TwentySeven Posted September 8, 2007 Share Posted September 8, 2007 Help eliminate racism! http://www.colorofchange.org/jena/message.html Last fall in Jena, Louisiana, the day after two Black high school students sat beneath the "white tree" on their campus, nooses were hung from the tree. When the superintendent dismissed the nooses as a "prank," more Black students sat under the tree in protest. The District Attorney then came to the school accompanied by the town's police and demanded that the students end their protest, telling them, "I can be your best friend or your worst enemy... I can take away your lives with a stroke of my pen." A series of white-on-black incidents of violence followed, and the DA did nothing. But when a white student was beaten up in a schoolyard fight, the DA responded by charging six black students with attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder. It's a story that reads like one from the Jim Crow era, when judges, lawyers and all-white juries used the justice system to keep blacks in "their place"--but it's happening today. The families of these young men are fighting back, but the odds are stacked against them. Together, we can make sure their story is told, that this becomes an issue for the Governor of Louisiana, and that justice is provided for the Jena 6. It starts now. Please add your voice: http://www.colorofchange.org/jena/ The noose-hanging incident and the DA's visit to the school set the stage for everything that followed. Racial tension escalated over the next couple of months, and on November 30, the main academic building of Jena High School was burned down in an unsolved fire. Later the same weekend, a black student was beaten up by white students at a party. The next day, black students at a convenience store were threatened by a young white man with a shotgun. They wrestled the gun from him and ran away. While no charges were filed against the white man, the students were arrested for the theft of the gun. That Monday at school, a white student, who had been a vocal supporter of the students who hung the nooses, taunted the black student who was beaten up at the off-campus party and allegedly called several black students "nigger." After lunch, he was knocked down, punched and kicked by black students. He was taken to the hospital but was released and was well enough to go to a social event that evening. Six Black Jena High students, Robert Bailey (17), Theo Shaw (17), Carwin Jones (18), Bryant Purvis (17), Mychal Bell (16) and an unidentified minor, were expelled from school, arrested and charged with second-degree attempted murder. Bail was set so high -- between $70,000 and $138,000 -- that the boys were left in prison for months as families went deep into debt to release them. The first trial ended last month, and Mychal Bell, who has been in prison since December, was convicted of aggravated battery and conspiracy to commit aggravated battery (both felonies) by an all-white jury in a trial where his public defender called no witnesses. During his trial, Mychal's parents were ordered not to speak to the media and the court prohibited protests from taking place near the courtroom or where the judge could see them. Mychal is scheduled to be sentenced on July 31st, and could go to jail for 22 years.5 Theo Shaw's trial is next. He will finally make bail this week. The Jena Six are lucky to have parents and loved ones who are fighting tooth and nail to free them. They have been threatened but they are standing strong. We know that if the families have to go it alone, their sons will be a long time coming home. They will lose precious years to Jena's outrageous attempt to maintain a racist status quo. But if we act now, we can make a difference. Please add your voice to the voices of these families in Jena, and help bring Mychal, Theo, Robert, Carwin, and Bryant home. By clicking below, you can demand that Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco get involved to make sure that justice is served for Mychal Bell, and that DA Reed Walters drop the charges against the 5 boys who have not yet gone to trial. http://www.colorofchange.org/jena/ Thank You and Peace, -- James, Van, Gabriel, Clarissa, and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team July 17th, 2007 I just found out about this today, but this kind of racism just goes to show that even though we think that we are past the days of the Jim Crow laws and the slavery, we still have lots of room to improve. Sign the petition! http://www.colorofchange.org/jena/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superciuc Posted September 8, 2007 Share Posted September 8, 2007 signed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkB Posted September 8, 2007 Share Posted September 8, 2007 Signed. Unbelievable. I sincerely hope someone goes to jail for this - and not the guys who are lined up for trial right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tebjr Posted September 8, 2007 Share Posted September 8, 2007 signed. The DA should have been one of those with a noose around his neck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abc006 Posted September 8, 2007 Share Posted September 8, 2007 This is absoloutely disgusting, it's shameful that things like this still go on today. edit: This should be stickied. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SESbb30 Posted September 8, 2007 Share Posted September 8, 2007 jesus, signed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkB Posted September 8, 2007 Share Posted September 8, 2007 This should be stickied. I agree, done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yankee4Life Posted September 8, 2007 Share Posted September 8, 2007 I agree, done. While this is a good cause, you guys ought to know that this is just a petition on the Internet. And petitions mean nothing. :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abc006 Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070920/ap_on_re_us/school_fight Also, my school held a "protest" kind of event, where about 75% of the school wore black today to support the Jena Six. It was awesome. Look at this crap: "All of us in America want there to be, you know, fairness when it comes to justice." Fairness when it comes to justice? You know, fairness. When it comes to justice. Eloquent choice of words, there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seanzarelli Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 Am I the only one that doesn't care about this whole ordeal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abc006 Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 Am I the only one that doesn't care about this whole ordeal?Yeah, probably, I don't know why either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrDudleyDoWright Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 Signed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pirate Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 Some of what is left out in all these "stories" about the Jena 6 is as follows: According to Reuters, the students who hung the nooses were suspended after intially being scheduled for expulsion. No criminal charges can be brought against them federally or by the state because both the US and state have it written that a hate group (like the KKK) must be tied to the incident. No organization as such is connected to the nooses. The Houston Chronicle reports that Bell, Bailey, Shaw and Jones all have previous criminal records. They beat a kid and sent him to the hospital. Charges were brought about for several reason. What they did (assualt) is against the law and by filing charges those committing the crime are responsible in the future for damages (bills, injury, etc.) inflicted on the beat-up kid. Also how do you determine if it is a white tree? Was it a beech tree with white bark, or a white oak? Because a tree isn't racial. The charges against the beaters have been reduced. And the one convicted, Bell, his ruling has been overturned. It's a shame that racism exists in our country, but like all other prejuidices, racism will never be eradicated. When blacks, latinos and all other races stop being racist, the whites will too. As in never. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HardcoreLegend Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 jesus, signed. Thank you, your holiness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seanzarelli Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 Pirate sums it up pretty well, which is the reasoning behind my first post in this thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abc006 Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 The Houston Chronicle reports that Bell, Bailey, Shaw and Jones all have previous criminal records.Your point? Also how do you determine if it is a white tree? Was it a beech tree with white bark, or a white oak? Because a tree isn't racial.Are you serious? The point is that some students apparently labeled that tree as the tree for the white students only, obviously it's not a beech tree with white bark or something... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kccitystar Posted September 22, 2007 Share Posted September 22, 2007 If anything, they should protest not to free the boys but to protest against the inequality of the judicial system in the south. The thing that white people don't get is that black people don't want special treatment, they want equal rights and this is a case that highlights in a manner as clear as day that disparity between whites and blacks. The fact that white people refuse to accept this and continue to view race as an issue of "us vs. them" is the crux of the reason why racism will always exist in this damn country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrooklynNets24 Posted September 22, 2007 Share Posted September 22, 2007 Some kid in my school who is "White" Got his *** beat last week by "Black" kids....The Reason: He owns Jeep Wrangler with at least 25 Confederate flags and has a big sticker on his front window that says "We fought the first war on terror" and he also has a pretty big Confederate flag on his antenna. Anyways if i read that story clear. The protest is to free the kids who beat the hell out of the White kid? Or is it to fight Racism? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Friedman Posted September 22, 2007 Share Posted September 22, 2007 The Jena 6 should still be punished. However, the "white" kids should also be severely punished for their part in the role. The Jena 6 shouldn't be freed, since they did break the law. However, the "white" kids broke the law, and should be punished too. It's sad that there is still this kind of racism today, but unfortunately, it will never go away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ixcuincle Posted September 22, 2007 Share Posted September 22, 2007 Agreed , punishment should be dished out equally. How can one group of people have a harsher punishment , and another group who was also responsible get a more lax "slap on the wrist"? As the Pledge says : "Liberty and Justice for All". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sobehound Posted September 22, 2007 Share Posted September 22, 2007 I dont get it. Isnt assault illegal no matter what? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UncleMo Posted September 22, 2007 Share Posted September 22, 2007 If anything, they should protest not to free the boys but to protest against the inequality of the judicial system in the south. Everyone thinks the south is really bad. It isn't. It is just some states in teh south. Check that, maybe half. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sobehound Posted September 22, 2007 Share Posted September 22, 2007 Oh, missed that post. Thanks Mo, I second that statement as a citizen of the south myself. Plus I love black people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbully Posted September 22, 2007 Share Posted September 22, 2007 If anything, they should protest not to free the boys but to protest against the inequality of the judicial system in the south. speaking of prejudices - this coming from someone who has never been to the South. Not trying to start **** just showing how conceptions are often based on other's opinions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pirate Posted September 22, 2007 Share Posted September 22, 2007 What the white kids did was against school rules but not against the law. See my first post. The hanging of nooses is not against the law nor is it a hate crime because the kids did not belong to a organization of hate, i.e. the KKK. Socially wrong probably, but not illegal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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