Jena 5

1. Almost a year ago, in the small northern Louisiana town of Jena, a group of white students hung three nooses from a tree in front of Jena High School.

2. Directing his remarks to the Black students, District Attorney Reed Walters said, "I can make your lives disappear with a stroke of a pen."

3.The white students who confessed to hanging the nooses never received any meaningful punishment. Nor did the white students who months later beat up a Black student at a school party, nor did the white former student who threatened two Black students with a shotgun. But, after these incidents, when Black students got into a fight with a white student, six Black youths were charged with attempted murder, and now face a lifetime in prison. The white student was briefly hospitalized, but had no major injuries and was socializing with friends at a school ring ceremony the evening of the fight. The accused students may not have been involved in the fight, but they were known to be organizers of the protest under the tree. They were also star athletes in the school football team, and had no history of discipline problems.


4.In Paris Texas, a white teenager burns down her family's home and receives probation, while a Black student shoves a hall monitor and gets 7 years in prison.


This is America in 2007 right ? We're not reading about things that happened in the 50's and 60's, right ?

Please say "right". Please ??!!!

 

Not only is it pitiful, but despicable, disgusting, and ignorant also come to mind. Amazing that it is 2007, almost 2008, and this is still happening! Wake up people! Get a clue! This is not how God intended people to lives their lives- separated from one another because of skin color. :tear: :BangHead:

 

Items 1-3, no doubt IMO, have to do with racism.

Item 4 to me was a different problem. Lots of times--in this country, it's not about race as much as, "can you afford a good lawyer?" In Paris TX, I'm willing to bet there was serious difference in representation (not justifying either action). That's a economic issue more than racial.

That being said, I hope someone cleans house in Jena next election. That place needs help.

 

It's shameful! I'm pretty much speechless.

 

Us "Southerners" are still reaping the seeds that we sowed over 300 years ago---and I'm afraid we'll keep reaping what we sowed until Jesus comes again

Jeremiah spoke of people who "had no shame"---people who do not blush at sin---there's no conviction anymore---hearts are as hard as Pharoah's when he stood face to face with Moses---except we stand face to face with the Lord Jesus Christ and even then---we have no shame!!!

God help us---I wouldn't give you two cents to live in Jena, Louisiana

 

How ignorant, it disgusting.

 

Sad, pathetic, and despicable.

 

Sounds to me like some needs to cut the tree down and put the D.A. on trail for being stupid.

 

Not So quick

I live not far from Jena and ya'll are prejudging this little town. Jena is a wonderful little town that has been smeared. The facts are that these 6 Black teens beat up one white teen. It was not a school yard fight. The news media have distorted this incident and I am not sure it had anything to do with the nooses. The reason it was an all white jury is that no blacks showed up who were summoned for jury duty. The charges were being reduced even before this silly rally. Before you condemn someone, get the facts right.

 

It was not an official White Only Tree by the school. It is kinda like there are certain tables in a school lunch room or school yard where you will see certain groups gather at lunch or break. It was a gathering place for whites. There were nooses there because certain white kids put them up there after some blacks came under the tree. You are right, it was stupid. The school probably did not handle the siuation correctly. I am not saying there isn't racism involved in that incident but I dare say there is no more racism in Jena that Atlanta, New York or L.A. The tree BTW was cut down.

The Jena 6 controversy however is a separate issue. The Jena 6 are not victims. The young man who was beaten upon and stomped unconcious is the only victim. The article which is from a Left Wing socialist site paints a different Jena than I know of as well as distorts the Tree issue.

 

I wish this wasn't viewed so simplistically by the media & general public.

As with most controversies...the "good guys" aren't as pure as the driven snow, and the "bad guys" might not be as evil as some think.

That being said...I'm ashamed of all the racist actions that have taken place in Jena. I'm ashamed of the discrepancies in punishments between the black perps and white perps. It's my prayer that there are some good Christian students, youth leaders, teachers, parents, etc., that are speaking out against these injustices. I hope some of the students there are bucking the trend and learning to look beyond skin color.

Of course, since conflict sells papers...we might not hear about that even if it does happen. But I pray that the Christians will take the lead in moving beyond some of the actions & attitudes we've seen recently.

It's just a shame that the mouthpieces for some of these folks will be the loudmouthed extremists such as Sharpton and the not-so-"reverend" Jackson.

I hope there's some students there with the courage of Daniel that will stand for what God says...not what popular opinion, friends, or raw emotion dictates.

 

I'm afraid the media today is more interested in sensationalizing a story instead of reporting it. They fuel the flames of emotion so that the story becomes part of their own making.

 

Isn't this called the Jena 6?

 

All of the charges were dropped against one of them. I suppose by all of the marching and demonstrations eventually no one will be held accountable for the beating of a boy.

 

If they would only find God they would know what love is. They don't know what it is because they know not God. There is alot to pray for and this is one of them. God bless all of them.