Recently, all of these Jena 6 rallies came to my college. I had no idea what they were about at the time, so I decided to get informed on the subject. What I found infuriated me.
***So I've recently been informed by more than one source, including
cbsnews, that the nooses were not in fact hung because of the black
people sitting under the tree. They were hung because of an upcoming
game against a rival. The nooses were being played with by both black
and white students and had nothing to do with what the Jena 6 debacle.
Again, another cover up by the media.***
So, this black student supposedly asked school administrators if it was okay to sit under the tree that white people normally sat under (I say supposedly because there are two sides to this story that I do not feel like getting into). Of course, the school said yes. The next day or several days later, two or three nooses hung from the tree. Begin problem.
These nooses were hung by three white students. The students were found and were dealt with by the school. The real sentences of the three white students were a month in a reform school and then a 2 week suspension. This is a far outcry from the 3 day suspension that most people believed they got. Now about the whole hate crime thing. According to Louisiana law, the students could not be charged with a hate crime because their actions did not accompany a violent crime. However, according to federal law, the deed could have warranted a FBI investigation that might have resulted in a hate crime charge, but the FBI rarely pursues these investigations when the suspect is a juvenile. So basically, the only other punishment the three white students could have gotten was expulsion. ***So I've recently been informed by more than one source, including cbsnews, that the nooses were not in fact hung because of the black people sitting under the tree. They were hung because of an upcoming game against a rival. The nooses were being played with by both black and white students and had nothing to do with what the Jena 6 debacle. Again, another cover up by the media.***
Fast forward a few months. Six black students attack and beat a white student to unconsciousness. Could he have died? Yes. Would he have if the beating lasted any longer? Only the hospital and the doctors know. The facts that we know are that he spent 2-3 hours in the hospital before being released. He then attended a ring ceremony that night. Meanwhile, the six black students are taken into custody. Later they are charged with attempted murder. I do not need to explain all of the details cause I'm sure many people already know. Here's my take on the situation.
Did the Jena 6 commit a crime? Yes. Do they deserve to be punished by law? Yes. Why not just school punishment? This was more than a fight. This was a beating. A fight would have been 1 on 1 or 2 on 1, not 6 on 1. Even more, the student that was beaten had to go to the hospital for more than just precautionary measures. He was beaten unconscious with other injuries that havent been made public (the extent of the injuries is unknown, so I cant really comment on their severity, though we can assume that they were not life threatening). That is not a typical school fight and should not be handled as such. That is why the DA is involved. Now, about the trials. Were the charges of attempted murder excessive, yes. Are the new charges of aggravated battery of the second degree excessive? Not really. In essencse, that is exactly what the Jena 6 did. As for the all white jury, if that is all who showed up for jury duty, then it's really hard to change the fact that the jury would have to be all white. It's sad that that is the way it happened, but that's life.
The bottom line is, the Jena 6 committed a crime and now they need to pay the price. A sentence of 22 years is excessive. I dont really know what the sentence should be, but I know that 22 years is excessive. IF Justin made a racial slur or such, it does not make it right for the Jena 6 to attack him. If the Jena 6 are freed and are not given any time in jail or fined, then there is a problem with our justice system. Anyone that thinks that the Jena 6 should be freed is more than likely blinded by his or her own racism. Yes racism is still present in America. This case proves that in more ways than one. However, charging the Jena 6 with assault or battery is not racist. It's the law.
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
I agree with you on a few points and I disagree on a few others... I do think that the nooses were a hate crime. Just because they aren't recognized as such by the state doesn't mean they're not. They were obviously direct references to lynchings that used to occur...
As for the sentencing, I think the charge of attempted murder is outrageous. The Jena 6 should see consiquences for their "attempted murder," but not 22 years in prison. I don't see how the beating could be construed as attempted murder. Attempted murder victims don't spend 3 hours in the hospital and then go to a school function. That's just my opinion.
I enjoyed your blog. It expanded my view on the situation. I always like when that happens.
i absolutely see the nooses as a hate crime as well. i know that if i was a black student in that situation, i would go after the person who hung the nooses. what an insult! i mean, my god. i would even go so far as to say that some people may see it as a threat- "hang out here and you'll be lynched!" i mean, they just started hanging out under the tree and all of a sudden, nooses turn up. i see that as a clear warning, "stay away from our tree." i think that all parties involved should be punished. however, you are right in that attempted murder victims are NOT all hunky dory within a matter of a few hours and then able to go to a school function. basically, he just got his ass kicked. big deal. i say he deserved it. or maybe not that he deserved it, but that if it were me, i'd likely take the same action. maybe not to the extent of unconsciousness, and i certainly would have faced him in a fair fight- 1 on 1, not 6 on 1. that is pretty bad. bottom line: everyone screwed up and needs to be dealt with accordingly. did like the blog, however. i was getting sick of people only seeing it one way or the other. its nice to see a blog like this.
I don't disagree with you about the whole hate crime thing. I was just pointing out in my blog why the three white kids were not formally charged with a hate crime. Yes, the three kids were wrong in what they did. Yes, it really was a hate crime stemming from racism. But no, they really could not have received any jail time for it.
It was a hate crime, but on the other hand it did not harm fellow students. Beating a boy unconscious is far worse then hanging a few nooses in the tree, REGARDLESS of the color of the offenders. I think that is the major issues in the story here. The nooses were hung by white boys and black boys beat up the white boys. It's more then just whether it was a hate crime or not. Case in point, my uncle was murdered outside his house in Detroit 15 years ago by a black man. A black man was shot by a white man that same day. Who was convicted much more quickly and harshly? The white man. Our justice system is seriously racist and twisted. It seems to compensate for the prejudiced views of our society. A Judicial system should not do that. It should take each case and judge it fairly, keeping in mind the circumstances and evidence. The Jena 6 are clearly responsible for their actions of beating the victim unconscious and should be punished as such.
http://www.progressiveu.org/user/bamers
In a perfect world, everyone would be judged fairly. But in our world there are prejudices lurking behind everything. I would love to say that our justice system is unbiased, but it's not. I'm not just talking about blacks and whites... How many justices are prejudiced against people who are unemployed? Or people who are uneducated? There are prejudices everywhere...
And ukhoss, I'm glad we agree on the hate crime thing. I wasn't sure from your blog where you stood on it.
My main point of disagreement is on your jury statement. Jury duty is more than just who shows up. Once candidates have been chosen, it's up to the prosecution and defense to whittle it down to the 12 jurors. This selection process, though done so as not to be biased, can often times be skewed, be it by race, gender, economic background, intelligence, etc.
As far as the hate crime part, I totally understand, and agree with, what encompasses a hate crime from local, state, and federal viewpoints. However, because the action did create tension from a racial standpoint, it could have been a charge of terroism.
Besides that, I get what you're saying and, though I don't agree with some of it, I respect your opinion because you have presented in a factual, non-offensive manner.
"I detest what you write, but I would give my life to make it possible for you to continue to write." - Voltaire
They shouldn't be punished for any so called "beating." Supposedly the young who was beaten up was antagonizing the other kids. No one has mentioned anything about the black male who was beaten up or the young white male who pulled out a gun. The last time I checked pulling out a gun in public was indeed illegal. Who should be charged for the black male being "beaten," and I saw the pictures of the "victim" and he looked quite conscious to me. Also, I've witnessed worse bruises...doesn't seem like much of a beating to me.
Stop condoning violence; by doing so you are being just as racist as those you are trying to "defend."
I Do Not Support The Jena 6:
http://www.progressiveu.org/103818-i-do-not-support-the-jena-6