The Jena 6

Parent Cafe
141

<p>Poet, how did you know ? Were you inside the heads of the OJ jurors ? </p>

<p>I have to take people at their words. The words were “what’s the big deal with a couple of dead whites”. Said by one of the juror. All I know is: Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman were denied justice from their graves.</p>

<p>All that erudite waxing from your prose is nothing more than saying nothing black folks ever did were wrong. Even when it’s blatantly wrong, it’s someone else’s fault. White racists are usually the cause of everything that went wrong. You tried to explain away the OJ verdict by saying OJ was on a pedestal and they dont want their figure head taken down, or he was successful…etc. So it was alright, or tolerable, isn’t that what you are saying? If that is so then nothing need change. How about the next trial of that Ohio white woman who were allegedly murder by her violent black boyfriend? He was big cop in a small town. He dealt drug on the side, but that shouldn’t stop some people from looking up to him. Nothing need change.</p>

142

<p>This is a college-oriented board.</p>

<p>Has anyone down there suggested that the real way to achieve opportunities is to actually go to school for the education, instead of the fights? What’s the HS graduation rate in Jena? How many go on to college, as opposed to prison? What are the values there? What are the local and national leaders doing to promote equal opportuinites for students? </p>

<p>Instead of concentrating on these thugs of both sides, where are the leaders who are establishing these types of opportunities? For the young men and women who are not charged with crimes, what is their future? Are there strong educational goals? Or is avoiding prison as good as it gets there? Is this a place where people hang out and forget about school until they are old enough to drop out? </p>

<p>The criminal charges are one thing. But it seems overall as if too many people in this entire town of Jena have way too much time and energy to devote to fighting and yelling. Where are their mamas and papas?</p>

<p>I am speaking about all races down there. And I know that this will now trigger the usual blame game. But does anyone succeed there? Or is it just a giant cesspool of hate on both sides? </p>

<p>Will at least some of these people marching down there now stay for awhile, move in and try to get the place moving up?</p>

<p>My guess is that the average law-abiding citizens of all races there are cringing at the image people have about their town. I bet that most of them do not think that violence is the way to go.</p>

143

<p>I believe razorsharp is claiming that it’s free speech and not a hate crime to hang nooses on a schoolyard to threaten black children.</p>

<p>The DOJ says otherwise. This is what US Attorney Washington said about the nooses at Jena High:</p>

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<p>In other words, the white kids committed a hate crime and got away with it because the feds didn’t bother to prosecute.</p>

144

<p>Evest, Evest, Evest…Do you EVER get tired of putting words in peoples mouths, or making unfounded accusations?</p>

<p>First off, my “erudite waxing” was not in any way meant to “excuse” O.J. Simpson, or the jury that failed to convict him. How you came to interpret my post as saying that “nothing black folks ever did were wrong” is totally beyond me. I DID NOT SAY THAT I THOUGHT THE JURIES DECISION WASN’T WRONG! (Yes, I’m yelling this time!) In fact, given the fact that I said I thought the man was guilty early on, you should instead have come to the conclusion that I thought their decision was dead wrong! I described the crime as “cold blooded slaughter”. Why would I want ANYONE guilty of such a heinous act to walk away free? I merely expressed my personal disappointment in coming to that realization. I’d wanted to believe that the man was innocent like just about every other black person in America. But, I came to believe that the man really did commit that horrific crime. IN NO WAY DID I BELIEVE HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ACQUITTED. Furthermore, nothing I said should have lead you to believe I meant, “Even when it’s blatantly wrong, it’s someone else’s fault”. You read whatever it was that was expedient to your argument into what I wrote, not my actual words.</p>

<p>I was NOT trying to “explain away” the jury’s decision, but rather to put forth a theory of the psychology at work in the decision. I said early in the post: “I’ll tell you what I think was going on with the O.J. Simpson jury”—what I THINK—NOT what absolutely happened. I was speaking from the vantage point of a black person who watched the case with keen interest (along with most of America), and listened to a lot of people within my community talk about the trial. And I can tell you that my impression was that a lot of denial was at work. Most black people vehemently did not want to believe O.J. was capable of such a thing. Rumors and theories about who else may have been responsible for the murders abounded. For instance, some said that they’d heard that O.J. was involved in drugs, and that a Cartel had made good on a threat to kill someone O.J. loved if he didn’t do what they wanted. Wouldn’t you be terribly disappointed if someone you held in high regard was accused of a terrible crime? Wouldn’t you want to extend the benefit of the doubt until there was absolutely no more doubt to extend? That’s all I was saying about the thinking that possibly went on in the minds of the jurors. No, of course I wasn’t actually in the heads of the jurors. Neither, might I add, WERE YOU!</p>

<p>The whole point of my post (#140) was to define “racism” as I understood it, and to posit that the actions of the O.J. Simpson jury did not meet the mark of that definition. I still do not believe they came to the decision they did because of racist feelings toward whites, or the belief that blacks are superior. I told you why I believed this, and you are free to disagree (as I’m sure you do). </p>

<p>I’d never heard the report that one of the jurors allegedly said, “What’s the big deal with a couple of dead whites?” If that did indeed happen, I would be appalled. But rumors and allegations mix in with the truth and fly around like a whirlwind in sensational cases like this trial. I would very much appreciate it if you would provide a link to a REPUTABLE news agency that provides a full report on this particular act of egregious jury misconduct. I have to say, however, that even if ONE of the jurors did make that statement, and was somehow allowed to remain on the jury, he or she is but ONE PERSON. It takes twelve to convict, and all black people are not of ONE MIND, like the frickin’ Borg.</p>

<p>And don’t you (as well as certain other posters here) EVER get bored with using the same tired accusation as rhetorical device (namely that of saying that someone is “excusing” bad behavior), just because they don’t absolutely fall in lockstep with your thinking? Again, I don’t EXCUSE anything. Not racism, and CERTAINLY NOT MURDER! The murders that O.J. Simpson committed were his fault and his alone. The jury’s decision is on their heads and theirs alone. Haven’t you the intellectual capacity to follow a written topic from paragraph to paragraph? I’ll give you a hint: The Topic was the definition of racism. The following paragraphs related to the definition of racism as it pertained to the motives of the O.J. Simpson jury.</p>

145

<p>collegialmom, to answer your question about whether anyone succeeds in Jena, I’ve read articles that say that most of the black people who want good jobs have to move away to get them.</p>

146

<p>Uversa, I’d say that pretty much applies to any small rural town with no large cities within easy commuting distance. I’ll have to find the reference, but I read somewhere that one of the black boys had between a 3.5 and 4.0 GPA and was heavily recruited by D1 colleges for football. Now for most high school football players (maybe basketball and baseball, too) I know (this is a huge generalization, so yes, I know there are exceptions), having a GPA this high is not common. Which is why there is so much controversy (everywhere) about teachers looking the other way and passing kids when they are not making the grades.</p>

147

<p>teriwtt, there are good jobs in Jena for white people. The teachers at the high school are all white but two. The police are all white but one. </p>

<p>I’m confused about what you are saying about the black football player with the A average. Why couldn’t he have earned his grades honestly? Jena High is well above their state’s average in reading and math.</p>

<p><a href=“Education Law Archives - Spodek Law Group Spodek Law Group”>Education Law Archives - Spodek Law Group Spodek Law Group;

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Oh my. I assumed I was debating with a parent, not one of the children. That explains a lot. Sorry to all.</p>

149

<p>sorry, it was late when I posted. I was trying to indicate that having that kind of GPA is quite accomplished. Teachers may inflate grades for athletes, but I don’t think there are enough teachers that can conspire to create a GPA that high. I suspect the kid has decent academic talents.</p>

150

<p>And I’m sure that most people considered ‘successful’ in Jena either relocated there, or had to leave for a while to attend college, then chose to return. For the people who stay there, not attending college, I’m sure the opportunities are limited.</p>

151

<p>It was Mychal Bell who was being heavily recruited by LSU, Ole Miss, Miss State, LaTech, GaTech among others. He was set to be a Louisiana ‘top prospect’ his senior year with 1000 yards of rushing and 18 touchdowns during his junior year season. His coach, who also coached several players who went on to the pros, said Bell was one of the best players of his career. It was crucial he play his senior year in order for some of these scholarship opportunities to play out. Instead he sat in jail on attempted murder charges.</p>

<p>Bell may have had a juvenile record, but apparently he was not so much the “criminal” (as many here like to portray him) to cause D1 schools to cross him off their list.</p>

152

<p>Another interesting facet to Bell’s ‘prior record’. In December of 2005, he got into a fight with another black juvenile and was ‘adjudicated’ for battery…placed on probation until his 18th birthday. Months later, he got into another fight with another black juvenile and was again ‘adjudicated’ for battery, violation of his probation and property damage. </p>

<p>Question: Why, when he got into a fight with other black youths, was Bell not charged with attempted murder? Why, only when he got into a fight with a WHITE juvenile, does the Jena parish DA whip out the big guns? </p>

<p>We are already wondering why, when a white adult attacks a black juvenile with a beer bottle, this crime does not rise to the level of attempted murder. But now we are left wondering about the different sets of rules for black on black crime and black on white crime in Jena.</p>

<p>This is an interesting take from a UMCP professor who writes for Scholars&Rogues…</p>

<p><a href=“http://scholarsandrogues.■■■■■■■■■■■■■/2007/09/22/the-latest-from-jena-bell-to-remain-in-jail/[/url]”>http://scholarsandrogues.■■■■■■■■■■■■■/2007/09/22/the-latest-from-jena-bell-to-remain-in-jail/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

153

<p>teriwtt, I’m not sure what you’re picturing, but according to Mapquest, it’s less than 40 miles from Jena to LSU’s regional campus in Alexandria. </p>

<p>I’m having a hard time getting from this to why it would be natural for whites to have all but a monopoly on the good jobs in Jena.</p>

154

<p>“Another interesting facet to Bell’s ‘prior record’. In December of 2005, he got into a fight with another black juvenile and was ‘adjudicated’ for battery…placed on probation until his 18th birthday. Months later, he got into another fight with another black juvenile and was again ‘adjudicated’ for battery, violation of his probation and property damage.”</p>

<p>His age may have made a difference. Probation violation not a good thing. He may have been protected because of his younger age at that time. </p>

<p>He has a pattern of violence, and hopefully he will be helped with this now that he has national publicity. </p>

<p>Regardless of the political aspects of Jena at this time, he is going down a path that is very self-destructive, and if you follow young men who have this kind of recerd, I think you will find many of them in federal prisions for serious offenses.</p>

<p>I hope that he will receive help.</p>

<p>There are millions of young men in this country under all kinds of pressure who do not beat up other people. Let’s hope that Bell will now become one of them. There will always be reasons to be angry. Beating someone up is only self-destructive and hurtful to others and leads to nothing good. Go ask men and women in prison who thought that responding violently was the way to go. Bet they wish they had done things differently!</p>

155

<p>Jena is tiny…and about 85% white…that in itself would establish employment monopoly. </p>

<p>On the other hand, Alec is a majority black city, though not a huge city (under 50,000 total population is my last recollection). Typical population attributes for Rapides Parish which is about 65:35 white:black where the rural communities are primarily white while at least 3/4 of the black population resides in Alexandria. </p>

<p>Basically, you go where you can get a job. If you are black, it’s easier to get a job in Alec than Jena.</p>

156

<p>Bell’s “pattern of violence” (three h.s. fights between the age of 14 and 16) is not the major issue collegialmom! Frankly, I’m starting to think his major issue is people who want to focus on ANYthing but the inequities in the judicial system in his home parish.</p>

<p>Gosh…how you can read all that I posted and linked and STILL not get it.</p>

<p>You know what would be really interesting? To see the data on all juvenile offenses in Rapides Parish. I’d like to know if there are any other juveniles who were involved in three h.s. fights between ages 14 and 16, who were tried for attempted murder as an adult, convicted and subsequent to verdict reversal, denied bail.</p>

<p>Furthermore, given the inequities of the judicial system in our entire country, I’m positive looking at those sitting in prison is not going to reveal anything other than seriousness of a crime is directly related to the color of your skin…the lighter you are, the less serious the crime becomes.</p>

157

<p>I understand that you and others think that there are inequities in what people are charged with. I think the discussion could migrate at this point as to what could be done for young men such as Mr. Bell who obviously have severe anger problems.</p>

<p>I doubt that many people posting on this forum or their families have been arrested 3 to 4 times for battery, have violated pobation, and/or have had convictions. Particularly by age 17. Maybe y’all saved them for adulthood, or you did do your time as juvies so to get off lighter.</p>

<p>If so, then I guess that beating people up is not a deterrent to success. However, whatever race or circumstance one is from, it is not a good thing in my book, and I would appreciate any discussion as to what can be done to avoid it in Jena and elsewhere, and to now help violent offenders change. Or do we write people such as Bell off as incorrigible, and give him lighter sentences, dismissing all charges? Do we encourage reacting physically to words and taunts? That here seems to be the message, that it is OK to beat up someone who is taunting you.</p>

<p>The 2nd degree murder charge was dropped, so get on with helping the guy.</p>

158

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<p>Translation: “I don’t actually want to answer your pointed questions for fear that having to actually focus on the real issues here will expose how incredibly ridiculous my argument has been; instead, I’ll just ignore you based on your age,”</p>

159

<p>NOBODY is condoning violence! NOBODY said the boy shouldn’t get into some trouble in juvie court for assaulting someone. That is NOT the issue. There wouldn’t even be national attention if that was ALL this was about. </p>

<p>Do you understand that this boy was being held on second degree attempted murder? That white boys attacked black boys and were not charged? Same community. Even when this boy assaulted other blacks, he had very minor charges and was out on the football field and even being recruited by colleges. Nothing has happened to the white boys in the incidents leading up to this. Not even assault charges. This boy gets hit with attempted murder charges in adult court and is tried by an all white jury. Beating up someone is NOT, I repeat NOT OK. They should not have done it. </p>

<p>But taking the case in isolation of all else that occurred and in isolation of the unequal application of the law is also NOT OK. That is what has brought it to national attention finally. The boys are NOT HEROES as someone else posted here seems to think anyone else here thinks. People are discussing the legal process here as well as the rampant racism involved. The rules for all in that community do not appear to be equally applied.</p>

160

<p>collegialmom - those are all good issues…nonviolence as a solution to problems, helping offenders change, etc…; but many of us don’t feel it is right for the conversation about inequities in this world to evolve into a discussion of the issues you describe. We want the focus to stay on THIS issue of racially motivated judicial process in places like Jena, Louisiana. Solving THIS problem has the potential to prevent the problems you describe from ever developing. And letting the conversation evolve away from this issue plays right into the hands of people who would hang on to their racism and allow it to continue to permeate our judicial system.</p>