How has the Jena 6 situation affected you?

Question

As we're getting closer to Mychal Bell's sentencing, which is September 20th for those who don't know, I'm becoming more emotional. My emotions are sad, angry, and a lot of confusion. I was in my car this morning crying before going into work...you know, I'm thankful that I have the strength and heart to walk into work and still treat people with respect. I'm so thankful that I work among people who have given me a chance and treat me with respect but at the same time it is still very hard to keep my composure. This strength can only come from one place...

I can't imagine how my/our ancestors dealt with this kind of pain and I don't think I would have been able to handle that kind of pressure.

How has the Jena 6 situation affected you?

アコーアくん - You think what is really stupid?

Care to explain ms-trust me and venom?

And what's the apology for venom?

ebola: "It's made me realize that your people will always stick up other others in your race no matter how wrong they are... silly prank and a vicious 6 on 1 attack."

It's interesting that you would say that because you are doing the same exact thing that you claim Black people to do. You are "stick[ing] up for* others in your race no matter how wrong they are".

Answer this for me ebola, why are you defending racists? These kids who hung the nooses are trash and it was more than a "silly prank", it was the most insulting behavior...but I don't expect you to understand that..as you are incapable of looking at Black people as individuals.

2d: I somewhat understand your point. Though, one of the Black students was jumped by three white students, one of whom possessed a gun. At the least, they could give both parties the same punishment. They hung nooses around a tree, which is very insulting, and it caused a lot of tension. I guess you never know what you will do in certain situations.

Did they deserve it? Yes...

Should they both be responsible for their actions? Yes...

One party free and the other 20+ years in prison? No...

White vs. Black? Indeed...

This is an injustice.

I might have my details wrong. Someone had a gun, period.

Answer 1

A timeline leading up to the Jena 6
In the front yard at a high school in Jena, Louisiana, with a total population of 4,000, there sits a tree. This is "the white tree", where only white students sit during breaks.

In September of 2006, a black student asked 'permission' from the school administration, if he could sit under the tree. They said he could sit anywhere.

The very next day, three nooses, in the schools colors, hung from "the white tree".

Three white students were identified as being responsible and the principle recommended they be expelled from school. However, the white superintendent said, "Adolescents play pranks," the superintendent told the Chicago Tribune, "I don't think it was a threat against anybody," and gave them a three day suspension instead.

A few days later, the entire black student body protested the no-nothing 'punishment' and sat under "the white tree". That day the white District Attorney came to Jena High School for an impromptu assembly, with back-up law enforcement. It has been reported that the DA threatened the silent black students who were sitting under the tree, saying if the did not stop making a fuss about the "innocent prank...I can be your best friend or your worst enemy. I can take away your lives with a stroke of my pen." The school was then put on lockdown for the remaining week.

Thursday night, November 30th, 2006, a fire burned down the main academic building of Jena High School. This incident is still unresolved.

Friday night, December 1st, a black student was beaten by a group of white students at a "white party".

Saturday, December 2nd, at the Gotta Go convenience store, the black student who was beaten up the night before, along with his friends, ran into one of the white students who beat him. A confrontation broke out and the white student went to his vehicle to get his shotgun. The black students wrestled the shotgun away from him and brought it to the police department and told them of the incident. The black students were arrested for stealing the gun. The white student was not charged.

Monday, December 4th, 2006, a white student, Justin Barker, was attacked at school by a group of black students for taunting them with racial slurs and verbally supporting the nooses that were hung on "the white tree" and also supporting the white students who beat up the black student at the party. He was treated at a hospital and released the same day, attending a social function that evening.

Six black students were arrested for beating Barker, and charged with attempted second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. These charges hold a possible sentence of twenty to one hundred years in prison. They were all immediately expelled from school.

17-year-old Robert Bailey Junior -bail was set at $138,000 17-year-old Theo Shaw - bail was set at $130,000
18-year-old Carwin Jones - bail was set at $100,000
17-year-old Bryant Purvis - bail was set at $70,000
16 year old Mychal Bell - bail was set at $90,000 (a sophomore in high school, was charged as an adult)
There remains another unidentified minor

Mychal Bell remained in jail from December 2006 until his trial because his family was unable to post the $90,000 bond. Theo Shaw has also remained in jail. Several of the other defendants remained in jail for months until their families could raise the money for bond.

In the local paper, the 'incident' was reported as fact and the white DA Reed Walters published a statement saying, "When you are convicted, I will seek the maximum penalty allowed by law."


. . . .
On July 31st, 2007, Mychal Bell will be sentenced. He is facing up to twenty-two years in prison.

The remaining five students await their trial on charges of attempted second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. They face up to 100 years in prison."

The white student who was beaten at the convenience store was later arrested for bringing a hunting rifle loaded with 13 bullets onto a high school campus. He was released on $5000 bond. The white man who beat up the black youth at the off-campus party was arrested and charged with battery.

The white students who hung up the nooses in "the white tree" have never been charged.

Answer 2

I'm so sad and angry and disillusioned. Maybe this is naive, but I hoped situations like this one didn't exist anymore. Obviously there's still racism, but this $hit is like we're back in the '50s. I think it's ridiculous, especially when you look at the disparity between how the black kids were charged and how the white kids were charged. This whole country should stand up and demand a change of venue, and a revision of the facts if that's possible at this point. White Jena citizens should be absolutely ashamed of themselves. Aw, d@mn, now I'm worked up again...

I'm sorry, I have to add something after reading some of these responses, especially ebola whatever. Anyone should be disturbed at the handling of these events. Hanging nooses in a tree is not a silly prank, and if it had happened to your grandpa you would agree. You can't ignore the violence that happened before the "Jena 6" incident, which was itself retaliation for a black student being beat up by a group of white students. Even before that, there were numerous fights and incidents, including a white man pulling a shotgun on black youths in a convenience store. They wrestled it from him and ran away, and were later charged with theft (!). Back to the incident at hand, no one is saying that anybody's innocent - both white and black have done things they should be held accountable for, no doubt. However, when the white kid got beat up, he spent a couple of hours in the hospital and was in church that evening, where his friends reported that he seemed fine. So how, by any stretch of the imagination, can you charge these 6 boys with attempted second-degree murder?! If the kid was in a coma on life support in the hospital, I could see how that charge would fit. But the fact is that the group of white kids who jumped a black kid got only misdemeanor assault charges, and the Jena 6 are on trial for murder. If America is indeed the equal, civilized society we claim to be, we will step up and say that this is not right. We have to, or we're all just cowards and liars who put on a false front about equality and justice for all.

Answer 3

i do no longer accept as true with battling whether it is black on white, white on black or races against one yet another, yet while it come to this actual problem racism performs a brilliant section. there's no way you're completely attentive to each and all the incidents that occurred previous to this attack. in case you probably did, you does not have published this question or you're racist your self. This international continues to be racially divided and equality for all does not exist. If this infant basically approximately died, why become he out at a function that comparable evening. shouldn't he have been in ICU???? African human beings are nonetheless battling for equivalent rights and that's what the protest is all approximately. understand the info in the previous ranting and raving.

Answer 4

You know, we can only do so much. The saying "Lord help me control the things i can control and don't worry about the things i can't control." Just leave it God's hands Trust Me Justice will get served no matter how long it takes. I haven't heard nothing about since Melanie W.

Answer 5

It p!$$e$ me off!!! I hate that I really can't do more. I signed the petition and I posted a blog and many bulletins about it on myspace so that others would know and would also sign the petition. But, I can't go there and rally or send any money to help. It just P!$$E$ ME OFF!!!

Answer 6

It's been a real eye opener, that's for sure. It's made me realize that your people will always stick up other others in your race no matter how wrong they are. And that your people are evidently unable to see the difference between a silly prank and a vicious 6 on 1 attack.

Answer 7

that jena 6 incident pissed me off. im mexican and it hurts to see anyone from any race be treated unfairly by this bias goverment. thats whats wrong with america.

Answer 8

It hasn't really affected me really


*** I mean, no doubt it is an injustice and wrong, however it is not rousing up emotions in me that you are feeling. You are feeling very emotional, I however am not

Answer 9

I'm saddened by it. I don't see how six guys can beat one guy, regardless of the motivation, can be acceptable. They should be punished for their deeds, not freed. One must be responsible for one's own actions.

Answer 10

It doesn't. I think this is really stupid.