Free the Jena Six? Not exactly....?

Question

Something troubles me about this case. People are protesting asking to "Free" the Jena Six. For me, that is a problem.

Do I think they were treated completely fairly (Especially when there have been other incidents between black/white students in Jena on and off campus)? No.

But let's not pretend these guys are innocent, boys and girls, they laid the smackdown on some guy in a 6-1 fight.

Micheal Bell, who already has several offenses on his record, should NOT be made into a symbol for civil rights struggles.

Should they get a fair trial and perhaps see the charges and jail time reduced...I think so.

Should they walk off scott free....I think not.

Doing that would just perpetuate the double standard some people see so intent on seeing erased.

I live in Alexandria Louisiana and have followed this case from the BEGINNING

I know what's going on.

Answer 1

Good point and well said. I don't think the charges initially made against these kids are fair (2nd degree attempted murder), but let's also be fair about what occurred. Race aside....don't look at color...one kid is knocked unconcious, while he lies helpless on the floor, he is kicked and beaten by 6 other kids...now I'm not saying the victim here is without fault..he reportedly taunted the kid that hit him first (Bell), but is that a justifiable reason to beat him to that point. Nope. Yes, the nooses hung in the tree were offensive and wrong, but the kid who was beaten did not hang the nooses, so people can stop blaming him for that. and everyone keeps saying that he "attended a social function" after the beating. he went to a ring ceremony with his parents where he received his class ring, his mother walked him up to get the ring and helped him place it on his finger. he then left the "social function" due to the pain in his swollen and bruised face. he was not, as so many claim, out partying it up with his buddies "hours after the alleged attack." these kids created a violent crime. Bell has 4 previous charges against him. it's time at least he began to pay for his mistakes....the other kids should at least get some type of probation and community service. the same thing the guy at the party received for attacking Bell......don't "free the jena 6" no questions asked, each kid who played a part in this ridiculous "racial" fighting should be held responsible for his/her actions...both black and white....

if you're gonna make a hero or symbol of civil rights struggles out of someone, pick a deserving someone....

Answer 2

I am so glad I looked at the unbiased cnn report about the Jena six. One of the few networks that even bothered to go in-depth about the charges against the six boys. I can tell all of you that say that those who support the Jena six want them to get off scott free that those statements are not true. What we want is for all parties involved in this mess to be treated fairly the charges against the Jena six are excessive. Now it is unclear how many of them even laid a hand on the victim. What alarms me is that one of the Jena six saw Justin being beaten from a distance and he ended up being charged with attempted murder. That makes me question if the some of the others were witnesses to what happened and are now charged. What amazed me the most was that the prosecution put on the stand as witnesses against Michael Bell were one or all the three students that hung the nooses on the tree? They are not even credible witnesses they clearly have a bias. In Jena and other places it's looked at more severely if the assault comes from one race of people versus another. I do applaud the principal that tried but was not allowed to enforce the suspension of the three students that hung the nooses but he was overruled by the superindent. That would have calmed down a lot of racial tension by showing the town that the school would not tolerate that type of behavior. The world is watching us and they have always watched how we get along with each other. United we stand divided we fall this is not something that we should be divided on it goes beyond race it's about judicial fairness. The charges are excessive and the kids if they were all involved should be charged with assault as minors anything else is excessive. The others should face charges as well no adult should touch a child and get away with it. Like another poster said this is just like the Duke case an overzealous DA on the loose. The girl that falsely accused those students in the Duke case should have been charged and convicted of filing a false police report. She should have to pay all the boys attorney fees and she should have jail time. Rape is a serious crime it is a slap in the face to all rape victims when you lie about being raped. It all boils down to common sense the charges were excessive the punishment should fit the crime.

Answer 3

To a large extent, the time they served (especially Bell) may exceed the time that they would have been sentenced to serve, in which case "freeing" them is not the same thing as walking off scott free. Also, these boys should have been serving time in a juvenile facility, as they were 16 at the time of the crime, and Louisiana doesn't charge you as an adult until you're 17--UNLESS you're a black boy in Jena, apparently.

I agree that nobody should get a free pass. But if you look at the timeline of events that led up to this beating, you'll see that in several cases, white boys--even white MEN--were in deed getting just that. A white man who attacked a black boy with a broken bottle was given probation. Another white boy who pulled a rifle on some black boys wasn't charged, while the three black boys who wrestled the gun away from him were charged with assault and robbery.

Hopefully, the media attention the Jena 6 are getting will shed light into these other inequities, and that area of Lousiana will finally have to clean up its act. And for that, I'm grateful for the media circus.

Answer 4

IMO the "Jena 6" shows the failure of the school system and not the court law.

Since all are "Minor's" by the legal definition then the discipline naturally falls onto the parents, community, and school. Since the school is paid for by the local taxpayers I think they should be trying to break the school board and not protesting to free someone who used violent rage to satisfy revenge.

Since those (all) involved are using violence it is up to the elders (parents, teachers, school board, and church's) to teach how to react to racism: pro gating racism, and receiving racism.

I don't believe offense's should be "eye 4 eye" ... in this case it is name calling provoking a concussion.

I wonder "IF" Louisian had a "Hate & racial" law if the law would flow both directions which would make the charges against the "Jena 6" that more severe.

Answer 5

I see what exactly what you mean, but some people have biased opinions about what happened in Jena. (The court) I don't see why. I don't know much about what happened or was a bottle really thrown. From what I heard these guys are getting charged for murder because of a shoe. If that was the case then we should just take an Umaga (sorry for using wrestling as an example) approach and not wear any shoes ourselves.
I don't what going to happen next but these kids haven't been to school in months but the kids who have got beaten still goes to school. I think that is messed up, personally.

Answer 6

I will say this...Read the whole story before you say anything. Don't go off of what you heard. READ SOMETHING FIRST!!! I am not going to retell what happened, but all I have to say is that yes they shouldn't go unpunished. But it was a school yard fight and it should be handled at school also can I point out that the "victim" went to the hospital and then left the same night to go to a dance, so he wasn't hurt too bad. Also, fights like this happen all the time in other schools, why couldn't the school do some suspending instead of having these young men in jail for months at a time. I believe they are being treated unfairly.

Answer 7

From everything I read this morning,it's a done deal. The protests and Al Sharpton got their message across. I dont think the right thing is being done,but it appears that the town of Jena is being very clearly blackmailed (no pun intended). This kind of thing will keep happening until everyone else is fed up. Who knows when that will happen.

Answer 8

Everyone of them should be gone till they are at least 21 in the Bell case maybe 25 he should have learned his lesson by now.

The NAACP is crying wolf once to often and they will loose any suport from non blacks if they keep it up.

Answer 9

I agree. Although the court was biased, what they did was still wrong even though the "victim" abused the offenders using racial slurs repeatedly. Even the "victim" should be tried for something ( Not sure if there's a racial slur or Hate Speech law in the US)

Answer 10

Is justice blind? Should you take the law into your own hands when you feel you're not being treated justly? Stupid is as stupid does. Nuke the whole danged town.