The Jena 6
Erin Burns
Issue date: 9/13/07 Section: Impact Staff Blogs
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(SEPT. 20) - Last September in Louisiana, a black student asked to sit under a tree where usually the white students sat. The next day there were three nooses hanging from the tree as a "prank" to the black students. Although the students who hung the nooses were addressed, they got a three-day suspension. Racial tensions remained elevated throughout the fall. On Monday, December 4 2006, a white student who allegedly had been racially taunting black students in support of the students who hung the nooses got into a fight with black students. Allegedly, the white student was taken to the hospital treated, released, reportedly attended a social function later that evening.
As a result of this incident, six black Jena students were arrested and charged with attempted second-degree murder. All six were expelled from school. The six charged were: 17-year-old Robert Bailey Junior whose bail was set at $138,000; 17-year-old Theo Shaw - bail $130,000; 18-year-old Carwin Jones--bail $100,000; 17-year-old Bryant Purvis--bail $70,000; 16 year old Mychal Bell, a sophomore in high school who was charged as an adult and for whom bail was set at $90,000; and a still unidentified minor.
My whole problem with this is not the race issue, but the extent of punishment on these six black students. Kids get into fights all the time and it would be more reasonable if there were weapons or even something worse involved. I'm not encouraging it I'm just trying to justify the situation. It's a very big issue for a lot of people in Louisiana. I hate to think that racism is still an issue after everything this countries been through. Whatever the situation may have been down in Louisiana, I highly doubt these six boys should be treatetd like murderers.
As a result of this incident, six black Jena students were arrested and charged with attempted second-degree murder. All six were expelled from school. The six charged were: 17-year-old Robert Bailey Junior whose bail was set at $138,000; 17-year-old Theo Shaw - bail $130,000; 18-year-old Carwin Jones--bail $100,000; 17-year-old Bryant Purvis--bail $70,000; 16 year old Mychal Bell, a sophomore in high school who was charged as an adult and for whom bail was set at $90,000; and a still unidentified minor.
My whole problem with this is not the race issue, but the extent of punishment on these six black students. Kids get into fights all the time and it would be more reasonable if there were weapons or even something worse involved. I'm not encouraging it I'm just trying to justify the situation. It's a very big issue for a lot of people in Louisiana. I hate to think that racism is still an issue after everything this countries been through. Whatever the situation may have been down in Louisiana, I highly doubt these six boys should be treatetd like murderers.
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Tanisha
posted 9/24/07 @ 1:05 PM EST
Erin, I am glad this was posted. Racisim does still exist today, and it is sad. I agree with you about the punishment. I do believe had it been the other way around, the punishment would have been a lot less harsh. (Continued…)
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