.v. stations of the movement. Peace to All~Free Jena-6

If you take a step back, look at the facts surrounding all the events that have occurred, the only rational conclusion you can make is that racism is deeply ingrained in all that has taken place and that punishment or the lack there of has been completely inequitable. 10 minutes of research would show that the hanging of the three nooses falls under the laws of a hate crime and thusly the three students that were responsible should have been punished under those laws. The actions of the DA, specifically his comments to the assembled students, are as unethical as those of the DA in the Duke lacrosse trial, and warrant his removal from the case. The attack of the black student at the Fair Barn, regardless (side note: somebody in and earlier post used “irregardless”. That is not a word) if they were invited or not is assault and they should be charged and punished accordingly. Similarly the individual who pointed a weapon at the black students should be charged and punished accordingly. The 6 black students who attacked the white student should face assault charges without question, however attempted murder charges are absolutely ridiculous. Fist fights occur everday between teenagers without attempted murder charges ever being brought. To the people making the argument that racism is not present, you are simply not looking at the facts of this case. If you step back and take all that has happened as a whole it is quite evident that there is clear inequity occurring that can only be attributed to racism.
Teenagers are still in the developing stage of their lives and are prone to making impulsive decisions without the benefit of rational gained from experience and maturity. They need the guidance of adults to discern the difference between right and wrong and make good decisions. What is saddening in this situation is that the adults of Jena, in particular the white segment of the population, have done a very poor job of making good (i.e. fair) decisions and setting good decision making examples for the youth of this community. Children are a reflection of their environment and to a greater degree their parenting. What does it say about the adults of Jena that their children think it’s a joke to hang nooses in a tree or that their way to resolve conflict is to gang up 6 on 1 and beat someone unconscious? Jena as a community needs to take a long hard look at itself and instead of pointing fingers at one another and laying blame they need to come together as one and find solutions. Both sides need to overcome their resentment of one another and reach out. If there are real leaders on both sides of this issue they need to bring people together not divide them.
My name is Shawn, I’m white, I have friends of many different colors and nationalities, I am not racist, and I look forward to the day when we as Americans can judge each other on our individual merits and not on our color, ethnicity, or any other factor that is outside of our control.

Why are black Americans still hated by so many white Americans? Is it because we were once slaves and they cannot stand the fact that we now have a little control over our lives. You’ll notice that I said a little. Is it because we did not contribute anything in the growth of America? At least that is what most of the history books taught when I came through school. Is it because of the way the media manipulates the world and shows most black Americans robbing or killing as a way of life? Or is just because we are black and not white?

White America still fears us and we cannot understand why. We work, when we can get jobs. We raise our families and want the best for them, just like white America. We join the military to help protect this country. We send our kids to school. We pay taxes. We do everything that white Americans do. But, we are still treated unjustly. There are many whites who believe that we shouldn’t be in school with their kids. There are many that believe we don’t need to work beside them, that we are taking their jobs. There are many who believe that we should be sent back to Africa. There are many white Americans that really believe that we are savages. We are not!

I know that all white Americans do not think that way. There are many white Americans that believe black Americans have just as much a right in our society as the next person. These are the white Americans I want to address this message to. WHERE ARE YOU? We need your help!

We understand that as black Americans we have got to learn to come together, all of us. We have not as of yet. We were separated as slaves and taken from our families. We were killed and slaughtered for standing up to white Americans. We were taught to fear white Americans and not to trust other black Americans. We were taught that white Americans were always right. We were taught to turn in our black American brothers and sisters to the white Americans when black Americans did something that was not approved of by white Americans. A lot of black Americans still believe that the white American is always right, or not always right but too powerful to stand against. This is especially true when it comes to our juridical system.

I can understand why when yiu look at the double standards that our court system uses when giving out sentences to white Americans as compared to black Americans. I don’t have to give examples, because I know you know, whether you’re a black American or a white American. Unfortunately, we still live in a very prejudice country. Some white Americans still want to treat us as slaves, believing that we still have no rights. How much longer can this go on? I can still understand, but not accept the little things. A black American walks down the street and a white American mother grabs her child’s hand tightly as the black American approaches. A black American stands at a counter to be waited on and a white American walks up and the cashier rushes to the white American and ask, “May I help you?” A black American who has worked on a job for twelve years trains a white American, who has just started working there with the same qualifications as the black American, but six weeks later the white American becomes the black Americans supervisor. Most black Americans have to have a college degree to become a lead person, but still can’t be a supervisor. I could go on. Black Americans go through this kind of humiliation everyday and is expected to take it. And we do! Little things that white Americans couldn’t deal with everyday. Some white Americans don’t like it. They don’t like the way black Americans are treated. But they do nothing because they are worried about their neighbors.
They wonder what their neighbors would think if they knew they didn’t like the way black Americans are treated. They wonder how they would react. They wonder, would they turn against me?

Sometimes you have to steo out on faith if you know in your heart something is wrong. You have to believe in your God. There are many white Americans out there who know that double standards are wrong. You need to pick up your telephone and make a phone call to your prosecuters, judges, congresspersons and let them know enough is enough. Sometimes it takes the ordinary people to start a movement when the elected leaders of a society won’t take a stand. America can not continue to ignore this problem. You cannot continue to ignore this problem. It’s comforting to know that you care, that you don’t feel like you are a prejudice white American. We need you to prove it, to step out. We need your help. We need to live in a united America. We don’t want the ones who still think that black Americans should know their place to win. Black Americans fight wars in other countries to help them become a democracy. Why should they have to come back to a country that is still not a true democratic country as of yet.

Black Americans know that we must mobilize our people and get them to the polls to vote. That is where our fight begins. We know we have our problems. But, we are growing weary! We know that we have some black leaders that could do more for the cause. We know all of this, and we will deal with all of this also at the polls. Our people are coming together because of JENA 6. We know that it happens everyday in some city in America. Black Americans are unjustly charged with crimes and prosecuted excessively too often, because white America has gotten away with it for so long that it just seems the thing to do.

White Americans have no idea of the things black Americans go through every day and unfortunately, some could care less. They’re not black. They think we whine. They think we use our color to make excuses for not getting jobs, promotions, raises etc…., because they are not black. They will never understand our concerns for justice because they feel like black Americans should be satisfied that we can get a job and have a place to stay. They think we are bickering about nothing. They think that we should be satisfied. This is the way they feel. They think that at least we are not slaves anymore. They think, get over it! This is how a lot of white Americans feel.

So, how do we, as black Americans, get someone who thinks like that to give a damn? We don’t. We just go on with our lives doing the best that we can and hope that eventually they will see that we don’t want anymore out of life than they do. Some will change when they get to know the real us. Some will not. Some will always hate us. But the ones that know we love life just as they do. They might eventually succumb and think. Black Americans don’t want any more out of life than we do as white Americans. They want to live a good life and be treated just like everyone else. We need the white Americans that already know this.

We need you to prove that this is a just world, that this is truly the land of the free. We need to show our leaders, black and white, that we do care. We need you white America to step out on faith and prove to the rest of the world that we can become a true democracy. Believe me, the world is watching to see what a country that cries democracy will do when put to the test. Black Americans love this country too, but we want to be treated like this is our country. We are getting weary! We are coming together! We will eventually prevail! We would love to pevail with the help of white America. We would love to all live in a united America.