[Shadowpawn]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuoiZnr4jLY&NR=1

Apparently six black students were charged in attempted murder for a school yard brawl in which a white student was beaten. No serious injuries occurred, however the sentence they are now facing is life in prison. I watched the Youtube video and honestly I don't know what to think. On one hand six students did jump this kid, but on the other hand the fight was provoked! I think the entire thing has been blown out of portion and there really shouldn't be a trail involved without including ALL participants of the events that has taken place.

[NPCMook]

Gotta love that Zero Tolerence rule eh?

[InfinityXXX]

In my neighborhood and at my school we've held about 3 rallies over this, and some of my family members and neighbors are heading down there Thursday. I also have a friend thats from that town and school and she told me that that town is very segregrated, and acts of racism has always happened in that school.

What pisses me off is not only becuz of the ridiculous charges facing the black students (and giving the white kids from the first fight minor punishment) but the comments the DA said at an assembly held at the school. He told the black kids students that "yall are just troublemakers and I have the power to wipe your whole life out with a swoop of my pen" this was witnessed by everyone in the school. Not only that, but I also heard that you cant even wear shirts supporting Jena 6 at that school. (See those black students are too good, cuz I would've transfered my ass to another scool.lol)

But the fact of the matter is this, whether however you feel about the whole "incident" that caused the fight, the charges brought on these students are racist and unjust. Its being blown out of proportion.

BUT on another note, this being aimed at the youth of America, i hope this incident is a wake up call to let those know that racism and discrimination is very much alive and instead of being concerned of when the next music video is comming out, goin to the club, finding out who's your baby's daddy is, or worrying about all this materialistic crap, you should be aware and ready to fight the injustices that still are around. We've become to careless and laidback.

[Eihwaz]

While jumping the white guy was not, perhaps, the most intelligent of actions to take, it was most definitely provoked. Given that no serious injuries were inflicted upon the white guy, the charges facing the black students are utterly ridiculous.

Racism is bad.

[ABDUR101]

This needs media attention, otherwise the racism is going to continue to permeate the local government and people of authority. It doesn't matter how many rallies are held, or how much protesting; if the news crews aren't there to give it national witnesses to whats happening, it never did.(Tree falls in the forest, no one there to hear it; sort of thing)

Sadly, you can't change someone who's racist; thats their ideal that they are better than someone of a different skintone. They have to realise on their own that skincolor and race aren't something to despise another person for.

All the same, whats happening there is entirely wrong; I think the first step is removing the DA and any other officers and government officials, and those who hold seats of authority(judges, etc) from their stations. Then when hatecrimes do happen, it's entirely fair. From there I think there will still be plenty of hate crimes and racism, but it will atleast be a 'level playing field'; if someone does hatecrime they'll be properly punished.

You can't cure racism, it's as inbred as some people's first cousins. =B

[Sinue_v2]

Given that no serious injuries were inflicted upon the white guy, the charges facing the black students are utterly ridiculous.

Well, the kids still should have been charged with a crime. Even if for the best of, or at least highly understandable intentions, what they did was against the law and (ideally) the law should work. However, the charges brought against them were purely ludicrous, and should have resulted in nothing more than a short probation for aggravated assault or assault & battery.

I am also dismayed that the talking heads on the television are interviewing the average "black man on the street" about their outrage over the latest OJ Simpson debacle, yet make no mention of the Jena 6. Way to trivialize the race issue into the basest of "groundless bitching and moaning by a perpetually victimized people" while ignoring the very news story that proves that racism is still a very real issue that needs to be dealt with.

I think Anderson Cooper 360 will be airing a special on the Jena 6 tonight on CNN. That's the first mention I've heard of it, outside of the interweb. So we'll see what happens from there.

[InfinityXXX]

Well, the thing that gets me is yes, the kids should be punished but where is the fairness?

Nooses were hung up by the white students, basically sending a message of "sit under my tree and we'll kill you". And these kids were only suspended for a few days. Even though that happened some time before the fight it still showed the racial tension that was in that dominantly white school.

One of the white students had a shotgun on the school campus during the fight and one black kid (one fo the jena6) tried to take it and was charged with theft while nothing happend to the white kid!(so ridiculous) (but in my opinion, if isaw a shotgun, i'll be running away lol)

I'll also like to mention to those that don't know, that the white kid that got the beating went out to a club that very night. (last time i checked, clubbin with alcohol and ciggarette smoke doesn't heal ones wounds)

I feel that if ALL the stundents can't be charged failrly then all the charges need to be dropped all together.

President Bush said that he was "disgusted and saddened" at the Jena 6 issue at todays presidential conference which is very agreeable.

The issue of the jena 6 was started by race and is about race but its also more than that. Its about how sad and pathetic we've become as human beings. We hate over all the wrong reasons. To hate still just because of a difference in skin tone, sexual preference, or gender is something I jsut can't understand. WHY? WHY? WHY?

WHY HATE? Its just a wasted effort and selfish considering all the EXTREME horrors that are going on in the world. People are dying in darfur, wars are going on and yet we're still concerned about little issues such as race.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: InfinityXXX on 2007-09-20 08:45 ]</font>

[Shadowpawn]

Why hate? It's not a question as to "why" one hates, but a question as to why one is taught to hate. You honestly don't think these kids developed this hate of skin color by themselves, do you? It's the byproduct of their cultural, the parents are to blame. The scorn they developed overtime being passed on to the new generation thus renewing the cycle. Like you said, it’s really a shame that we fight over trivial matters like this but if you think about it aren’t all conflicts at their very nature…trivial? We all bicker because we have different viewpoints from each other, these arguments can (and at times will) snowball into something much greater. Like the conflict in Dufar started over something as trivial as one rebel attack, so the government figured “Hey, let’s kill them ALL. That will crush the uprising!” (It’s great what kind of world we will, isn’t it?) This war the U.S. is in is over the PERSUMED notion that Saddam had “Weapons of Mass Destruction” (That term always cracked me up, why didn’t he just say Nuclear Weapons!? Not as threaten I guess?). As long as people have different ideas we’re all always going to fight over something, that combative nature is inborn within us.


Still, this IS ridiculous. The hypocrisy in this case is profound; the students facing charges were provoked into attack after being place in comprising positions. In my opinion all parties should face some form of punishment. It’s sad when the adults, the ones who are supposed resolve this conflict in a rational manner, side with the children who provoked this situation just because they share the skin color. It’s like the blood-crips conflict, the only difference is instead of wearing an bandana to indicate the gang you roll with…you’re born into it in this case.

[Sinue_v2]

I feel that if ALL the stundents can't be charged failrly then all the charges need to be dropped all together.

Yes and no... I agree that all the students should be judged equally by the law, but to drop all the charges against everyone wouldn't be productive or help remedy the situation. Those who took part in the events in Jena (regardless of skin color or social status) should be held accountable for their actions. Including the DA.

[Kylie]

I live about two hours away from all of this, and I honestly have no opinion on it.
But it's interesting to see what all is happening [in such a small town].