The Jena 6

If you've been following the Jena 6 case at all, you probably have developed a point of view about the whole situation. Or, if you've tried to follow it a little closer as I've been trying to do, you'd probably find that it just becomes more and more confusing as you delve into it. I was going to post my thoughts about what happened before, but the facts of the case became less clear the more I read articles. Different people reported different things, leaving me wondering if anyone really knew what was going on.

However, I have found a great summary article that puts to rest some of the myths and distortions about the case, but I can't really say "all" because I doubt we know them all yet. Needless to say, the article paints a picture rather in the middle between those who see this as the start of the 21st century civil rights movement (e.g. Al Sharpton) and those who think racism and discrimination don't exist anywhere in this country, let alone Jena.

What I think is truly unfortunate is that this case is what has galvanized much of the civil rights people across the country. If this case really is the start of the 21st century civil rights movement, then it is a sad day for that movement. Were the Jena 6 overcharged? Probably. Are they innocent? No. In fact, they beat a kid unconscious -- hardly what some are calling "just a schoolyard fight". And the one still in jail has a prior criminal record including battery. Should the noose incident have been reported to the police? Yes, but the federal authorities wouldn't have done anything because they don't pursue hate crimes against juveniles. Should those responsible for the nooses have faced harsher punishments? Yes, but they faced expulsion at first, but the school board overruled the principal. However, contrary to popular belief, they were not suspended for three days -- rather, they went to an "alternative" school for one month before facing an in-school suspension for two weeks. Moreover, was there even a relationship between the noose incident and the beating? According to the U.S. attorney, no.

Without going into even more detail, I find the case to be the usual mixture of things, with some discrimination involved, but hardly the kind of case you would want to make the poster case for the civil rights movement. What I find particularly irritating, though, is the repeated muddling of the truth by various columnists and radio people around the country who make wrong and spurious claims (e.g. connecting the nooses with the fight). As I said, it's a sad time for the civil rights movement when a case that requires lies and distortions to be compelling becomes their rallying point.