The Jena 6
Okay, here we go.
In the small town of Jena, Louisiana, six black males were formally charged with battery for beating up a white student. And African-American leaders such as the Rev. Al Sharpton are calling the prosecution of these young men (high school age) as racist. "You cannot have justice meted out based on who you are rather than what you did," said Sharpton.
Hmmm. Let's see. Did they not beat the crap out of fellow student? Isn't this "what they did?" One of the black students was already convicted (as an adult) of the crime, though the conviction was thrown out on appeal. It sounds to me like Sharpton is not listening to his own words. Should they not be held accountable for the actions?
Still, this case does not exist in a vaccuum. Because a few months before the beating of the white student, several white male students hung nooses from a tree (on school grounds I believe), apparently to intimidate black students. This seems the most likely explanation to me. However, the local authorities refused to prosecute the white students for the noose hanging. Reed Walters, the district attorney who is prosecuting the black teens, said he couldn't charge the white noose hangers because he couldn't find a Louisiana law under which they could be charged.
I am no fool, I am sure there is still plenty of racism in Louisiana. I'm also sure that race is playing at least some role here, but the particulars escape me because I am not omnicient. To be fair though, under the strictest interpretation of state law, it appears (I'm no lawyer) that the DA has acted appropriately.
The situation is becoming a flash point for civil rights activists and concerned citizens, as many groups of protesters have made their way to Jena to speak their mind on what they perceive as an injustice, as is their constitutional right.
In my opinion, people should be held accountable, UNDER THE LAW, for their actions--regardless of race. If these students did indeed beat up another student, it is only right and just to hold them accountable for, as Sharpton said, "what they did." If the students who hung the noose broke any law (I think perhaps they might be tried by the Federal prosecutor for denying the civil rights of the students they tried to intimidate, but again I'm no lawyer) then they too should pay for those actions.
I understand why people on both sides of the issue are upset. The African-American community wants to point out the racism they perceive, so that justice will be served. Fair enough. The prosecutors want to point out that a crime was committed and they are just doing their job. Also a fair point. I have no problem with either of these points of view.
But I also believe that sometimes it is better if we leave race out of the issue. That may or may not be the best course of action on this particular issue, but crying racism whenever there is a black-on-white or white-on-black crime often clouds the issue unnecessarily. Sometimes a crime is just a crime. And sometimes a heinous, racist act or statement is protected under the first amendment. We have to take the good with the bad, if we wish to continue to live in a free society with the open exchange of ideas.
But keeping in mind the recent degradation and systematic violation of civil rights by the Bush administration, that "free" society may already gone.
God help us--every one--regardless of race.
In the small town of Jena, Louisiana, six black males were formally charged with battery for beating up a white student. And African-American leaders such as the Rev. Al Sharpton are calling the prosecution of these young men (high school age) as racist. "You cannot have justice meted out based on who you are rather than what you did," said Sharpton.
Hmmm. Let's see. Did they not beat the crap out of fellow student? Isn't this "what they did?" One of the black students was already convicted (as an adult) of the crime, though the conviction was thrown out on appeal. It sounds to me like Sharpton is not listening to his own words. Should they not be held accountable for the actions?
Still, this case does not exist in a vaccuum. Because a few months before the beating of the white student, several white male students hung nooses from a tree (on school grounds I believe), apparently to intimidate black students. This seems the most likely explanation to me. However, the local authorities refused to prosecute the white students for the noose hanging. Reed Walters, the district attorney who is prosecuting the black teens, said he couldn't charge the white noose hangers because he couldn't find a Louisiana law under which they could be charged.
I am no fool, I am sure there is still plenty of racism in Louisiana. I'm also sure that race is playing at least some role here, but the particulars escape me because I am not omnicient. To be fair though, under the strictest interpretation of state law, it appears (I'm no lawyer) that the DA has acted appropriately.
The situation is becoming a flash point for civil rights activists and concerned citizens, as many groups of protesters have made their way to Jena to speak their mind on what they perceive as an injustice, as is their constitutional right.
In my opinion, people should be held accountable, UNDER THE LAW, for their actions--regardless of race. If these students did indeed beat up another student, it is only right and just to hold them accountable for, as Sharpton said, "what they did." If the students who hung the noose broke any law (I think perhaps they might be tried by the Federal prosecutor for denying the civil rights of the students they tried to intimidate, but again I'm no lawyer) then they too should pay for those actions.
I understand why people on both sides of the issue are upset. The African-American community wants to point out the racism they perceive, so that justice will be served. Fair enough. The prosecutors want to point out that a crime was committed and they are just doing their job. Also a fair point. I have no problem with either of these points of view.
But I also believe that sometimes it is better if we leave race out of the issue. That may or may not be the best course of action on this particular issue, but crying racism whenever there is a black-on-white or white-on-black crime often clouds the issue unnecessarily. Sometimes a crime is just a crime. And sometimes a heinous, racist act or statement is protected under the first amendment. We have to take the good with the bad, if we wish to continue to live in a free society with the open exchange of ideas.
But keeping in mind the recent degradation and systematic violation of civil rights by the Bush administration, that "free" society may already gone.
God help us--every one--regardless of race.
Labels: race
5 Comments:
I would like to extend an invitation to you Brownie, to my Columbus Day party on October 8th. Your black friends are welcome too.
I don't know this story very well, but my understanding is that the outrage isn't that they were charged with a crime, which they obviously committed. It is that they were charged with attempted murder, not battery, and are now facing 80 years for a school fight (please correct me if I'm wrong). See here for one voice on the matter.
One of the foundations of our justice system is equal protection under the law. It isn't very hard to show how race place into unequal protection under the law, so I think race is fair game on this issue. If whites and blacks where treated equally, charged with the same sentences for the same kinds of crimes, then there wouldn't be such outrage when such unequal treatment happens.
Dan,
I agree that attempted murder is much too serious a crime to be charged with in a school fight. But these charges were recently reduced to battery, a more proper charge. And a charge I have seen being applied much more often in Fort Wayne now than I ever heard of back in our school days.
I also agree (as I stated in my post) that racism HAS played a role, on both sides. The whites were jackasses when their "turf" (the shade of large tree on campus, now cut down) was "invaded" and they hung nooses to keep the blacks out away from "their" tree, and then again as the blacks kicked some white ass in retribution for the obviously racist taunt.
You know me well enough to realize that I don't condone either side. But it does seem to me that, since the charges were reduced to a fair level, that the only thing left to protest would be: Why aren't the white noose-hangers being charged? (With denying civil rights, by the Feds, as I said in the post).
Race tension makes me very nervous, as it should perhaps, as do all forms of disharmony. So I guess what I'm trying to say (as usual) is: Why can't we all just get along.
Sigh.
Fing,
As usual, I'm having trouble understanding your point when you type rather than talk. Inflection counts for a lot. That said, let me respond by saying, I can count my friends on two hands. Am I a racist just because none of them are black? You know me better than that.
Sorry if I misunderstand your meaning.
Peace.
But I also believe that sometimes it is better if we leave race out of the issue.
Brownie, but that's impossible. If you're a minority, race has to do with everything. You inhale it with every breath of your life. You have already admitted that race is a factor in this particular case, but you wish you could ignore it. As soon as that noose was hung, race was involved. It was involved much earlier than that, even, when blacks weren't allowed to sit under that tree. And much earlier than that when blacks weren't allowed to sit in the front of the bus or use white water fountains. And on and on...History matters in the black community in a way that we can't understand.
I think it's easy for us, as whites, to ignore race issues. That's part of our white privilege. Race tension makes me very nervous. It makes me nervous, too. But at least we have the option of ignoring it. Imagine living a life where you could never rid yourself of that nervousness.
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