Jena, LA Bruhaha....

CrazyFlamingos · 09-20-2007, 10:10 AM

Never mind. I found the shotgun part. This just isn't right. Some kid pulls a shotgun out in a public place and the kid who disarms him is charged with robbery?

Quote:

Bailey exchanged words with a white student who had been at the party. The white boy ran back to his truck and pulled out a pistol grip shotgun. Bailey ran after him and wrestled him for the gun.

After some scuffling, Bailey and his friends took the gun away and brought it home. Bailey was eventually charged with theft of a firearm, second-degree robbery and disturbing the peace. The white student who pulled the weapon was not charged at all.

NPR : Beating Charges Split La. Town Along Racial Lines

waitingtables · 09-20-2007, 10:19 AM

Right. But here is the article so everyone knows what was reported.

The chain of events leading up to the Jena Six arrests began with an old oak known as the "white tree" in the middle of the Jena High School campus. According to news accounts, by twisted tradition, the shade of the tree's spreading branches was reserved for White students only. In September 2006, a Black freshman asked if Black students could sit under the tree. The administrators said that Black students could sit where they liked.

Shortly after the query, several Black students gathered under the tree. The following day, three hangman's nooses were looped over one of its boughs. There's no mistaking the symbolism of this act. It recalls warnings of impending violence by the Ku Klux Klan and other vicious White terrorist groups permitted to flourish in the South for more than a century.

Despite the seriousness of their act, the three White students responsible were merely suspended for three days and given a verbal reprimand. The principal's recommendation of expulsion was overruled by the superintendent of schools who thought that was too harsh a punishment for an adolescent "prank." Tensions escalated in the town of about 3,000 where the number of African Americans is around 350. Black students tempered their outrage at the nooses and the school superintendent’s lenient treatment of the offending students by staging a peaceful protest at the tree.

Somehow, District Attorney Walters perceived a danger to the public, not in the nooses, but in the protests against them. Instead of attempting to bring the parties together and calming the agitated atmosphere, he made things worse by calling a school assembly accompanied by local law enforcement officials. Directing an ominous threat toward the Black students, he said, "I can be your best friend or worst enemy. I can take away your lives with a stroke of a pen."

Walters didn't help matters by winking at White violence like the beating of a Black student attempting to attend a White Friday night party in December 2006 — the incident was very much related to the school events. The next day a White Jena graduate confronted a group of Black youths at a convenience store with a shotgun. Fortunately, they wrestled the weapon away from him without injury but were arrested for assault and stealing the gun. The gun owner was not charged with a crime.

The racial tension in the town came to a head on Monday, December 4, when Justin Barker, a White student who was vocally supportive of the noose hangers and called Black students "niggers," was beaten by some Black students. Barker went to the hospital was released the same day and attended a ring ceremony that evening. The six Black youths involved in the incident were arrested and initially charged with attempted murder. None of the Jena Six has a prior police record.

In a July trial that turned justice on its head, Mychal Bell was convicted as an adult of aggravated second-degree battery and conspiracy. He was found guilty by an all-White jury in a trial presided over by a White judge. District Attorney Walters argued that Bell's tennis shoes were deadly weapons because they were used to kick Barker.

On September 4, Judge J.P. Mauffray threw out the conspiracy conviction against Bell. He also granted a defense motion that trying Bell as an adult was improper and agreed that he should have been tried as a juvenile. But the judge let stand the conviction on aggravated second-degree battery, which means Bell may be condemned to a prison term of up to 15 years at his sentencing hearing on September 20.

(I just wanted to state that this article is incorrect about none of the 6 having a previous record, Bell does in fact.)

chandon12 · 09-20-2007, 11:25 AM

Well, I think there's been some really healthy discussions regarding the injustices on both sides of this case.

But I still feel Mychal Bell should serve a sentence for what he did. After all, he did break the law, more than once and LA law is just that, the law of that land. And the gang of 6 against 1, c'mon, this is more than a schoolyard fight and any reasonable person knows that.

I am perplexed as to why there were no black jurors. I know for a fact prior to serving on a jury you go through a battery of questions to make sure you are completely unbiased.

Hopefully after the kid is sentenced today there will not be any riots.

CrazyFlamingos · 09-20-2007, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chandon12

And the gang of 6 against 1, c'mon, this is more than a schoolyard fight and any reasonable person knows that.

I guess that I am unreasonable then. I would say that a kid who deliberately taunts members of a school clique, be it black, white or purple, might expect to be set upon by more than one member of that clique.

garysher · 09-20-2007, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrazyFlamingos

I guess that I am unreasonable then. I would say that a kid who deliberately taunts members of a school click, be it black, white or purple, might expect to be set upon by more than one member of that click.

That's "CLIQUE"

chandon12 · 09-20-2007, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrazyFlamingos

I guess that I am unreasonable then. I would say that a kid who deliberately taunts members of a school click, be it black, white or purple, might expect to be set upon by more than one member of that click.

As Judge Judy would say " sticks and stones may break my bones, etc".... Namecalling doesnt justify violence, period.

As many times I've been called faggot, and fruitcake etc ( especially by some on that nasty Yahoo! board, who even post here new...) , it wouldnt be right of me to physical attack someone for that.

CrazyFlamingos · 09-20-2007, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by garysher

That's "CLIQUE"

Graduated to spelling police, Gary?

pensacola_niceman · 09-20-2007, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chandon12

As Judge Judy would say " sticks and stones may break my bones, etc".... Namecalling doesnt justify violence, period.

As many times I've been called faggot, and fruitcake etc ( especially by some on that nasty Yahoo! board, who even post here new...) , it wouldnt be right of me to physical attack someone for that.

Why not? You shouldn't have to put up with being called names. As for Judge Judy, that phrase works well for a 5 year old, but not adults.

CrazyFlamingos · 09-20-2007, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chandon12

As Judge Judy would say " sticks and stones may break my bones, etc".... Namecalling doesnt justify violence, period.

As many times I've been called faggot, and fruitcake etc ( especially by some on that nasty Yahoo! board, who even post here new...) , it wouldnt be right of me to physical attack someone for that.

I agree that the violence was not justified.

But that still doesn't mean that it was anything more than a schoolyard fight.

garysher · 09-20-2007, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrazyFlamingos

Graduated to spelling police, Gary?

Just the facts ma'am.

Especially with all these people insisting that Americans should all speak English!