Jena 6: I’m Too White To Say This, But…

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Jena 6: I’m Too White To Say This, But…

Posted on Thu 20th Sep 05:48 pm by Skitz M. Jones

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Here’s a little catch up for those that have missed the media feeding frenzy at a high school down in Jena, Louisiana.

Six black teens were charged a few months after three white teens were accused of hanging nooses in a tree on their high school grounds. The white teens were suspended from school but weren’t prosecuted. Five of the black teens were initially charged with attempted murder. That charge was reduced to battery for all but one, who has yet to be arraigned; the sixth was charged as a juvenile

Hang nooses on school ground (see the tree to the right) and get suspended. Makes sense to me. Beat the shit out of someone and go to jail also makes sense to me.

You’ll have to forgive me but I don’t see what one has to do with the other except someone being offended (rightly I suppose) by the nooses. And I’m sure the kid who got his ass handed to him was pretty offended by that act too.

In response to what many thought was the unfair punishment towards the black children (who beat another student) as opposed to the white children (who hung the nooses):

Jena 6 Party

Thousands of demonstrators clad in black converged on the local courthouse and a nearby park Thursday morning to protest the disparity in the charged teenagers’ treatment. Thousands more marched along city streets in what at times took on the atmosphere of a giant festival — with people setting up tables of food and some dancing to the beat of a drum.

Any excuse for a party.

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12 Comments For This Post

Valency Says:
September 20th, 2007 at 5:47 pm

I'm puzzled by your oversimplification of this story. I've been following it long before it was front page news. Where is your understanding of the historical roots of racism, particularly in regards to the criminal justice system? I was hoping for a much deeper analysis here. Your summation leaves out so much — like that the beating that landed the 6 black teens in jail with attempted murder charges (when the victim was not seriously injured) was preceded by weeks of beatings by white students that resulted in no action by law enforcement. And to reduce the massive protests today to a "party" is deeply troubling. What happened in Jena today was more like the historic marches in Selma and Birminham than anything we've seen in our lifetimes.

Valency Says:
September 20th, 2007 at 5:47 pm

Skitz M. Jones Esq. Says:
September 20th, 2007 at 6:18 pm

My commentary on the subject was based primarily on the reporting that I had been able to read thus far- and if you read the link to the article I cite- it reads as though the beating of the student is a lesser crime than the hanging of nooses in a tree.
Now- obviously hanging nooses is racially insensitive, however- unless people happen to be in those nooses- no one is actually hurt by the action, offended no doubt, but not hurt.
A 6 on 1 attack on a student- no matter how minor the injuries is still battery. Was charging the boys with attempted murder over the top and uncalled for- surely, which would be why those charges aren't standing I'd have to think.
As for white students beating black students- having not seen that information yet, I can't honestly give my oppinion.

As for reducing the protests to a party- understand that I am merely commenting on the statement made that the protests had the "atmosphere of a giant festival — with people setting up tables of food and some dancing to the beat of a drum." As with so many protests/protesters these days- there's more effort put into making it a social event by participants, than there is with actually trying to reach people with a message. Hence the party line.

Now- while these boys are unfairly being overcharged for their crimes- all have to admit they did commit a crime. As for anyone else causing harm to others- I would hope that they pay for their crimes as well.

Unfortunately I find it sad that while a story like this receives so much support and hype, there are always more out there that don't get the sensational "racism" angle to play, and so are either quickly forgotten, or never mentioned.

Injustice is everywhere, whether it's the rich over the poor, men over women, or yes- white over black. I just think sometimes the sensationalism destroys the credibility of the arguement, and sometimes the wind must be knocked out of the rediculous way things get portrayed.

I would've put all of that into the original post- but we kind've aim for quick blurbs and asides to start things off, you know.

Skitz M. Jones Esq. Says:
September 20th, 2007 at 6:18 pm

I would've put all of that into the original post- but we kind've aim for quick blurbs and asides to start things off, you know.

Valleycat Says:
September 20th, 2007 at 6:36 pm

A series of scuffles ensued over the next three months as racial tension at the school became palpable.

The district attorney was summoned to address the student body. Off-campus fights were reported. Bailey said he had a beer bottle broken over his head in one incident, a shotgun pulled on him in another.

” target=”_blank”>http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/law/09/04/bell.jena.si...
As the Tribune first reported last May, the beating incident followed a series of white-on-black attacks in Jena in which the white assailants escaped serious charges. And it capped months of escalating racial tensions in the town set off after three white students hung nooses from a tree in the high school courtyard in what was perceived as a threat directed at blacks. School officials termed the noose incident an "adolescent prank" and declined to expel the white students, outraging black students and their parents.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ch...

Valleycat Says:
September 20th, 2007 at 6:36 pm

A series of scuffles ensued over the next three months as racial tension at the school became palpable.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ch...

Skitz M. Jones Esq. Says:
September 20th, 2007 at 7:31 pm

I suppose the questions now become- in the future-,what constitutes grounds for expulsion first: It's odd, while I do understand that yes a noose can be recognized as a symbol of white on black crime and a threat- I remember the year of the Columbine shootings recieving death threats in my locker- and being called in to the principal's office to speak with the cops about the fact that there was a bomb threat, and my name was on the list of "targets" not once- but twice. And after it was discovered that there was no bomb- the student responcible was suspended for about a week- and then came back. So maybe my view of expulsions and suspensions is warped…
second: where was the white on black student battery taking place (physical altercation, not threats)- if it was on school grounds then obviously the school administration is greatly at fault for not putting a stop to it immediately. If it was happening elsewhere- then the line of questioning needs to begin at where it was happening- then go to the police it was hopefully reported to- then to the courts it was hopefully seen at- and then to whatever came next and whoever was in charge. If it never was reported to the police, then it's a whole other set of problems. If it was dismissed by the police or by the courts, then that's a set of problems.
last: of course, there's a problem here, and I don't think anyone could say there isn't- but there seems to be a lot of back and forth as to just how bad it is in this town, and whether or not this is one case that is just wrong on all levels, or whether it's another symptom of a way of being that's wrong on all levels.
If the town was always segregated as some are saying- why wasn't more done to fix it before all of this came about? That is the kind of day to day struggle that needs the hype and media behind it.
I don't know- it's difficult to say what the fix should be for something like this. It's obvious the students involved in the violence ALL need to recieve punishment on some levels- but if this is a case of an entire town being socially bankrupt, then hopefully after the trials are over- and the hoopla has passed- people will still care enough to try to repair the rest of the damage done instead of just returning to the segregated way it was.

Skitz M. Jones Esq. Says:
September 20th, 2007 at 7:31 pm

Valency Says:
September 20th, 2007 at 7:47 pm

I’m puzzled by your oversimplification of this story. I’ve been following it long before it was front page news. Where is your understanding of the historical roots of racism, particularly in regards to the criminal justice system? I was hoping for a much deeper analysis here. Your summation leaves out so much — like that the beating that landed the 6 black teens in jail with attempted murder charges (when the victim was not seriously injured) was preceded by weeks of beatings by white students that resulted in no action by law enforcement. And to reduce the massive protests today to a “party” is deeply troubling. What happened in Jena today was more like the historic marches in Selma and Birminham than anything we’ve seen in our lifetimes.

Skitz M. Jones Esq. Says:
September 20th, 2007 at 8:18 pm

My commentary on the subject was based primarily on the reporting that I had been able to read thus far- and if you read the link to the article I cite- it reads as though the beating of the student is a lesser crime than the hanging of nooses in a tree.
Now- obviously hanging nooses is racially insensitive, however- unless people happen to be in those nooses- no one is actually hurt by the action, offended no doubt, but not hurt.
A 6 on 1 attack on a student- no matter how minor the injuries is still battery. Was charging the boys with attempted murder over the top and uncalled for- surely, which would be why those charges aren’t standing I’d have to think.
As for white students beating black students- having not seen that information yet, I can’t honestly give my oppinion.

As for reducing the protests to a party- understand that I am merely commenting on the statement made that the protests had the “atmosphere of a giant festival — with people setting up tables of food and some dancing to the beat of a drum.” As with so many protests/protesters these days- there’s more effort put into making it a social event by participants, than there is with actually trying to reach people with a message. Hence the party line.

Unfortunately I find it sad that while a story like this receives so much support and hype, there are always more out there that don’t get the sensational “racism” angle to play, and so are either quickly forgotten, or never mentioned.

Injustice is everywhere, whether it’s the rich over the poor, men over women, or yes- white over black. I just think sometimes the sensationalism destroys the credibility of the arguement, and sometimes the wind must be knocked out of the rediculous way things get portrayed.

I would’ve put all of that into the original post- but we kind’ve aim for quick blurbs and asides to start things off, you know.

Valleycat Says:
September 20th, 2007 at 8:36 pm

A series of scuffles ensued over the next three months as racial tension at the school became palpable.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/law/09/04/bell.jena.six/

As the Tribune first reported last May, the beating incident followed a series of white-on-black attacks in Jena in which the white assailants escaped serious charges. And it capped months of escalating racial tensions in the town set off after three white students hung nooses from a tree in the high school courtyard in what was perceived as a threat directed at blacks. School officials termed the noose incident an “adolescent prank” and declined to expel the white students, outraging black students and their parents.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-070914jena,1,4665752.story

Skitz M. Jones Esq. Says:
September 20th, 2007 at 9:31 pm

I suppose the questions now become- in the future-,what constitutes grounds for expulsion first: It’s odd, while I do understand that yes a noose can be recognized as a symbol of white on black crime and a threat- I remember the year of the Columbine shootings recieving death threats in my locker- and being called in to the principal’s office to speak with the cops about the fact that there was a bomb threat, and my name was on the list of “targets” not once- but twice. And after it was discovered that there was no bomb- the student responcible was suspended for about a week- and then came back. So maybe my view of expulsions and suspensions is warped…
second: where was the white on black student battery taking place (physical altercation, not threats)- if it was on school grounds then obviously the school administration is greatly at fault for not putting a stop to it immediately. If it was happening elsewhere- then the line of questioning needs to begin at where it was happening- then go to the police it was hopefully reported to- then to the courts it was hopefully seen at- and then to whatever came next and whoever was in charge. If it never was reported to the police, then it’s a whole other set of problems. If it was dismissed by the police or by the courts, then that’s a set of problems.
last: of course, there’s a problem here, and I don’t think anyone could say there isn’t- but there seems to be a lot of back and forth as to just how bad it is in this town, and whether or not this is one case that is just wrong on all levels, or whether it’s another symptom of a way of being that’s wrong on all levels.
If the town was always segregated as some are saying- why wasn’t more done to fix it before all of this came about? That is the kind of day to day struggle that needs the hype and media behind it.
I don’t know- it’s difficult to say what the fix should be for something like this. It’s obvious the students involved in the violence ALL need to recieve punishment on some levels- but if this is a case of an entire town being socially bankrupt, then hopefully after the trials are over- and the hoopla has passed- people will still care enough to try to repair the rest of the damage done instead of just returning to the segregated way it was.

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