Today I was reading about the Jena Six, which really made me think. Again. Ow, my brain.
But in all seriousness, I did not know that this kind of stuff could happen in our modern society. I know that the south is traditionally more racist than the north, but seriously, it's 2007. I know that slavery and segregation is not to far in our past, but I'd thought we'd all learned from our mistakes!
For those of you who don't know, the Jena Six are six African-American boys in Louisiana that allegedly commited "attempted murder" when they beat up a white schoolmate, an act that resulted after an extended period of racial tension in the area that was triggered by nooses being hung from a "white area" tree the day after a few black boys sat under it. By the way, the boys who hung the nooses were recommended to be expelled by the principal, a suggestion that was ignored by the school board that handed down only a few days' suspension. They simply dismissed it as a schoolboy prank.
Personally, if I was black (I'm not) and someone hung a noose from a tree I sat under, I'd beat the crap out of them too. We all know what the noose stands for. Decades of slavery, of oppression, of blatant racism that we so diligently pretend that don't exist anymore. Clearly it still does. Not as obviously as before, but obvious nonetheless. And might I add, there were a number of little incidents that preceded this beating (from which the boy sustained minor injuries and apparently felt well enough to go out the same night), one of which involved a white boy brandishing a shotgun at some black boys, who wrestled it from him and took off. The boys were charged with gun theft. The white boy didn't get diddly squat.
The nooses were not a simple schoolboy prank. It might have not seemed like a big deal to those boys who did it. Well, why not? People were killed with those things. What made those boys think that that kind of stuff is okay? It's not a prank, it's not funny, it's still very sensitive. Children used to be present at the lynchings that those same nooses were used for.
Let's be honest with ourselves: if the boy who was beaten was black and the six boys were white, would this case have gotten as far as it did? The offenders being charged with attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder? Somehow I don't think so.
If things like this happen now, what other kinds of things are going on? What don't we know about? Most people wouldn't have heard about this if it wasn't on the news and receiving so much media attention. But what about all the things that don't get attention? That are just ignored because no one knows about it? We're all blind to something.
How sad that in the technologically advanced world we live in, this kind of stuff still takes place. I wonder if racism is too deeply rooted to ever be eradicated, at least to a point where things like this won't happen. I wonder what else is going on that we don't know about.
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but it DOES NOT take 6 guys to beat up one. Racism works all ways, and we have NO idea what was exchanged before the actions. Black people can be racist. Asians can be. Whites can be. We need to appreciate and celebrate our differences. A cookie cutter society would be very boring. When we can embrace our neighbors, we will know that we have made it as human beings.
This isn't a case about who is racist and who is not or who could be racist. This is a blatant case of disregard for humanity and equality. In 2007, it's amazing to actually have witness to a case such as this. The fact is that the school system ignored what was going on. No, it doesn't take numerous people to beat up another, but when people feel that they are backed into a corner and the adults in the situation do absolutely nothing to curb the racist acts of the white kids in the school, what do you honestly expect? Does it make it right, of course not, but to think that these kids were up for "aggravated murder" is an outrage. The school system basically told these kids through the school system's actions that it was in the kids hands to deal with it. If you listen to the reports and read up on the material, you will find that people do know what happened to provoke this situation. To claim that no one knows what really happened is really poor insight into the bigger picture.
The original post states It might have not seemed like a big deal to those boys who did it. I don't agree. Those white boys who hung the nooses knew exactly what kind of reaction the "prank" would get. To even credit this as a "prank" is really not rational. Pranks are covering a person's locker with shaving cream, or hiding their book bag under the seat on the bus ride home, or stealing someone's pencils, or toilet papering someone's trees. These boys knew exactly what the act of placing nooses on trees meant especially when they hung them from a tree that was labeled a "white area". As bad as it is, these kids that hung the nooses had adult thoughts and the adults in the situation set back an entire community a century by letting the actions of these kids go on for so long. Now we have kids that were only acting to show one of the white boys what hanging from a noose might actually feel like (ok, I know that's extreme) because what are they supposed to do. Everyday they go into school they are taunted by white people, who knows the teachers could be acting in the same manner. Somehow the white boys got the idea that the hanging of those nooses wouldn't get them into any trouble, otherwise, they wouldn't have done it.
It's all sick. But you are looking at a BIASED report, no matter the source. I do not condone any of it, but at the same time- There are worse things. Unfortunately, these things happen EVERY day...EVERY day somewhere in the world and we act like an isolated case is the worst yet. We can only change our INDIVIDUAL behavior...so, I am not about to lose sleep over a bunch of hooligans. Maybe parents should start raising their children better.
it's not a "hooligan" that hangs nooses from trees--I'm sorry, but I feel like you're completely glossing over the fact that this was hatefully done. It is exactly the kind of flippant attitude that everyone took to the noose incident, and this is exactly why we're in this position right now--this isn't a "boys will be boys" prank (to reiterate from the blog!) I'm not condoning violence either, but something that stupid done with no punishment leads to this. We need to stop being so complacent these days.
I don't have time for this...Hooligans is boys running around in groups, or gangs if you will, causing trouble and committing crimes. Both parties committed crimes. Assault and battery for the 'black boys', and the white boys committed acts against morals and the first amendment. Free speech ends when it incites violence and treads on the rights of others. The noose act did. It was ALL wrong. But, you are saying only the white boy was wrong? Nobody took the higher road. But, you act like this is the only thing happening in the world. Sorry, it is not. There are children missing from their families, and things of that nature...
hoo·li·gan (hōō'lĭ-gən) Pronunciation Key
n. A tough and aggressive or violent youth.
Looked up hooligan for you, and they all qualify.
for acts of racism that just propogate the hate and uglyness that has always been a part of the country even after so much struggle
and yeah- this is done by all colors of people and all back grounds
but have youy read the details
the people that supposedly have the JUSTICE and LAW on their side were the racist bastards to charge the boys with attempted murder and treat them as adults
I MEAN REALLY that is what people support today and NOT CONDEMN?
that we are so backwards still to argue if this is worth condemning or not
"Pride is concerned with who is right. Humility is concerned with what is right."
http://www.progressiveu.org/231615-this-is-a-muslim-girls-plight
Things have not changed, sadly. Focus has shifted and that is all.
The definition? Fine. The Connotation of hooligan? To me I think of Dennis the Menace, not a friggin hate crime. And AGAIN assault and battery were not the first charges brought up, and that's another thing that people, black AND white were upset about--the first charges were attempted murder. AND they were tried in adult courts until some of those were overturned. No one is saying that those black boys were justified in what they did, but for a boy to get his ass kicked in a schoolyard fight...I don't feel that sorry for him.
With a screwed up justice system-why tempt the law? I stay out of trouble and could NOT care less what happens to any of them...they made their decisions and forgot that someone else is in charge of the consequeces of their actions.
the real reason for the argument is that there are two arguable sides to this. i think the one i chose makes the most sense, but it's good thing that people think otherwise because it expands on all our thoughts. as long as its not rude, of course.
i utterly agree. I actually just posted a similar blog, ' Jena 6, I will defend thee.'
I too didn't know how much of an issue this was, until I heard about some other issues from a friend whom lives in West Virgina.
I thought to myself..omg get over this whole issue, until i was informed how much i was uninformed. I was taken by shock.
what makes news. People exact change EVERY day and get NO credit. It rarely occurs to our morbid country, that if we didnt broadcast these crimes, they wouldn't be so copied...there are more ghastly things than men fighting, alas. I have a huge dislike for sexual predators and find them to be a bigger threat than even murderers...isn't that shocking. But there are helpless children involved. Grown men can take better care of themselves.
I completely agree with the author of this article. If it had been the other way around, with six white kids beating up a black kid, this case would not get nearly as far as quickly and would DEFINITELY not have received the amount of media attention that this case is receiving. However, I do not believe that it takes six people to beat up one kid (albeit he had very minor injuries), regardless of what was said or done. I understand what the noose means and how it is offensive to African Americans (although I myself am not African American), and I believe that whoever hung those nooses there deserved to get the crap beat out of them, because I would kick him or her pretty hard in their rear myself. But I don't think it was a fair fight, 6 to 1. Racism does not need to be going on like this in today's society. It's 2007, 40+ years after the Civl Rights Movement, granted the South is more racist than the North. People have to get past the race issue and work together to improve the future. With all the hate that is going on, there is no way that we can advance as a people.
"If it had been the other way around, with six white kids beating up a black kid, this case would not get nearly as far as quickly and would DEFINITELY not have received the amount of media attention that this case is receiving."
You're right about things being different if the races were reversed. Although the media attention would have been greater. Al Sharpton, and Jesse Jackson would have still had a march.......But do you think they would have reccomended freeing the perpetrators? The obvious racism by these activists would not have been present if the races were reversed. There is no moral high ground to stand on when you are defending a 6 on 1 beating.
"I understand what the noose means and how it is offensive to African Americans (although I myself am not African American), and I believe that whoever hung those nooses there deserved to get the crap beat out of them, because I would kick him or her pretty hard in their rear myself."
If you know what the noose means, why are you unable to see that it is free speech? That noose was a statement in responce to people sitting under a hitherto "white tree' as a statement opposing that apartheid. It is just as important to defend the right of the black students to make their statement by sitting as it is to protect the noose hanging white students. Free speech is meaningless unless unpopular speech is protected as well. By proclaiming that you would commit assault on a person just because they disagree with you you have shown that oppression of minorities is a policy that you agree with.
"People have to get past the race issue and work together to improve the future. With all the hate that is going on, there is no way that we can advance as a people."
Credit where it is due. I agree with your last two sentences, though I don't see the current 'civil rights leaders' mentioned earlier as being at all helpful in accomplishing this.
A fact is always better than an ideal
"We all know what the noose stands for."
Nothing. That is what it stands for. Nothing. People have merely assigned a meaning to it. Nooses were used in ALL hangings. Not just hangings of black people.
"Children used to be present at the lynchings that those same nooses were used for."
What is the point of that sentence other than to drag emotion in the argument and fuel racism?