Jena 6 Teen Back In Jail

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Comments on this article:

» left by Joel Hendon ^(10,501)
Joel Hendon (1 year 89 days ago.)

Stephany, this is a great article and you did an excellent job of explaining the full story. I too was raised in the segregated south where much wrong was committed towards the blacks. It bothered me then. I was taught by my parents to respect good men regardless of what color or race, and I always have. I call them sir or maam just as I do anyone else. But the black people in the U.S. have a problem in that they, themselves, allow people like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson to represent them far too much. Those two and their cohorts are the worst racists I've ever known, even among the old time when most whites were racists.

The situation is now integrated well enough, if everyone would just behave themselves, white or black, things could go smoothly. But those racists I just mentioned, will not allow a black anywhere to be punished without raising a stink. Racism will exist on both sides until extremists such as Jackson and Sharpton close their mouths.
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» left by Stephany Springer ^(34,552)
Stephany Springer (1 year 87 days ago.)
Thanks for the comment! Your last statement is so well said! Have a great week!
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» left by Gary R. Lake ⁽³³¹⁾
Gary R. Lake (1 year 86 days ago.)

Stephany....regardless the reasoning....violence is violence and it should not be tolerated in any way, shape, or form anywhere. The many problems of violence in our schools not being addressed has led to a free-for-all. These few delinquints that disrupt school for the students who want to learn should be suspended permanently and jailed. Using racism as an excuse is not acceptable and those supporting that issue should be ashamed of themselves. Great article....thanks
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» left by Stephany Springer ^(34,552)
Stephany Springer (1 year 86 days ago.)
Thank you for your comment and your views! Great point!
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» left by Muminah from Atlanta (1 year 82 days ago.)

Wow! I stumbled over your post while doing some research. Maybe I can offer insight on a couple of points.

First of all, thanks to a bias media, motion picture industry and ignorant authors, the majority of Americans see white males and black males in totally different lights. The act of hanging nooses (popular in this country for hanging Black men, women and children from trees, for no reason other than the color of their skin), should have been charged as a hate crime. According to the US Dept. of Justice, "A hate crime, also known as a bias crime, is a criminal offense committed against a person, property, or society that is motivated, in whole or in part, by the offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or ethnicity/national origin." Further information about hate crimes states, "the national UCR Program views each hate crime as an incident, which may have multiple offenses, victims, and offenders. When aggregating the number of hate crime offenses committed against individuals, the UCR Program counts one offense for each victim. The offense types of murder, forcible rape, aggravated assault, simple assault, and intimidation are crimes against persons." I'm sure there is no argument that hanging the nooses was a threat, or an act of intimidation based on racial bias, therefore a hate crime, according to the US Dept. of Justice. So, the school principal was correct in expulsion, however, he should have also called the police.

However, we know that White America has different standards for their own and has more than a 500-year record of racial bias in it's so called "criminal-justice system". Yes, Mychal Bell does have a previous arrest record. However, according to Defending Human Rights Worldwide, "The figures reveal the continuing, extraordinary magnitude of minority incarceration and the stark disparity in their rates of incarceration compared to those of whites. Out of a total population of 1,976,019 incarcerated in adult facilities, 1,239,946 or 63 percent are black or Latino, though these two groups constitute only 25 percent of the national population.4" Further statistics say that continuing as they are now 28.5 percent of black men will be confined in prison at least once during their lifetime, a figure six times greater than that for white men. Trust, it is not because men of color commit more crimes, it is because we are under the control of an unjust, bias system. And, we, Black people live with it every day. Our sons, brothers, fathers, mates, and now mothers, sisters and daughters who are being unjustly extracted from society and even killed by police officers and we are not getting justice. This affects our homes, communities, our children, their psyche, our trust and self-image. So, we are thankful for men like Rev. Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Michael Baisden, the honorable Minister Farrakhan and others who will speak out when others are silent, who will show up when others turn away and who will wear white America's banner of racist, because they point out injustice and call it what it is. They are, in Black America, our HEROS. It is because of them that you even know Mycahal Bell's name. Because this piece of news would have been buried in Jena, LA, right along side racial equality. If you still don't get it, do some research on these names, Amadou Diallo, Abner Louima, James Byrd, Katherine Johnston, Nathaniel Jones, Martin Lee Anderson, Genarlow Wilson, and Megan Williams. Tell me why her accusers are not being automatically charged with hate crimes. These are the facts, Stephany. We want JUSTICE and EQUALITY for all men, women and children..... don't you?
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» left by Stephany Springer ^(34,552)
Stephany Springer (1 year 71 days ago.)
Yes, I absolutely do. And honestly, I intended this article to be less about race relations in the US and more about people using race to puff up the public's opinion of a man who, under the law, deserves to be in jail. He was tried and convicted of crimes, was on probation and broke the terms of his probation. At that point the circumstances that surround his actions are irrelevant.

Why would Jackons, Sharpton, et al choose to throw their weight behind Bell and not someone like Genarlow Wilson? From all that I've read about his case, the only person on his side was his lawyer (who was white, by the way). Where were your "heroes" then?

Thanks for the comment!
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» left by Muminah from Atlanta (1 year 68 days ago.)

Stephany, my response was factual; I'm disappointed that yours wasn't.

However, to answer your question about Rev. Al Sharpton's involvement in the Genarlow Wilson case, just a few clicks will open the doors of the world wide web where you can find countless articles chronicling Sharpton's involvement in the case since early July. I suggest a little research to add credibility to any future rants you may choose to publish.

Thanks for sharing your opinion.


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