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suburbaknghtI spent the past couple of weeks getting invites to "Free the Jena Six" groups and asking for my support, symbolic or otherwise, for them. I was very perplexed by this. Hadn't they tried to kill someone? Why did people want them freed? I thought I was alone with this until ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
resplendant_sun made a post about this exact point. I was confused about why this was so rare until I did some research into the case and saw what most people probably haven't had reported to them.
The Nooses
In late August 2006 several black students sat under a tree that was normally a white student spot. The next day nooses were hung. The white students responsible for the nooses were originally expelled but the school board reduced the punishment to a three day suspension (thanks,zookgeek). Legal analysis is conflicting but several neutral parties have commented that there is no law under which those hanging the nooses could be prosecuted.
Sit In
Black students may or may not have organized a peaceful sit in under the tree that was broken up by police. Sources are in dispute and there is no direct evidence of the sit in, though there is some circumstantial evidence.
Student Body Address
In September the school district attorney was called in to address the students. Students were reportedly disrespectful and inattentive and the attorney spent more time yelling at them than discussing hate crimes.
School Board Address
In September several black students attempted to address the school board regarding the noose incident. The school boar refused to see them, claiming the issue had already been handled sufficiently.
Arson
In November someone set fire to the main high school building which later had to be demolished. Though no one has been charged, blacks and whites have accused each other. While there is no direct evidence the arson was connected, it seems highly probable.
Fair Barn Party
In December five black students tried to attend a barn party. The party was invite only and most of those inside were white students. A white man who was not a student, started a fight with the black students. After the fight was broken up a group of white men, also non-students, jumped the blacks students. One of the men, Justin Sloan, was later caught and charged with battery but was only sentenced to probation.
Convenience Store
The next day an argument occurred between white and black students in front of a local convenience store. Accounts are conflicting but it is clear guns were produced though not used and all parties were disarmed, though most likely a struggle was involved.
The Assault
Two days later, six black students nicknamed the Jena Six, attacked white student Justin Baker from behind. They beat him on the ground, only stopping after Baker was unconscious. Baker was taken to the hospital and treated though he was released within two hours to attend his high school ring ceremony (NB: pain later forced baker to leave the ceremony and seek additional treatment). The black students were charged with assault which the district attorney later upped to second-degree murder.
The Trial
Mychal Bell, who had previously been convicted of four violent crimes, was found guilty of several accounts of battery and property damage and faced sentencing up to twenty-two years. His court-appointed attorney defended him in a rather inexpert manner, not calling a single witness and permitting a high school friend of the victim's father onto the jury. This conviction has been subsequently overturned.
Current State
The charges against the other students have been reduced to aggravated second-degree battery and conspiracy to commit same.
Obviously the incident was but one in a string of racially-motivated crimes and it has been rather inexpertly handled. Clearly the black students were treated far, far harsher than any of the whites involved. None of this justifies assault and there is no other word for six students attacking one student from behind. Attempted murder is a blatant lie (this is not to say death could not have occurred but it was not the intention by any stretch) but this was a crime and it would be a dangerous injustice to free the Jena Six.
Just because racism occurred is no reason to forget everything that happened. Racism is dealt with by addressing problems, not excusing them.
resplendant_sun made a post about this exact point. I was confused about why this was so rare until I did some research into the case and saw what most people probably haven't had reported to them.The Nooses
In late August 2006 several black students sat under a tree that was normally a white student spot. The next day nooses were hung. The white students responsible for the nooses were originally expelled but the school board reduced the punishment to a three day suspension (thanks,
zookgeek). Legal analysis is conflicting but several neutral parties have commented that there is no law under which those hanging the nooses could be prosecuted.Sit In
Black students may or may not have organized a peaceful sit in under the tree that was broken up by police. Sources are in dispute and there is no direct evidence of the sit in, though there is some circumstantial evidence.
Student Body Address
In September the school district attorney was called in to address the students. Students were reportedly disrespectful and inattentive and the attorney spent more time yelling at them than discussing hate crimes.
School Board Address
In September several black students attempted to address the school board regarding the noose incident. The school boar refused to see them, claiming the issue had already been handled sufficiently.
Arson
In November someone set fire to the main high school building which later had to be demolished. Though no one has been charged, blacks and whites have accused each other. While there is no direct evidence the arson was connected, it seems highly probable.
Fair Barn Party
In December five black students tried to attend a barn party. The party was invite only and most of those inside were white students. A white man who was not a student, started a fight with the black students. After the fight was broken up a group of white men, also non-students, jumped the blacks students. One of the men, Justin Sloan, was later caught and charged with battery but was only sentenced to probation.
Convenience Store
The next day an argument occurred between white and black students in front of a local convenience store. Accounts are conflicting but it is clear guns were produced though not used and all parties were disarmed, though most likely a struggle was involved.
The Assault
Two days later, six black students nicknamed the Jena Six, attacked white student Justin Baker from behind. They beat him on the ground, only stopping after Baker was unconscious. Baker was taken to the hospital and treated though he was released within two hours to attend his high school ring ceremony (NB: pain later forced baker to leave the ceremony and seek additional treatment). The black students were charged with assault which the district attorney later upped to second-degree murder.
The Trial
Mychal Bell, who had previously been convicted of four violent crimes, was found guilty of several accounts of battery and property damage and faced sentencing up to twenty-two years. His court-appointed attorney defended him in a rather inexpert manner, not calling a single witness and permitting a high school friend of the victim's father onto the jury. This conviction has been subsequently overturned.
Current State
The charges against the other students have been reduced to aggravated second-degree battery and conspiracy to commit same.
Obviously the incident was but one in a string of racially-motivated crimes and it has been rather inexpertly handled. Clearly the black students were treated far, far harsher than any of the whites involved. None of this justifies assault and there is no other word for six students attacking one student from behind. Attempted murder is a blatant lie (this is not to say death could not have occurred but it was not the intention by any stretch) but this was a crime and it would be a dangerous injustice to free the Jena Six.
Just because racism occurred is no reason to forget everything that happened. Racism is dealt with by addressing problems, not excusing them.
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no subject
Date: 2007-09-21 04:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-21 04:13 pm (UTC)Not racism my ass.
no subject
Date: 2007-09-21 04:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-21 04:34 pm (UTC)I agree with you on a lot of this. After seeing the posters I went and did a bunch of research, and none of the surrounding facts are obvious from the campaign being promoted right now.