This might not be a subject for politics but I wasn't sure where it would fit in. Mods, please let me know if you need to move this.

Before today, I had never heard of the Jena 6 case. I have read several different accounts and the story seems to be all over the place as far as facts go. I am really confused as to what happened, but this is what I gathered...

In 2006, racial tensions were high at a highschool in Jena, La. A group of black kids asked school officials if they could sit under a tree that was well-known for being "whites only" (unbelievable in 2007!). They were told that they could sit anywhere they wanted to. None of the accounts said whether they actually sat under the tree or if word got around that they asked about it.

The next day, three nooses were seen hanging from the tree. The white kids that hung the nooses were suspended from school temporarily. The school's black population did not take the minor disciplinary action against the boys too well and scuffles began to break out in the school. The District attorney was called in to directly address the black students claiming he could "end their life with the stroke of a pen".

A black student was attacked at a party by a white student with a beer bottle. A White man pulled a loaded rifle on 3 black teens at a convenience store. The teens wrestled the rifle away from him and they ran off with it. One of the school buildings went up in flames and was ruled arson with no leads. And finally, a white student was surrounded by 6 black students and beaten until he was unconscious. Then they repeatedly stomped and kicked him while he lay defenseless. He went to the hospital and was released later with damage to both eyes among other scrapes and bruises.

Originally the 6 black students were being charged as adults with attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder. This caused outrage among the black community. The feeling was that there was not equal treatment for the offending white students. All of the boys made bail except for one, who remains in jail awaiting his trial since Dec. 2006. The story spread quickly and it wasn't long before Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson jumped on board. Many were planning to gather for the sentencing over last weekend, but somewhere I read that the "adult" charges were being dropped and he is being sent back to juvenile court.

I have been on several message boards reading a multitude of thoughts and I have to say that it is sad how racially charged they are. Some blaming an entire race of people and others blaming President Bush!! :crazy:
The more I read, the more I realized that there was more to the story that was being left out of the media frenzy. Some facts that may or may not change your opinion on the story.

Based on the information that I read, whether it is 100% true or just partially, this is my personal opinion... Regardless of your color, if you commit a crime against another person you should suffer whatever the penalty that is set forth by law. If all of the individuals involved in this case committed crimes, they should be sentenced appropriately. No one should get off because your offense was labeled a "prank" nor should you get off because you were provoked or seeking revenge. An act of violence warrants jail time, regardless of your age or race. The school's principle should be fired for allowing the "noose" students back on campus instead of their minor "in school" suspension. The hanging noose was a death threat in my book. The DA should have been reprimanded for making a threatening statement to the black students.

HAs anyone heard any more on this?

That is terrible. Noles, I have to agree on this one. The law should treat everyone the same regardless.

You were right to place this in the politics section. IMO, this story demonstrates that hate in any form eventually manifests itself through violence. Technically, you could consider the "noose" incident as a hate crime due to its implication of past history. That evoked a lot of anger and sounds like it made the situation all the more volatile. It is moments like these that make us stop to pause and really think about how WE think about other people.

The sad truth is that every person on this planet is prejudiced. Whether it is from being socialized that way or life experience in general, everyone has pre-conceived notions about peoples "different" from ourselves. If we continue to be divided over race, sexual oritentation, SES, and so on: how can we ever expect to create a world that fosters peace and happiness? The only way we will ever learn to look beyond these things is to have genuine interaction with people who are not at all like you. Then see if you still apply the same stereotypes and generalizations after you get to know someone well.

Fear leads to ignorance. Ignorance leads to hate. Hate leads to violence and well....we all have seen in the news what happens in some cases when it gets this bad. I have hope though because I look at my own life and see how many people have opened my eyes to the truth about what they go through on a daily basis. I guess my empathy for those who are treated less than human and discriminated against is what shapes my opinion on this. Either way, maybe someday interaction with diverse peoples not alike ourselves will become a norm that breaks down barriers and leads to peaceful cooperation and understanding. This is the only way to stop things like the above story from repeating as well as outright crimes against people because of who they are.

:clap: Amen, to MOST of what you've said, SMR. I only interjected a few words that are a little more real!
It should be a lesson we all need to individually learn is about ourselves first before we pass judgement on others. A great part of growing up should more often (than NOT) be spent searching internally and getting to know ourselves, before we too quickly look around at others differently!! I'm doing my damnedest trying to intstill this in my children, who I will freely admit are interracial <for some reason I don't like that word, I'd rather use bi-racial!!! I'm certainly not trying to sit back and "wait for the world to change", rather I'm jumping in to be part of change!!! If anything were to ever happen to my kids, I swear I'll have to . . . . (certainly NOT, I'd hope, have to commit violence!!!)

In my opinion, those students who hung nooses from the tree should have been immediately expelled from campus permanently and charged with hate crime. The students who reacted, did so because the original act was not taken seriously. And the entire administration should be admonished for not taking steps to avoid having a "whites only" tree in the first place. The entire story is disgusting to me and when I hear stories like this I'm embarrassed that "white" people like that represent a race I supposedly belong to. What a tragedy that in 2007 there is even a story like this. It's shameful and humiliating.

As you probably know, the marches and demonstrations are happening today in several different cities. I agree that there should be protests to bring the other people involved to justice. I do not agree that everyone else should be punished while letting the 6 go free.
A statement made by Al Sharpton was that this protest is not about race, it is about equal justice. A crime is a crime and should be treated as such. Instead of letting everyone go free as they are wanting, all should be punished according to their crime. Some of these boys have violent crimes on their prior record. That should not go ignored. I also read that there seems to be no focus at all on the child that was beaten unconscious. If, in all of this, we can't find empathy for that boy and think that he got what he deserved THAT is being racist!

Surely you don't believe that the people who started the entire, disgusting chain of events should receive an "in-school suspension" while the six who were so overwhelmingly frustrated by the lack of action of the administrators in charge should be tried for attempted murder?

You hit it E2K! It starts with us as parents. We have a responsibility to teach our children that all people, all children, are equal in the eyes of God.

I have been so blessed to be able to put my daughter in a private school that knows no race. It is equally balanced as far as race, gender and economic status. It is fairly priced and has tuition assistance and voucher programs. All are welcome and all have equal opportunity at sports, the arts and academics.

My church is 50% African American, 40% Caucasian and 10% Spanish, Asian and other. Many of the children are a result of mixed marriages.
At the age of 9, my daughter knows no difference in skin color as her friends are a colorful mix. She does not discriminate between the boys that she likes either! Although, I do... I say NO BOYS UNTIL 30!! ;)

I live in the south and realize that there are still problems with race, but I think we have come a long way. Continuing to talk about our problems of yesterday does not move us forward, it only slows us down and confuses our innocent kids. We need to look at our own lives and see how we can change our segregational habits and begin to plan ways of making everyone feel welcome in our worplaces and past times.

No ma'am! As I stated in the opening, I think those students made a "life threatening" gesture with the nooses. Just as one would by brandishing a weapon or verbalizing a threat. I don't know what the legal term is for that crime, but I'm sure it is a crime.
I think allowing these threatening students back on campus was irresponsible and made the administration liable for any violence carried out BY the threatening students. It by no means gives permission for open season on either race. Granted it may have been the first of the offending events, but each new crime committed bears its own responsibility.

I have to apologize - I read these posts rather quickly when I first responded and somehow thought you felt the six people being tried for attempted murder were being justly charged. (as well as the punishment handed down to the other students who were suspended)

I don't think that one horrific act warrants another, however I can't begin to pretend to understand the frustration and anger these six students felt at having the original deplorable acts treated with such a lax attitude.

I heard on the news that a student was charged with attempted murder for a tennis shoe beating. That is the extent of my knowledge on this, until I read your post. I'll have to read up on this, but it turns my stomach. I didn't know a town could have this discrimination without it violating the constitution.

That's good that you interact with many diverse people. I do too and it helps to broaden your horizons and understand people on a better level. I wish more people shared the same open minded and non-judgemental sentiment towards all of humanity in its diversity.

This entire story simply put...breaks my heart. To think that in todays world we are STILL having such ignorance tolerated/taught is mind boggling to me. I absolutely agree that ALL of the crimes should be punished. INCLUDING that sorry excuse for a DA who threatened the students. Why can people not learn from our nations history?? All this judgement based on a persons' color of skin? What about the color of our blood? Last I learned, we ALL bleed red. Lord help us all, cause we apparently aren't smart enough to learn from our past.

I never heard about this, even with the snippet of news reported today. No mention of the details, just a blip. I find out about this on a fan board? I'm so heartbroken, just like realitymom. It's sad. Here is a PR Release by the Conference of Mayors:
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/ne...se,182468.shtml

That's how it should be go noles.

The school principal and the damn DA should be fired IMO. Reed Walters, the DA, addressed this incident in the school and it was said to have looked at the black kids in the audience, waved his pen in the air and said, "With a stroke of this pen, I can make your life disappear." That right there is incendiary.

I can't believe things like this still go on in 2007.

There is a video version of this whole story on youtube here, which I find easier to get an understanding of what occurred. http://youtube.com/watch?v=YuoiZnr4jLY

David Bowie contributed $10,000 towards the defense of the six black students: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iIs7Blq..._Jj9tEmcWt-1x8g