I’ve been meaning to write about the Jena 6 since I first heard the shocking details of what sounds like a story from the Jim Crow-era South. But the lives of six black high school students–accused of beating up a white classmate after a series of racial incidents at a high school in the small Louisiana town–are being ruined today in Jena, Louisiana in a case that simply boggles the mind.
The trouble started when one black student, after requesting and receiving permission from the school administration, decided to sit under a shade tree traditionally used by white students. In response, white students hung three nooses from the tree. That act — a throwback to the days when blacks were lynched for exercising their civil rights — was portrayed by school officials as a “silly prank,” and the white students got off with a slap on the wrist.
But, while the misconduct by white students was handled as a joke, a related incident in which a former student brandished a shotgun at three black students went unpunished and a subsequent attack against a black student at a private party resulted in one of the attackers being charged with only a misdemeanor, school officials and the LaSalle Parish District Attorney have brought out a hammer against the black students charging them with felonious assault and second degree attempted murder which could result in decades of imprisonment.
This video prepared by Collateral News does a great job in detailing the case, the charges and the racist application of justice so evident in the proceedings so far.
After watching the report, click here to sign a national petition asking the Louisiana governor to intervene in the case and consider sending a donation to the students’ legal defense fund by mailing checks to the Jena 6 Defense Fund, PO Box 2798, Jena, La. 71342 or by giving online.
Fortunately, this petition is just one part of a growing campaign on behalf of the six black teenagers charged with attacking a white student in the small town of Jena. The NAACP has made the case a top priority and is organizing a September 20 march on Jena, civil rights leaders are planning to attend protests next week and lawyers nationwide are taking an interest in the situation.
“The case has captured the imagination of a lot of people,” Richard Cohen, president of the Southern Poverty Law Center, which is helping to coordinate legal representation for the six boys and is paying for some of their legal fees, told ABC News today. “It’s taken on symbolic importance as a microcosm for so many other things that are wrong with the criminal justice system.”
Peter Rothberg writes the ActNow column for the The Nation. ActNow aims to put readers in touch with creative ways to register informed dissent. Whether it’s a grassroots political campaign, a progressive film festival, an antiwar candidate, a street march, a Congressional bill needing popular support or a global petition, ActNow will highlight the outpouring of cultural, political and anti-corporate activism sweeping the planet. Watch this space for more examples in the coming days.
© 2007 The Nation
Good god! Is it 1963 all over again? Governor Blanco needs to be bombarded with messages from outraged citizens. These young men must be freed, and the Jena Public Schools desparately need an anti-racism component in their curriculum.
marxymark, I have berated the Blanco administration for allowing this outrage to go through. Blanco’s office gave me a Pontius Pilate response by saying in so many words that “oh just let the justice take it’s course, and we must respect the independence fo the judicial system”. What is taking place is a lynching and I don’t use that term lightly. Free the Jena 6, send them home to their families, stop the madness.
The oddest part of the whole case is the whole air of racism-denial that surrounds the blatant racism of the case.
In spite of one of the six being threatened by a white man with a shotgun (father of one of the noose-hangers?) and being beaten up by a white student - neither case being pursued by the police, the school principal decided the solution to teh probelm was simply to have the tree cut down.
Typical dumb, un-educated Southerner mentality. You have to understand these people are not just kinda slow, they are ignorant to their very core, I would say soul but I very much doubt they have one. I live in the South after having been a “Yankee” my entire life and the difference is astounding. Racism is the norm here and if you speak out against it you will be silenced one way or another. I know this because my husband is Black and I’m White and we can’t even go out to very many places without worrying about being harassed here.
‘Typical dumb, un-educated Southerner mentality’…. i am southern and none of these stereotypes. i can’t apologize for ‘their’ behavior. i can say that you have not met the right people. i have met many ‘yankees’. some good…some…..let’s say not quite human.
racism dies hard. thanks to the recent supreme court decision about busing and the meta messages of the present adminstration, racism has resurfaced.
Kristina40,
Well, It’s not just, or even principally, the south. The racism I’ve seen here in Pittsburgh is worse than what I ever saw where I formerly lived in Kentucky or Virginia.
I have posted this sometime back.
I have been following this sad story quite closely. This is another feather in the “crown of racism” in the US, the “protector and defender of democracy” in the world. The simple definition of democracy (as I understand) is “by the people, for the people, and of the people” irrespective of colour, creed, and class. However, when we see the very public institutions that are supposed to promote equality and justice for all the citizens, become enforcers of apartheid, I do not know how the US is a “democracy” for the minority communities. Sometime back ABC News 20/20 programme showed a similar story where a white judge gave judgement on two persons of different colour in Wyco, Texas. The first one is a “white” male. He is a son of a “white” pastor of First Baptist church. This pastor is wealthy, influential and has links with politicians. He is also on the board of the university. His son one day called home a male prostitute. After some time they had argument over the payment for the prostitute’s “services”. The son pulled out a revolver and shot the prostitute to death. Then he called police and told them that he shot him in self-defense. But in the autopsy it was revealed that the prostitute was shot from behind and proved that the son’s version was wrong. He was sentenced with probation. During the probation he was caught twice using drugs. He hired a good lawyer and his father through his political links influenced the judge. The judge gave a verdict releasing him with surveillance. He had to only inform the police what he was doing and how he was. The second person is an African American from a poor family. One day he tried to rob a pedestrian by pointing a gun. He took that person’s wallet and found two dollar bills. He returned the wallet and the dollar bills to the owner. For that he was imprisoned with probation. During the probation he was found once taking drugs. Because of this violation of probation, the judge gave a verdict sentencing him for life. The judge ended written judgment with a wish “Best of luck”!!! ABC’s 20/20 program contacted this African American in prison. The “white convict” did not meet ABC. It also met the “judge”. It asked how he was able to sleep with this kind of biased judgment based on one’s colour, and socio-economic status. This judge did not want to respond. The judge is now contesting in politics.
It is no wonder, because of the “colour blinded justice system”, that across the US, black youth are found to be 10 times more likely to receive life sentence without parole than white youth for the similar crime. According to one report 60,000 African Americans come out of the prisons every year in America. (80% of the prisoners in American prisons are African Americans). In Pennsylvania, Hispanic youth are found to be ten times more likely to receive life sentence than their white contemporaries. Jonathan Kazol, the author of the book “The Shame of the Nation: The Restoration of Apartheid Schooling in America”, commenting on racism and the US education system, calls it “socially, economically enforced apartheid”. He says that in America, the African Americans (and the minorities) are systematically pushed to a corner.
What is apparent is the public institutions (police, justice, and political) that are supposed to defend equally the rights of citizens, have become the institutions that suppress the voice and rights of the minorities. Doesn’t the State response to Katrina expose that New Orleans and Mississippi are still treated as the Plantation Regions, which in turn indicate the status and condition of minorities. In the history of America a minority member has never become the president of the US (probably because it is “WHITE HOUSE”), a vice-president, a speaker of the House, and anchor of 6.30 p.m. international news!!!! This reflects that the democracy in the US is “by the white community, for the white community, of the white community”. Minorities are ALIENS!!!
The thing that bothers me about this case is the amount of people that are shocked that this happened. There is so much undercover Racism in the country it’s insane. WHY won’t people just admit they hate blacks, its ok, I get it.
You hate to see me in a suit as a black law student.
But you hate to see me with backwards hats and baggy jeans.
If I commit a crime it’s my entire race that gets called in to question.
If I were white it’s just an isolated problem.
If I’m educated and speak proper English I’m a sell out.
But if I use slang, then I’m just another dumb black.
If you see me in my BMW I must be selling drugs.
If you see me in my Chevy Caprice, I must be selling drugs.
Rap music with guns, alcohol, and promiscuous behavior is hated.
Country music with Guns, alcohol, and promiscuous behavior is accepted.
If I’m black and poor I must be lazy,
If I’m white and poor I must be on hard times.
If I speak up I’m called militant
Whites are considered assertive
Whites gets off with a major crime is just another day in the justice system,
Black gets off with a major crime, it must be a mistake, hang him anyway.
Black with money must be lucky,
White with money must be hard working.
Rapper cause trouble in the club, rap music is vilified
Rocker cause trouble in the club, “Man those rock guys are cool”.
Black person complains he’s told “Stop blaming white people for your problems
White person complains he’s told “What can we do to help”
Blacks are angry and prone to violence.
But white imperials what to conquer the world.
Brown people are collateral damage,
White people are tragedies.
White lacrosse players get railroaded and it’s public out cry
Blacks get railroaded and you have to go on to a progressive site to even hear about it.
~Future~
Future,
Thanks for calling my attention to this article. This horrific incident as you point out with your verses is only the tip of the massive iceberg of US racism.
The US is BUILT on racism slavery and genocide, this is one reason why so much of the US public is able to live with the lies of the Bush administration about wars and terrorism, our whole consciousness is built on lies.
The fact that so many people are shocked by specific incidents when they make the news is only possible because so many of us live in denial of the basic structure of our society.
And unless We the People dig up and deal with the deep racist roots of our culture, we will never stop being “surprised” not only by horrific racist incidents like the Jenna Six case, but by the ongoing horrors produced by a culture of war and demonization of the “other”, whoever the demonized “other” is from one decade to the next. The real “demons” are never the “others” that are demonized by the dominant consciousness, the real “demons” live in the heart and soul of our white supremacist history.
jbs, not sure what part of the south you are in but I know when I lived in St. Louis I didn’t fear for my or my husband’s safety should we wander in the wrong establishment. Here I have to scope things out first before we go together and we’ve even been warned by friends not to venture into neighboring towns. We live Panama City, Fl BTW. Was there racism in St. Louis? Of course, there are ignorant fools everywhere the difference between there and the South however is the mass numbers of ignorant fools and the almost arrogant way it’s tolerated and accepted. I was told by my boss that I would just have tolerate the use of the “n” word at my job! I can’t picture that happening back home…
Kristina, you are right there must be different attitudes depending on where you are. I’ve had two black boyfriends in the Denver/Boulder area and I’m white too, and the worst we suffered where some stares that were quickly averted when we looked back, and a couple of dirty looks. I never worried about our safety, although one of my black boyfriends didn’t feel comfortable in my white neighborhood unless I was with him. He was the one from Africa. The African American didn’t care.
gandhi - great post!
Future.me - Sorry that what you say is true.
Webwalk - some of us are trying to deal with the racism, but it sure is entrenched. One thing I did when my kids were growing up, was make sure they had exposure to non-white people from here and internationally. You can’t hate people when you know them.
Racism is alive and well throughout the entire USA. People just hide it better in some places. I really notice this as a white married to a minority.
Does anybody know if G.W. Bush has commented on this incident and what he said if anything? I’m assuming it’s beneath him to comment on domestic injustices when he’s committed to perpetuating international injustice.
Yes, blessthebeasts you are correct. Northern racism tends to be more covert. Southern racism is right up in your face, they don’t even try to pretend they aren’t. The company I work for owns many liquor stores and bars in this town and it wasn’t so long ago they wouldn’t serve MILITARY so they didn’t have to let Blacks in. They had a lynching sometime in the early eighties here and there are still towns that I’ve been told not to venture in with my husband for fear of assault. I wonder if there is any correlation between Florida finishing dead last in education every year for the past several and the level of ignorant rednecks present in this state? HMMMMMMMMMM LMAO
Marikken, I’ve found the opposite to be true with my friends. Our good friend is from Ghana and he tends to frequent places that my husband and I wouldn’t think of going. I think he is now beginning to see the racism firsthand and understand why African Americans are so resentful. He’s been here a couple years now and he is also a Muslim so he kind of gets a double whammy if you know what I mean. I’m surprised it took him this long to realize how fucked up this country is LOL
Kristina40
Yeah, blame all of Louisiana and the entire South. Like being a proud Yankee looking down at us isn’t prejudice of it’s own. And let me tell you something, as a Louisiana native who spent a few years in the state of Missouri, I never found more racist, whitebread, hyperconservative jebus freaks than I did there –and I live in Mississippi now. Check the rafter in your eye before you go picking straws out of mine.
Future:
Honestly, I feel for you but blaming all white people or thinking anyone but the country club set gets a free ride is just as ignorant and prejudiced as the despicable attitudes you highlight in your poem. Assuming every white person is your enemy is like assembling a circular firing squad, and the people who are on your side get a little tired of getting lumped in with the enemy.
I’m outraged over this case, and embarassed it happened in my home state. I am 100% behind those boys and if I had my way things would be a lot different. For what it’s worth, some of the white residents of Jena are just as shocked and embarassed, as evidenced by one woman I read about who’s moving to a bigger city to get herself and her family away from the small-town ignorant racist atmosphere in Jena. So again, please don’t judge all white people by the ignorant among us.
“So again, please don’t judge all white people by the ignorant among us.” it’s not just the “ignorant” that cause the problem, doing nothing also contributes, it enables this injustice to flourish as it has done. Blaming “ignorant” white people trivialises the problem and stalls any attempts for change.
“Ignorant” people don’t fill the jails with african americans the Justice system does.
kitty_tc: Getting tired of being “lumped in with the enemy” that’s a real pity, but really trivial compared to the prosecution of the crime of living while being black. After 200 years, “it wasn’t me” just doesn’t cut it anymore.
Kitty, I acknowledged racism exists everywhere HOWEVER; never have I seen it so blatantly flaunted until I moved to the South. I am originally from Massachusetts not Missouri and as far as I could tell the midwest has it’s share of inbred hicks too. The difference being it’s more covert. As ldavin pointed it, it’s not just the racism but the apathy of so called non-racists that perpetuates the problem. So far as ignorance is concerned, I think Florida’s school performance speaks for itself, dead last every year. So yes, there ARE in fact many stupid people here. Working here on the “redneck riviera” I’ve had the displeasure of meeting people from all over the South and the vast majority I’ve met let the “n” word flow like water. If called on their ignorance they fall into some blather about there are “white” n words too so it’s not a just about Black people. LOL They also don’t seem to be aware they lost the civil war, I really wish someone would tell them…
Two wrongs don’t make a right (or I guess 7 in this case). While I disagree with the harshness dealt to the Jena 6…..six kids beating up on one is not acceptable. And although the victim was not seriuosly injured, I do believe that six on one qualifies as a potential lethal mix. The teen could have died.
The real issue is the unequal justice dealt with the events leading up to the fight. But one cannot overlook the severity of six teens attacking one.
I think the judgement should reflect the harm inflicted upon the victim…but also something should be done about a justice system that allows racial tensions to get this high by showing extreme favoritism when issuing penalties.
evanviewer, don’t you think the fact the victim wasn’t seriously injured after being “attacked” by six people pretty much tells you they were NOT trying to kill him? Common sense is most uncommon indeed…
“six kids beating up on one is not acceptable”, can totally agree with that, but it seems it is only not acceptable if the 6 kids are black and the one white, reversed it would appear to be perfectly acceptable, as with this case.
While I cannot condone violence, I do feel there is some limit to the abuse that people can take, especially when it is felt there is no other option of redress, should it be expected that black children reply “yesse sir massa” and accept abuse? It was just a school yard fight, no weapons (except the tennis shoes), the kid didn’t even have to stay overnight in hospital, yes he could have died but he didn’t, these kids are being prosecuted for being black.
Kristina and Idavin are right. All of us opposed to racism are obligated to stand up and speak out against it in all its forms, including the snide remarks and racist “jokes” people think they can get away with in all-white company. Keeping silent encourages people to think this is acceptable. It is not.
Future: your post was brilliant. Sorry for the negativity that you have gotten for your thoughtful comments. Unfortunately whites who claim to be progressive can also be in denial. I want to add something else: I’m always hearing white folks lecture African American rap musicians about the use of bitch and ho. Funny, Elton John had a song called, “The Bitch is Back”. Nobody complained then. What about the Rolling Stones Song, “Bitch”? That’s played on the classic rock stations. Talk about Alice in Wonderland.
Evan_viewer: African Americans especially in Louisiana, where I live BTW are not living in your perfect world of ponies, rainbows and hot fudge sundaes. So spare the two wrongs don’t make a right crap, ok? They tried to solve their problems peacefully but the KKK like authorities in Jena wouldn’t afford them that opportunity. So spare me!
Kitty: is there racism in other parts of the US? Yes. Having said that, please don’t try to minimize what’s going on in Louisiana. Louisiana is institutionally racist. The Louisiana Jutice system is unfit to try these young African American individuals. Also, the city of Gretna used guns to block desperately fleeing victims during Katrina in ‘05 in case you forgotten. Gretna celebrates that. Racism is state and government sponsored in Louisiana whether you want to admit or not.
Wow. I’m seeing a lot of baiting of whites and Southerners here.
It’s funny how on the right, when a black person commits some sort of atrocious crime, they blame all of them and use it as an opening to demonize them. On the left, when some whites commit some sort of injustice, they blame all of them and use that as an opening to demonize them.
You can’t fight bigotry with bigoty. I’m sorry. It doesn’t work.
The Right thinks of those impoverished white Southerners as “rednecks” and “white trash” too. The angry rhetoric spouted by some self-righteous liberals only serves to push those people towards the Right, who really don’t have their best interests in mind either.
“I never found more racist, whitebread, hyperconservative jebus freaks than I did there”
“Typical dumb, un-educated Southerner mentality. You have to understand these people are not just kinda slow, they are ignorant to their very core, I would say soul but I very much doubt they have one.”
“I wonder if there is any correlation between Florida finishing dead last in education every year for the past several and the level of ignorant rednecks present in this state?”
And the hits just keep on coming. I guess it’s ok to be a classist around here.
Right now, some right-winger is using the Newsome/Christian case or the Michael Vick case or what have you to make all blacks out to be violent, criminally prone predators who have an inherent hatred towards whites. I’m always astonished at how the same sort of nastiness bubbles up on progressive sites such as these whenever a white on black crime or injustice occurs.
The right uses “crime” as a codeword for “black”, the left often uses “racism” as a codeword for “white”.
“WHY won’t people just admit they hate blacks, its ok, I get it.”
I think people need a dialogue on why they hate. People asked “why do they hate us” when 9/11/01 happened, and many people got angry at those who asked that question. No one asks that about racism in this country. We make out the haters to be simply “evil”.
I’ve commented on this case before and how I personally felt about it. Part of me wants to lynch those white kids also. Part of me could understand why those black kids being persecuted here would strongly resent whites. I worry about that and the hate that hate can create. I understand it, but I don’t think it’s ok either.
I get why many whites are fearful and angry towards blacks too. There IS surely a lot of violence in the black community and a lot of anger towards whites. A lot of white people see that and put 2 and 2 together. It’s not ok. It’s not a correct assumption. But not everyone sees that. Not everyone looks are root problems.
And before people call me “naive”, I’ve had white bigots tell me the same thing when I try to explain to them that not all or most black people hate them and want to hurt them. I’ve confronted racism also, from every angle imaginable. You wouldn’t believe the names I’ve been called and the threats I have recieved.
I get why a lot of blacks may be resentful of whites. They put 2 and 2 together also.
I get why the Islamic terrorist might want to attack America or Israel.
I get why the jew might want to attack the arab.
We’re all being pitted against one another here. Part of the reason why I get angry about instances such as these is because it hinders solidarity amongst working and poor people.
As far as interracial dating/marriage goes, whites aren’t the only one who have problems with it. A lot of black women don’t like the idea of black men getting involved with white women. I’ve heard it firsthand. They’ll complain about white women “stealing” black men and black men seeing white women as “trophies” and being self-hating. I lurk and post on a dating site and see threads from people complaing about Asians only dating whites, etc. So it cuts many ways.
“I’m always hearing white folks lecture African American rap musicians about the use of bitch and ho. Funny, Elton John had a song called, “The Bitch is Back”. Nobody complained then. What about the Rolling Stones Song, “Bitch”? That’s played on the classic rock stations. Talk about Alice in Wonderland.”
Those are two songs, and they’re not referring to women as a whole. It’s not just the misogyny, but the glorification of crime and poverty that a lot of people, including many black people complain about also. Not that all hip-hop is like that, but that’s what is popular right now. Many black people feel that it’s akin to shouting “fire” in a crowded theater given the amount of black-on-black violence that goes in the inner-cities. Besides, it’s not as of rock and metal haven’t been demonized and misunderstood either by moral majority types.
I’m for freeing the Jena 6 too. They’re clearly being railroaded here. But this is one case. We can stamp out this fire, and then another one will start.
It’s just another reason why I favor reparations. I don’t think we can “move on” so to speak until the restitution has been made. Then hopefully, we won’t have anymore fires, and MAYBE we’ll all stop throwing darts and shaking our fists at each other.
Kristina40 September 13th, 2007 11:50 am
“evanviewer, don’t you think the fact the victim wasn’t seriously injured after being “attacked” by six people pretty much tells you they were NOT trying to kill him? Common sense is most uncommon indeed…”
My reponse
No one can predict the outcome of an attack. Yes he was not seriously hurt, but he still could have died given one hit too many or in a vulnerable place. At best, he was lucky to escape serious danger.
I knew a guy who was punched in the face, he fell back and hit his head…he died. The assailant was not trying to kill him…but he died regardless.
When six are pounding on one, be sure that “no one” is holding off saying…”make sure he doesn’t get seriously hurt”. In the heat of the moment…anything can happen.
Now what about that common sense remark?
ldavin September 13th, 2007 11:58 am
While I cannot condone violence, I do feel there is some limit to the abuse that people can take, especially when it is felt there is no other option of redress, should it be expected that black children reply “yesse sir massa” and accept abuse? It was just a school yard fight, no weapons (except the tennis shoes), the kid didn’t even have to stay overnight in hospital, yes he could have died but he didn’t, these kids are being prosecuted for being black.
My response…
I have to disagree. Six on one is not a school yard fight. Have you ever been attacked by six or more? It is virtually impossible to fend off six guys. You are hit at random, not seeing the next punch or kick coming…and with six guys…that’s multiple strikes at the same time.
There is no justification for six guys to attack one even in the face of “racial” insults. Yes, I think the punishment for the teens is harsh given that the guy was OK, but the six were clearly in the wrong.
forextrader September 13th, 2007 7:14 pm
Evan_viewer: African Americans especially in Louisiana, where I live BTW are not living in your perfect world of ponies, rainbows and hot fudge sundaes. So spare the two wrongs don’t make a right crap, ok? They tried to solve their problems peacefully but the KKK like authorities in Jena wouldn’t afford them that opportunity. So spare me!
My Response
No, spare me the crap. You have no idea where I live or the racial challenges I have faced. All of your ranting still does not explain away six guys jumping on one. Two wrongs don’t make a right and your “child- like” rants don’t help things either.
Stay home on 9/20, you obviously have other issues to deal with.
Evan, just what the hell do you want me to do, play my violin? Like I care about the so called challenges you face. Maybe you should stay home, because you will make a lot of enemies. You may want to learn to read, because my post did explain it, idiot! You are pathetic example of the dumbed down American education system.
The “two wrongs do not make a right” thing in this case doesn’t hold water.
First there’s a “whites only tree” at a high school and nooses are hung under it after some black kids decided to sit under it in protest. The faculty obviously didn’t care that there was a “whites only” tree on campus.
Then a DA accompanies by some police officers comes by and tells them…
“I can be your best friend or your worst enemy… I can take away your lives with a stroke of my pen.”
That’s ethnic intimidation right there.
Then part of the high school is burned down. Then a black kid gets beaten up at a party by some white kids. The next day a white kid pulls a shotgun on some black kids. The black kids get the gun away from the white kid. The white kid walks free, and the black kids get arrested for trying to steal the gun.
The first day back at school, a white kid taunts the black kid who got beat up at the party and used racial slurs. 6 black kids beat him up, and THEY get arrested.
You have to look at the racist incidents that preceded all of this.
Maybe the black kids shouldn’t have jumped the white kid, but there’s only so much one person can take.
I’m a male. I know what it’s like to be taunted, and how you feel when you just try and turn the other cheek. I’ve felt like I have wanted to explode on someone for a long time now. I’ve talked here about it, and how I try to work through that with exercise. I know full well what it’s like to be hated and harassed for who you are and what you believe.
It’s living in a community plagued by gang activity, and being jailed because you finally stand up to one of the thugs, while the thugs walk free.
I read something on truthout.org about this, and I found this tidbit which I will quote very interesting… “Families earn about 60 percent of the national average.”
Again, poor and working people being pitted against one another. And for whose benefit?
I pray that the Jena Six are not convicted. But if they are, then I hope that people start rioting like they did for Rodney King. If this happens, I have my eyes on this 60 in HD LCD TV, and a set of 20 in spinning rims for my ride. And there’s this restaurant that I know where the wait staff is really snobby and I plan to go there and start smacking people up side the head and take all of the cheesecake they have because I really like chesecake.
But seriously, This case really just hurts my feelings and all of my sensibilities. I tink part of the problem is that in America, jail is seen as the solution to every crime. As a people we love, even enjoy putting people in jail.
iwarrior September 14th, 2007 12:57 am
The “two wrongs do not make a right” thing in this case doesn’t hold water
My Response
And neither does your explanation. A white teen taunting six balck teens does not warrant a beat down…especially by all six. Plain and simple.
Everyone’s downplaying of assaut models the downplaying of the white offense (by the system) that proceeded it. So again…two wrongs don’t make a right.
forextrader September 14th, 2007 12:30 am
“Evan, just what the hell do you want me to do, play my violin?”
My response
What are you doing? Seems to me like just ranting on a board.
——————
forextrader September 14th, 2007 12:30 am
“Like I care about the so called challenges you face.”
My Response
Has nothing to do with you not knowing, which is what my statement addressed. I doubt you care about the Jena 6 either. Ranting seems to be your thing, try ranting on a violin.
——————
forextrader September 14th, 2007 12:30 am
“Maybe you should stay home, because you will make a lot of enemies.”
My Response
Just the ones not worth having as friends…like you.
———————-
forextrader September 14th, 2007 12:30 am
“You may want to learn to read, because my post did explain it, idiot!”
My Response
Maybe you should learn to write…because your lame explanation does nothing to justify six teens beating up on one.
BTW, Who you call-in idiot? Me and my five friend will beat you down!!! Was that the reaction you were expecting?. LOL. Get a life.
—————-
forextrader September 14th, 2007 12:30 am
“You are pathetic example of the dumbed down American education system.”
My Response
Your opinion, but given the other nonsense you have written…I am not offended…just slightly amused. Nice try though.
Listen, I am not condoning what the Jena 6 did. This case is a perfect example of how you can get yourself into a lot of trouble by taking the bait. As much crap as I have put up with from other people in my life, I am thankful I didn’t toss a chair at someone or kick them in the testes or throttle whatever jerk was hassling me at the time. I think a lot of bullies and such harass certain people partly because they want to provoke them into doing something that will screw up their lives.
I know that right now, there are people DYING for me to take a swing at them so that I can get fired from my job.
That white kid probably wanted to get beat up and in a sense become a martyr to the white racists in his town.
But at the same time, you have to look at what preceded that particular incident.
No, I don’t think that those 6 black kids should have beaten up the white kid. All they did was get themselves in hot water, which is what certain people probably wanted. However, I don’t feel sorry for that white kid either.
Plus, the white kids who committed the hate crimes got away with it. Yet, they jailed the black kids not being able to take anymore crap.
The Jena 6 should be out of jail, period.
I wrote and recorded a song about the Jena 6. A friend in Canada recorded lead guitar, back ground vocals anddrums. A friend in the UK recorded bass. Its truly an international effort. Our hope is people will use the song to help call attention to the injustice being done these young men.
Let it Come Today
lo-fi URL: http://www.soundclick.com/util/getplayer.m3u?id=5686031&q=lo
hi-fi URL: http://www.soundclick.com/util/getplayer.m3u?id=5686031&q=hi
I am from Buffalo, Ny originally and currently live in Florida.My daughter is biracial and there is alot more racism here in the south that is extremely eye opening to me.It is everywhere but more open here in the south.Those boys need to be let go, if the other boys arent prosecuted for anything why should the 6 boys be either. The problem should have been dealt with the proper way to begin with at the school.The boys that hung the nooses should have been expelled from school.Those nooses have a hidden meaning that is sickening.Then all of this would have been prevented. We are all human beings.These “adults” that are making these so called “rules” need to let racism go. All of these children are our future no matter what race they are.I feel like this, theres no stone thats carved into the tree saying what race is entitled to sit under it and who isnt.Its a tree in my opinion that someone stuck in the ground to grow.Who sits under it shouldnt matter.Trees provide shade when its hot, not just to a specific race.I dont understand racist people and I wont ever. What I know is this no one is better than anyone else in this world. If you line all people of different skin tones and poke their finger WE ALL BLEED THE SAME COLOR WHICH HAPPENS TO BE RED. NOT THE COLOR OF OUR SKIN. It sickens me to see this still happening. Enough is enough its time to come together as one and quit looking at the skin color. I believe in what Martin Luther King Jr. fought for and was killed because of its time to end the foolishness!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“FREEING” the Jena 6 is IRRESPONSIBLE. Everyone involved should be brought to justice, no matter their race.
I am impressed with the conviction and solidarity in which many Jena 6 campaigns are organized, but I think there is a serious misdirection with the campaign’s message.
As is usually the case with the Internet, different versions of the story seem to spread like wildfire…some of them factual, many of them missing important facets of the story and twisting words out of context. The dangerous part of the virality of the story is that many people are taking misinformation and completely basing their opinions off of it. Many people are blindly following the person in front of them.
Back to my main point about misdirection of the phrase ‘FREE the Jena 6′…. To preface my point: without a doubt, I do think there was a serious and racially charged mishandling in Jena, La. in regards to the students who hung those nooses. They most definitely should have been expelled and charged with any sort of hate crime penalties.
I’m in total agreement that something is racially amiss in Jena.
HOWEVER, the campaign should not be about ‘freeing’ the jena 6, it should be about bringing justice to all. Justice would entail those who hung the nooses to be brought about on charges. Anyone involved in beating another human being, white, black, or of any color MUST be punished and dealt with. What did happen was that only the black students were charged.
Mychal Bell has 4 prior assault charges on his record. The fact remains that he almost literally stomped another person to death. This absolutely does not sound like a person who should be freed from jail. With 4 prior assault charges, its only natural that the severity of the charge is increased, as Mr. Bell does NOT appear to be a martyr and his life was not endangered when he was performing the beating.
The correct message for this travesty is: BRING EVERYONE TO JUSTICE. Do not free felons. Put the other felons in jail.