We learned in class yesterday, September 20th, about the Jena Six. The incidents started at the end of last school year when African-American students sat under a “white” tree, after these students asked and received permission from the school administration in Jena, LA. However, the next day there were three nooses in the school colors hanging on the tree. The white students who did this, as the school called it, "prank" only were suspended for 2 days. Later on, white students at a party beat up one African-American student; no charges were filed. Soon after, three African-American students were held up at a convenience store. When the boys took the weapon away, the cops came and put the boys in jail saying that they had stolen a firearm; the boys who held them up did not get in trouble at all. Later that day, six of the African-American students beat up the "ring-leader" of all these events. The boy only had a few cuts on his face and was out of the hospital in a few hours. This boy also went to a party that evening, which shows that he was fine. However, the six boys were arrested and the "ring-leader," the boy who was beaten up was given 22 years in prison because he was tried as an adult. However, the courts overturned the sentence and he was tried as a minor, he is only sixteen.
Yesterday, there were thousands of protestors at the courthouse who were protesting the injustice of this case. However, most of the presidential hopefuls have not made a stand about the case. Barack Obama said,” We shouldn't have to have a national rally for people to recognize the injustice of what's been happening down there." Then he proceeded to talk about how President Bush is failing at the Justice Department, but he never really talked about the incidents and what he feels. Hillary Clinton has talked about how she was "troubled" and "worried" about the case, but still talked very little about the case to try to help her campaign. I feel that this issue needs to be talked about, especially among the political candidates, because in my opinion it is going to be one of the most important court cases of my generation. The presidential candidates, especially Clinton and Obama, need support from African-American voters and this would be a moment for them to break the ice and show how they will be as president. Instead of attacking President Bush and saying that they are "worried," the candidates should take a stand and say how unjust this whole situation really is. What do you think?
Here is the LA Times article on the political candidates and the Jena Six: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-race21sep21,1,5373123.story
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4 comments:
ms. rachael,
i surfed onto your blog and saw the article regarding the "jena6".
i've lived in jena for 5 years now. my wife (Ms Jean 50+ y/o)was born, raised and schooled there. last tuesday we were chatting on yahoo IM, and she wrote to me about meeting the defendant's (michael bell) family member in walmart and talking to her. i am on an offshore drilling rig, and she was home. please pay attention to what the sister-in-law told my wife. i'm sending a direct transcript of that chat.
begin
Ms. Jean: big trucks were driving the streets of jena flying big big rebel flags the kux klux
klan got a permit to march thursday
Ms. Jean: i talked to michael bells sister in law for about 15 min a wal mart she said he is bad
news and needs to go to jail
Bag: dang
Bag: there's a black kid with me, i just told him
Ms. Jean: it really aint got nothing to do with black and white it is between rite and wrong
Ms. Jean: ok finished my chicken i sent u a suprise now this is what bells sister in law told me she said she was in the court room when reed walters said bell could get up to 20 yr. she then went to the rally martin luther king the third held in jena he explained to them that reed walters had to follow the law he had to tell bell that he could be charged up to 20 yrs. he told them that he in no way said at any time that this was going to happen. he is bound by law to explain the maximum sentence. she told me that king was very fair to both sides and said he found no hostiliy between the blacks and the whites in jena. she told me that after that a lot of the blacks refused to get involved wiht jackson and sharpano (sharpton) because they were only here for the publicity for the money
end
now, please understand that the sister-in-law is unaware that i'm posting this to you, and her comments to my wife i'm sure wasn't intended to be broadcast all over. my point to you, young lady, is that if it had been 6 white boys beating up a black, every one of THEM would have been charged with a Hate Crime as well as everything else. and there wouldn't be thousands of people demonstrating against their arrests. the main point is this, in every story there are Three Sides. This Side, That Side, and THE TRUTH. naturally big media has taken the side of the "poor persecuted black students". i send this to you and i promise you to the best of my knowledge, none of this is untrue. thank you for your time. michael g. baggett lollygag12000@yahoo.com .
I am not 100% sure about the point of this previous comment, but from what I understand, it is saying that J Reed Walters (district attorney) only did his job in the prosecution of Mychal Bell. I would have to disagree with this statement. School fights rarely carry out this strict of a punishment. Also, Mychal Bell was charged with aggrivated battery. This charge requires the use of a deadly weapon during the fight. Walters argued that a shoe constitutes as a deadly weapon. That is a bit of a stretch to me. While some protesters are using the slogan "Free the Jena Six", I think it is more appropriate to use "Equal Prosecution" or "Justice for the Jena Six" because Walters was not just simply doing his job during this trial.
Rachael,
I totally agree to what you have said. It is important for the Presidential candidates to get involved with what the public is interested in and concerned about. Evidence of the importance of the Jena 6 to the public is evident in all the facebook and blogging that has popped up. The Presidential candidates have to be aware of what "we the people" feel. You are totally right that they should become more involved.
Hey Rachael,
I agree with your article completely. I believe that my seeing what presidential candidates take a stand on shows me what type of president they're going to be. By the presidential candidates not taking a stand on this racially themed situation it reminds of the Framers when they didnt want to take a stand against slavery because then it would cause them to lose the support of the south. Aren't presidents supposed to do what's best for the people? Isn't the governmnent the one who's supposed to distribute justice evenly amongst its citizens? It's seems to me that discrimination is simply being overlooked because it's too controversial.
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