<p>From Post17 If there is such a law, please reference it. Please tell us specifically how these men committed a criminal act… </p>
<p>I thought I made it clear that I was assuming that No. Car had a lewd dancing law. I then went on to make a larger point.</p>
<p>It is unfortunate that the fact I was making an assumption was not clear to you. If you wish, and feel it is necessary for you to understand my larger point, post back and I will go into more detail and try explain the larger point in a way that you can better understand.</p>
<p>Brandishing a weapon is a felony. In many states, there is a mandatory prison sentence for this offense. Not sure what other charges would come into play regarding possession by a minor, etc… What happened after the weapon was brandished shouldn’t mitigate.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, by overstepping boundaries, the authorities in Jena may have tainted this whole case such that any punishment of Bell may not happen. But let’s be clear about something. No one FORCED parish authorities to bring inappropriate charges against this kid; no one forced the judge to allow these charges to stand and no one forced a jury to convict this kid on what they should have known were inappropriate charges; no one forced local and school authorities to turn a blind eye to racist and segregationist acts committed on school property; no one forced law enforcement to make a cursory and inadequate investigation of the beating of black kid by whites or the brandishing of a weapon by a white against a black and no one forced law enforcement to ignore the crime of brandishing a weapon to focus on a theft charge.</p>
<p>These were all abuses of authority made by choice with the tacit approval of the community, except for those in the community without power to change those choices.</p>
<p>Much as I don’t like Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson, they didn’t make the Jena authorities screw this one up. The national attention may cause Bell to receive no punishment for his actions, but he’s not the only one who would be walking away from these events unpunished.</p>
<p>LaxAttack, I’m willing to concede that some [much, most?] of the information coming out Jena has a spin to it, one way or the other. Nevertheless, a statement that the beating victim (Justin) was mouthing racial insults just prior the the beating makes me hypothesize that the fight just didn’t start serendiptiously or without motive. That doesn’t justify a brutal beating, but as has been said, the primary question in this matter is ‘was there impartial justice?’ meted out by the County Attorney.</p>
<p>Regarding the brandishing of a weapon: Who says it wasn’t brandished in self deffense? You have one persons word against another and we are to assume that, because of the school board, police, justice system being racist that EVERYONE WHO SAW THIS INCIDENT is racist? That’s one helluva leap to make. </p>
<p>And furthermore it’s not a crime to use racial slurs. Surely the kid mouthed off and got what was coming to him (in my opinion) but that still doesn’t negate the fact that these kids beat up on a fellow kid 6 -v- 1, including stomping on his head. </p>
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<p>I never said they did. However what jackson/sharpton tend to do is polarize an event. When I hear about these kids and the unjust charges that were brought against them I don’t think it’s fair and I think charges like attempted murder should be dropped but charges like assault/battery, things that clearly took place, should stand. Two wrongs don’t make a right. However when jackson/sharpton get on tv, and call a kid with 4 prior convictions who just got done beating someone a hero (which they did)…and when more and more people call him a hero (which, if u watched yesterday, they were doing) it sickens me and tends to take credibility away from the movement. </p>
<p>Also, just wonder for a minute where jackson/sharpton would be had the colors been reversed. Had it been 6 white kids who jumped a black kid. You think sharpton/jackson would be ok with letting the white kids walk, even though they were provoked? Being “civil rights” leaders doesn’t equate to blindly siding with african americans.</p>
<p>Mychal Bell has been in jail since December of 2006, so even if he were to be released today one could hardly take the position that he has received “no punishment for his actions”. Mary Winkler received 210 days for shooting her husband in the back. Mychal Bell has already served more than that. Sorry, LaxAttack09, but the issue we are really talking about here is that access to the justice system and punishment meted by the justice system is not equal.</p>
<p>LaxAttack, as I learned from a ‘brief lifetime’ in politics, and as any informed advocate will tell you, follow the lead of an opportunist, especially when he agrees with your objective and can get something done.</p>
<p>That’s great soccer-mom but something tells me that after 5 convictions, 3 of which are assault and battery, you do a little more then 9 months. Also I found this a bit interesting: apparently hate speech is protected by the Supreme Court in RAV v. St. Paul. It’s about hate speech cross burning… held that hate speech (or actions) couldn’t be singled out: <a href=“http://supct.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/90-7675.ZS.html[/url]”>http://supct.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/90-7675.ZS.html</a> I think it shows maybe these kids couldn’t have been criminally charged but they for sure, without a doubt, should have been expelled (and would have in most normal states, save backwards lousiana). </p>
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<p>If this is all we were talking about then that would be ok. The problem is many of those who protested yesterday were calling Bell a hero and saying he should be released now. He’s not a hero, he’s a criminal convicted of 5 violent crimes.</p>
<p>Why do some people feel compelled to work so hard to avoid what is truly at stake here. It just must be exhausting. The issue isn’t Bell being called a hero and it is not his prior record. It is fair application of the law.</p>
<p>So do as you suggested Lax…turn the case around. If the boy beaten had been black and the minor assailants white, do you think those white kids would be charged, as adults, with attempted murder?</p>
<p>Oh wait!! That did happen. And no… they weren’t.</p>
<p>To likes of 1of42, stop excusing criminal behaviour of bad people. You find bad,evil people everywhere, some of them even looked like young,high school students.</p>
<p>People are missing the real story with this case. The real story is that many African Americans are so busy looking for racial discrimination that they are willing to support a bunch of thugs if it means that get to scream racism. It sort of reminds me of the great number of African Americans who supported OJ after he murdered two people. </p>
<p>The good news is that the level of institutional racism simply isn’t that great any more.</p>
<p>The bad news is that we can still find places where nooses can be hung from trees and parts of a campus can be designated as ‘whites only’, and white MEN can beat up a black kid…and the school board and local authorities think it’s nothing more than ‘hijinks’. And where blacks who dare lay a hand on a white kid can find themselves charged with attempted murder.</p>
<p>I don’t really think anyone has to look too-too far to find the racism in this case. </p>
<p>Btw…Comparing this case to the OJ case is a reaction I find strangely similar in tenor to Sharpton calling black kid a hero. Neither are accurate and both reveal a prejudicial, extreme pov.</p>
In other words, any view other than yours is a racist view. Actually, your view is the racist one because you presume racism where none exits. </p>
<p>Are you telling me African Americans still would have come to OJ’s defense had he been a white person who killed two black person? The people who supported OJ in his first trial supported him because of his race and not because of his behavior. That is called racism, BTW.</p>
<p>edvest: Give me a break. Let me tell you something: if I were a black kid, and someone like Barker made the comments he is alleged to have made (and I say this in the most sardonic of ways, because I think it’s almost certain he said those things), and I overheard, he’d be in for the beating of his life.</p>
<p>However, I never excused their actions.If you had bothered to read my posts, you would’ve noticed that I said they should be charged with and convicted of assault, and given a mild sentence to reflect the circumstances in which the assault took place (in which they were essentially victimized by the entire judicial apparatus of a town).</p>
<p>ldmom is being very reasonable here. Look at the facts. Look at the huge disparity between the charges of the white students (and, for that matter, unrelated white MEN), vs. the charges laid on the 6 black students. Look at that, and tell me you don’t see a massive injustice there.</p>
<p>But let’s try a little thought experiment. What would you say if I told you that the beating was just supposed to be a harmless prank, and they didn’t think any harm would result? Would you buy that argument, or be appalled? Because that’s exactly the kind of crap that led to this incident.</p>
<p>Is the goal here to punish someone or root out racsm and hatred and heal a community. At this point I don’t really care who is guilty of what. Things spun entirely out of hand in a small town because of ignorance intolerance and a lack of mutual respect all the way around, though for sure some are more guilty than others.</p>
<p>I don’t think this is a problem that can or should be solved with courts and prisons. We need the adults in this community to come together and reflect on what kind of world they want want to live in. I don’t think the one they have right now is it, but if it is then a pox on both their houses.</p>
<p>razorsharp - Are you telling me that if 6 white juveniles had beat up a black juvenile in Jena, Louisiana they would be charged with attempted murder? If you can honestly say you believe this is true, then maybe you have a prayer in defending the application of laws by the parish prosecutor as ‘fair’ and therefore making a convincing argument that I ‘presume racism where none exists’.</p>
<p>This argument is circular. But I will say…just because the black jurors in the OJ trial were biased (not racist) doesn’t mean racist acts did not occur in the Jena Louisiana community.</p>
<p>Sokkermom - I hardly think the incident in Alec is justification for everyone to stifle their outrage at what occurred in Jena. If not for the intense media scrutiny and public pressure, that black kid would be headed to prison for 22 years. Do you honestly think that would be right?</p>
I don’t know. I have not met the prosecutor. Your post suggests you believe the answer would be that the 6 white juveniles would not be charged with attempted murder. How do you know this?</p>
<p>Can you explain how being “biased” because of race is not racism? I don’t understand the difference. It seems to me that if an employer hires whites because he is biased in favor of whites, the employer is a racist and has engaged in racism. Am I missing something?</p>