Unequality
Disclaimer: First I will like to make it clear that I am in no way a supporter of the jena six, I am a supporter of equal rights and fair justice. Violence cannot solve racism and I definitely believe that those boys were out of line here but My questioning is the judgement and justice passed on this case by the attorney department and prosecutors
On August 31, 2006 a group of students approached the Vice Principal of their high school and asked if it was “ok” to sit underneath a tree (for shade) that had been a traditional spot for white students to sit. This tree has been referred to as the “white tree,” because only white students had sat underneath the tree. The vice principal assured the students that they could sit wherever they pleased.
The students sat under the tree only to discover that the next day, the tree had two nooses hanging from the tree, in the colors of black and gold. These colors represented their school spirit (as these were the colors of Jena High School). When the principal of Jena High School found out that three white students were responsible for the hate crime, he recommended expulsion but the board of education overruled his recommendation, only approving a three day suspension. The FBI investigated this case and found it to be a hate crime but due to the AGE of these boys, THEY DID NOT FILE A HATE CRIME CASE.
This ofcourse without being told twice led to high tension in this little southern town who (hope im not being biased but this is fact), voted a KKK member as there former mayor in 1991. The school called an assembly and summoned the police and the district attorney. Black students sat on one side, whites on the other. District Attorney Reed Walters warned the students he could be their friend or their worst enemy. He lifted his fountain pen and said, "With one stroke of my pen, I can make your life disappear."
That evening, black students told their parents that the DA was looking right at them. Walters denies that. Billy Fowler, a member of the school board, doesn't believe it, either. "He said some pretty strong things," says Fowler, "but I don't think he was directing it to anyone in particular. I think he just wanted people to calm it down."
But things didn't calm down. Some whites felt triumphant; some blacks were resentful. Fights began to break out at the high school. But that year, the football team was having an unusually good season and the black athletes were a major reason why. So while there were fights throughout the fall, nobody wanted to take any action that would hurt the team. When the season was over, so was the truce. On Nov. 30, somebody burned down Jena High. Whites thought blacks were responsible, blacks thought the opposite.
First case of Injustice: How can they not make a charge of hate crime because of juvenile status but turn around to make a charge of murder irregardless of juvenile status and take a 14 yr old at the time of the crime to an adult court? As compared to the 17 yr olds who committed this hate crime?
Second Case of Injustice: Since when is it okay to get a 3 day suspension for hanging a noose down? Hell that can be looked at as attempted murder for all I care. In high school, I Got a 3 day suspension for skipping class NOT for hanging nooses under a tree. Negro Please
