Read the stories and expect 2-3 questions from each. Questions will focus on the main themes or events in each article. Is is up to you to be able to identify those or to ask questions in class!
New Clinton Health Care Plan
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/17/washington/17cnd-clinton.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
VIDEO:
Sen. Obama Interview
http://video.msn.com/v/us/msnbc.htm?g=ce746ee9-c883-4152-97ed-78390f1c3a0e&f=00&fg=email
Iraq War Debate - McCain and Kerry
http://video.msn.com/v/us/msnbc.htm?g=82f9955b-fe62-466c-8909-d9f85ce7c94e&f=00&fg=copy
Interesting Discussion on Race and Religion in the 2008 Elections.
http://video.msn.com/v/us/msnbc.htm?g=e4decd13-50f9-46e1-b95a-a0c7a5425109&f=00&fg=copy
NEW - Jena Six
1. http://video.msn.com/v/us/msnbc.htm?g=359d574b-0cc2-40db-836b-3005d93fb1a2&f=00&fg=copy
2. http://video.msn.com/v/us/msnbc.htm?g=2c47a734-d398-4838-be63-5c3aca9ae400&f=00&fg=copy
49 comments:
After listening to both news reports about Jena, Louisiana, it is my definite opinion that the six African American students are being unfairly treated. A group of white students hung nooses in a tree after an African American student merely asked if he could sit underneath the tree. The white students were suspended for only a few days despite the fact that the hate crime they performed was reminiscent of lynching and the Ku Klux Klan. Following this horrid act, six black students beat up a white student who taunted them. The black students, who had the opportunity to harm the white student very severely but chose not to, found themselves in much greater trouble than the white kids who hung the nooses. The African American students were arrested and are still imprisoned because of an astronomical bail placed on each of them. Michael Bell, one of the Jena Six, was tried by an all white jury and found to be guilty of aggravated assault. Reed Walters, the district attorney, said that his office has done nothing wrong, and that the situation has nothing to do with race. He said that Michael Bell and the other students are justified in their prosecution, and that he wishes he could have prosecuted the whites who hung the nooses. I believe that everything Walters said is a lie. This situation has everything to do with race, and if Walters really wanted to prosecute the white students, he would be completely capable to do so. He knows who is responsible, so the only person preventing him from prosecuting them is himself. During the video clip, a townsman said that the town was unfairly labeled a racist town. I, on the other hand, believe that Jena is the quintessential racist town, and I find it disturbing that America still has such problems. I thought we reached a level of understanding, and that we learned to respect one another. Of course there could never be universal acceptance, but I at least believed that we knew how to act civil towards one another. This story, however, proves that white people and black people are far from overcoming their differences.
After watching the Jena 6 video I’m sadened by the prosecutions towards the black teenagers. It’s hard to think that most Americans agree that our country has grown out of racism and all of a sudden you hear news like this. It’s clear that these teenagers are getting accused of an action that was not commited and are not getting treated fairly. It’s sad to think that there is still seperation of blacks and whites in this country. One of the townspeople said that there was no racism in their town, which is clearly untrue since there are still “white only” barber shops in Jena. I believe that the white students that hung the ropes from the tree did not get punished enough and the black students who punched the white students got punished too severly. I beleive this unequal treatment should be addressed immediately by the government and should be a lesson for other Americans. This unfair and unjust treatment is not what the U.S. stands for and should be gotten rid of immediately.
I think it’s really sad to know that people in this country are still fighting racism. It’s clear that the 6 black teenage boys from Jena did not get a fair punishment. I think the white kids that hung ropes on the tree deserve a harsher punishment than what they got. To me that ultimately is a death threat and that’s not something the school should take as lightly as they did. I feel it’s a little ridiculous that they are trying to convict these boys of attempted murder, when all they did was get in to a school fight. Yes they should be punished, but not arrested and put in jail. Also the boy that started all of this, by making racial comments, should get punished. I don’t think it’s fair what these poor 6 boys have to go through and it’s not right.
I think that the whole "free the Jena six" campaign is pretty ridiculous. Even though there is substantial evidence that the town of Jena has some racist people still living in it, the six boys were convicted of a crime that they did do. Lets imagine, that their were six boys of any given race walking down a road, and another boy of the same race taunted them about something and they beat him up. Then the six who did the beating went to trial and were convicted of aggravated assault (which, in case nobody knows means that someone aggravated you and you assaulted them because of it) and sentenced to jail. Would there be this huge outcry about the court being unfair? NO WAY!!! The only reason why people are blinded into thinking that the six black kids were convicted wrongly is because the case involved black on one side and white on the other, and the black kids are going to jail. Regardless of the race of a person, if they beat up someone who has just taunted them, they are guilty of aggravated assault and should face jail time. I am in no way shape or form saying that the white kid who taunted the 'Jena six' was not wrong in his actions, but simply that the people who are getting all worked up trying to free the 'Jena six' have no grounds by which to do so. The protesters should be upset with the kid who did the taunting, or the kids who hung the nooses, not with the U.S. court system which was just doing its job, and doing it fairly at that.
After seeing the news reports about the Jena 6, it's easy to see that we are still fighting racism in the U.S. The six African American students are obviously being treated unfairly, being accused of attempted murder just for getting into a fight. It was also clear that the white student was taunting them which led them to get into the fight.These 6 teenagers are sitting in jail while just days before, a group of white students were merely suspended for 3 days for a crime just as severe. These white students hung a noose in a tree out in the schoolyard just because an African American wanted to sit under it. This isn't the only racism in the town either, while they still have shops that say "Whites Only". It's unjust that the white students who hung the noose merely got suspended for three days, while 6 african americans were arrested for attempted murder for getting in a fight that resulted in a concussion and a few bruises. Although the mayor states that this is not a matter or race, you can clearly see that that is not the case. I think that this case highlights how this town is racist, and they just don't want to deal with it. It's sad that there is still this treatment going on today in U.S., which is supposed to be a free country.
The Jena Six debate is one that tupsets me, as not only is it simply morally offending, those behind it insist upon worsening their position.On the 21st, the DA announced that for Mychal Bell, the only one of the Six to be tried yet, would be denied bail. I can't believe the DA could be that stupid. His town is already flooded with thousands of protestors with more coming in every day, and yet he still chooses to add a log to the fire instead of putting it out. Also, the DA is attempting to change the charges from Aggravated Assault to Attempted Murder. Now, it is without a doubt that the six students did beat the other kid, but as one newspaper put it, "Those charges came after Justin Barker was hit and then repeatedly kicked by a group of students at the high school on Dec. 4, 2006. He was knocked unconscious and suffered several injuries to his face during the attack and was taken to a hospital where he was treated for three hours." If the six students had wanted to kill him, they could have easily. Any one of those kids could have murdered the other kid if they had wanted to, but they didn't. They were simply trying to keep this kid from insulting them, and the event escalated. So, they should be tried for Aggravated Assault, but it should be moderated by an impartial jury, not an all white jury, as it is their constitutional right to be tried by a jury of their peers. And the DA should stop inflaming the public.
After watching the news about the "Jena 6", i feel as though the six African American students that attend the high school have been unlawfully treated and convicted. Some of which are now looking at a life sentence in prison and have ruined there lives. This is outrages considering that the white student who started all of this was first expelled, then his time was changed to only serving three days of suspension. The white student hung nooses in a tree on school property, which is obviously a hate crime towards these African American students. You don't need to be African American to understand what a noose in a tree stands for and the amount of emotional pain it inflicts on these students abilities to live freely of these harsh doings. I believe that the "Jena 6" should have served a 10 day suspension for fighting in school, while the white student who hung the nooses should be expelled and charged with hate crimes. It is completely outrages that the student who started this whole thing only got put on suspension. So what are we telling our future students, its ok to use profane words and racist remarks towards people of another race, but it is not ok to stand up for yourself when someone is threating you.
The Jena six is very disturbing. There is no way that this boy should be tried with attempted murder. He was just sticking up for what he thouhgt was right, and sticking up for his race. The boys who hung the nuses around the trees are the ones that should be in trouble for this. Teenage boys get into fights every day, and nothing ever gets done about it. But this is fight isn't only a fight, it is a fight to end racism once and for all. Six students gained up on one boy, and it they wanted to kill him, they definitely could have. But they didn't. They were just doing that they thouhgt was getting even. It's just the way that teenage boys think. If these black students are going to be charged for committing a crime, then the white student has to be charged as well.
After watching multiple news reports on the "Jena 6", I believe that the whole situation is absurd. The six African American students are clearly not getting treated properly seeing how one is getting tried for attempted murder while the three white boys didn't even get arrested. For hanging nooses on a tree they simply got a three day out of school suspension. It's very upsetting to realize that our country really hasn't gotten changed that much when it comes to racism. I know that its a huge problem and can not be solved fully but I was surprised to see how racist the town of Jena is. I was informed that there are still some "whites only" shops in the town. The African American's being tried for these acts and the ones remaining in the town of Jena must be treated equally.
The Jena six trials are wrong and I don’t agree with them at all. The African American boys should not be charged with attempted murder. The boys who hung the nooses around the shade tree that is whites only is racist and unethical. I believe that those kids should have gotten into more trouble then the African American kids. This is because the African Americans were just reacting like anyone else would if they saw this racist act occur in their own community. Many fights were started by white kids and nothing happened to them. So when they charge an African American who started one fight after a bunch of fights have been started by white kids who didn’t get in trouble it is just wrong and racist. Even though the governor says that they are not a racist town, they have shops that are white only and they had the shade tree which was white only. So most people in the town are prejudice towards African Americans and I do not think that what is occurring in Jena is right.
After watching the two Jena Six videos, I realized how much our country has not changed. We like to tell ourselves that we're not racist, and that those days are over, but this proves us compeltely wrong. Hanging nooses from a 'whites only' shade tree is pure racism and inhumane. The boys being charged for 'attempted murder' is completely rediculous as well. These boys were stickign up for their rights as Americans, where we are all supposed to be equal. Well, the equality of Americans was not demonstrated when the six black boys were convicted and the white boy was not.
After listening and watching the news on the Jena situation,my opinion is that the six African Americans were treated much diffrently.Racisim is illegal in the united stats no matter where you are from.The white kid that got beat up diserves what happened and also jail time as well.As for the six Afircan Amercian's diserve punishment also,but not attempt of murder.Jena Louisiana is known to be a small fairly white town.Hanging a noose from a tree for a black student wanting to sit under a tree is going way to far.You need to understand how America's past has been with racism and how hurtful somehting like that can be.It takes away there right to feel free and also feel threatened.Also you can see how the punishments are not equal because the white students got a three day suspension.what they did is a hate crime and diserve much more.Jena as a small white town has to be corrected and understand what is happening.
The Jena Six case is in fact, a little disturbing. However, I think that this whole situation is blown out of proportion. The white students who hung the nooses are obviously aren’t the brightest stars in the sky so to speak. It certainly would be fantastic if everyone in the world saw everyone else as complete equals, but taking a reality check, this is something that will probably never happen. There will always be bad people, that’s a given. And there will always be some people who truly believe their race is superior. I think that if you are that ignorant and you have to favor your race, don’t publicize it! Slavery ended so long ago. What I think is offensive in this case though, is the consequences. The white students who hung the nooses as a “joke” got 3 days of suspension and that’s it? Then the black students all gang up and beat up the kid and get attempted murder? I mean its cause and effect here, but when it boils down to it TWO WRONGS DO NOT MAKE A RIGHT. The white kids were completely out of line and obviously this is going to set black people off, but there is no need for a six on one brawl. In the end both races are equally wrong.
After watching the videos on Jena 6 I was very surprised and shocked. I could not believe that people in this country are still fighting about race. I think it is ridiculous that they got charged for attempted murder when it was just a fight and one of the kids is still in jail even though he is free to go because he can’t pay the ridiculous bail. I think they should have tried the boys who hung noose around the shade tree after an African American asked if the could sit there during school. These 6 African American students should not be tried for attempted murder when it was just a stupid fight that the one white kid probably provoked them to by offending them.
Watching the Jena 6 videos made me pretty upset. I think it is so stupid how events like this are still happening today. I don’t agree how both the black and white students were punished. I believe that they should both be punished equally. The white students who hung the nooses from the shade tree should have gotten a more severe punishment than just three days suspension. However I do believe that some things are being blown a little out of proportion. It is so stupid that the students felt they had to hang nooses from the tree to get their message across rather than talking everything out. I don’t think the black students should have gone as far as they did, but I probably would have done the same thing if I were that offended. Things in the south, especially in Jena probably won’t change for a very long time. I just can’t get over the fact that there are people who think that nothing has happened and believe that the black students are getting what they deserve. It is really stupid.
I'm not sure what to make of the Jena 6 conflict. I feel like it’s a "he-said, she-said" quarrel that escalated as more and more people became aware of it through the news. Knowing how a situation like that (in school fighting) would be handled at our school, with just a few days suspension, I feel that the charges against the 6 black boys are unjustified. I think that the boys who hung the nooses should have been punished more severely, rather than getting off with 3 days of in school suspension. It’s outrageous that only the principle had the guts to suggest expelling the students, and the school board thought it necessary to overturn that judgment. While right now I’ll say that I support the “Jena 6”, I wasn’t there, so really no one knows exactly what happened, and in a town where there have been racial tensions for decades, I think both sides are capable of pointing the finger unjustly at one-another. If only the boys would tell the truth, than I think that both the black students and the white students would be punished correctly. Until then, the boys sitting in jail should be released and the city should be kept under a watchful eye.
After viewing the Jena 6 videos, I found myself very surprised. I had heard of the Jena 6 incident and cause before, but I did not realize how bad it truly was. I found it hard to believe that racism such as that still existed, especially in such an open manner. The amount of things which the white students were able to get away with was truly astounding, especially when the six were charged with attempted manslaughter for a mere schoolyard brawl. The injustice displayed is inexcusable. The fact that the boys are also being prosecuted while the boys who hung nooses are not is even more outrageous. Such actions are unlawful, as well as insensitive and immoral. A simple three day suspension is nowhere near enough punishment for such an action. Growing up, I had always felt that racism was a thing of the past, if not something that noone would bring out into the open. However, after this I now know that it still exists, and probably will for a very long time.
After reviewing the horrible news about the Jena Six incident I feel sickened. That fact that the white students hung nooses on a tree and just got a suspension and the African American Students who responded to this untolerable racsim by getting into a fight with the white kids were given hyped up charges jsut because they are a different skin color is very upseting. If I was one of those Afrian American kids i would also beat up the kids that did that. It also makes me qeustion Freedom Summer and all the movements of the 60's were they all for nothing. Or did it merely weaken racism for a generation or two I guess that this proves you can never stop racism no matter how hard you try. it will always still be in the mind of a few individuals, and that is sad.
After watching the Jena Six video it made me disgusted. I realized that our country still has not changed. We are still really prejudiced. After all of the equal rights movements nothing has really changed. For a while everything has seemed fine, but now it seems all hectic in the south. The town of jena says they are not prejudiced but they are. A white student hung nooses on a tree that black students were going to sit under. The black students understandably got upset and beat them up. They got charged for attempted murder, which is not fair. The white students, who were definitely being racist, got off with just a suspension.
Having heard of the Jena six story months ago, I was outraged then by the thought that the 6 could be charged for anything more than assault, let alone attempted murder. Now that it has reached national attention, I am glad that racial injustice in our courts will not be allowed to succeed. While the court case against the students was said to have been conducted lawfully, it was also said that a town with a "Whites Only" barbershop did not harbor racist/segregationist feelings.
In what way is trying Black against White with an all white Jury justice? Even with a 15% minority, at least one member of the jury of his "peers" should have been a member of his race. This same situation has led to the incarceration and death of thousands of African American citizens since the founding of our nation. However, to many Americans today, we think of these as fictional problems to be faced by an Atticus Finch, not ones that still pervade our justice system. To think, in this day and age, that turning an aggravated assault case into attempted murder by saying that a man's tennis shoes were the tool used to "attempt" to kill a mildy battered white male, is just and rational claim, is not only preposterous in a court of law, but an outright slap in the face of humanity at both the ethical and intellectual level.
Do the Jena 6 deserve to be tried? Of course they do, they committed a crime, Aggravated Assault. However, in no way do they deserve to be given a life sentence. Would this case have gotten the same publicity if it was a same-race crime? I imagine if white students had beaten up another white student, their punishment would have most likely been as mild as those "suffered" by the students who hung nooses from the famous tree. However, it's not hard to think that if it was black students who had beaten up another black student, it wouldn't have even made the paper.
After watching the Jena 6 videos, I find it really surprising that African Americans are still facing so much discrimination in parts of America. In Cheshire, there really isn’t any discrimination against color, and I find it very upsetting that this isn’t the case in many other states. I’m shocked that I haven’t heard of this case previously because I think that this is a very important issue especially in such a racially diverse country like America. I think it’s very ridiculous how such a simple question could escalate into a huge court case. It was very senseless and harsh for the white students to hang the noose in the tree, but it was also reckless of the African American students to beat another student up. However, I do find the sentencing of each case unfair; the white students were only suspended while the African Americans are facing charges of attempted murder. It is unfair of the white community of Jena to use their majority advantage against the African American population of Jena, and I think both cases should be appealed and all students should be given more just punishments.
My personal take is that this is in fact a racist situation. Though the lead prosecutor contends that the punishment fits the crime, this could not be a more flagrant lie. Attempted murder is a large sentence, and when compared to the petty sentences white students have gotten, it becomes all the worse. The prosecutor also says that he would prosecute the white teens, if given the chance. This is probably a lie too, but it cannot be determined, because the school board handled those cases. This is exactly what should happen with these six teens. The school board should attend to these matters, not an outside judicial system. The problem with an outside prosecutor is that besides the extra fees and time, the punishment is often more severe and more biased. On top of that, it raises a considerable amount of media and public attention when outside lawyers are used. This outside publicity causes concern, and leads to the demonstrations predicted. So, the town has brought this problem on themselves. By using an outside lawyer, and by publicizing the story, they have brought this demonstration to their town.
After watching the videos on the Jena 6 video, I realized that the 6 African American males who are being tried for attempted murder is absolutely ridiculous. It is clear that we as Americans are still fighting racism, especially in this situation. The white kids should have gotten in a lot more trouble. In my opinion they should have gotten in more trouble then the African American students, that is a deliberate hate crime against an African American person.
I was pretty much in shock after I saw the two videos. I sort of knew that though our country has made leaps and bounds since the days of slavery and apartheid, there is still an enormous amount of discrimination in this nation. However, living in the Northeast has maybe sheltered me from the severity of it in the present day. Those videos opened my eyes to the conditions that people face in the South. It is obvious that discrimination in present in this case. First of all, the boys that hung the nooses should have been punished much more than they were. A 3 day suspension for such a terrible act of racism is appalling. They should have been expelled at the very least. Expulsion would have been a gift when compared to what could have happened should they had been tried in court for committing such a hate crime. As for the boy who was beat up. I do feel that the "Jena 6" should have tried to control themselves and refrain from using violence. Nonetheless, I do understand why they did it. In those kinds of situations, ignorance and cruelty can cause people to lose judgement and do terrible things. According to some stories I've heard, the Jena 6 may have also been acting in self defense. I have heard that the boy threatened them. There were even some reports of him bringing a gun to school. While violence may not have been the best way to handle the situation, the Jena 6 had every right to do something to defend their safety and to fight back against such acts of prejudice. Reports also confirmed that the boy who was beaten only had a concussion and some cuts and bruises. I also heard that he was able to attend some sort of function that evening. This being the case, the charges of attempted murder are completely ridiculous. I'm sure that if 6 teenage boys had wanted this boy dead, they could have done so easily. The evidence does not support the charge. I'm shocked at the court's obvious racism in this situation. One video interviewed a man that claimed that there was no racism in their town whatsoever. Excuse my language, but I think that is a complete load of crap. According to what I've heard, they have restaurants and barber shops that still refuse to serve blacks. Even the bail for these boys shows signs of racism. $100,000 is not a reasonable bail for a teenage boy who did nothing more then get in a fight with another boy. That kind of thing happens everyday in every state. It is sad to see a situation such as this escalade to such an extent. It is also very sad to see that this great country still has not overcome obstacles that have been around for years and years. We pride ourselves on being a great nation. One where all people are equal and can live in freedom. I think this situation shows that this country may not be living up to the standards our fore fathers set, and that America still has a long way to go on the path to equality.
After watching these two segments on the Jena 6, I would have to say that I have definitely sided with the Jena 6. I believe that they are being mistreated and the accusations against them are quite unfair. Maybe they shouldn't have attacked the kid, but that is really besides the point right now. They are being charged with attempt to murder? I would like to see how that could even be seen in what they did. If they really wanted to kill him, they would have. It was six on one. And besides, the reason they did it was in retaliation to the white kids who put nooses up in the "white" tree by the school. These kids got off with nothing more than a two day suspension and a slap on the wrist. Now I believe THAT is better reason to charge someone with attempt to murder over six guys barely beating up one kid. And the fact that one of them was actually charged and found guilty by an all white 6 person jury just baffles me. How this could have gotten past people baffles me. Either way, I was just surprised to hear that this is even happening, especially about the nooses in the tree. I was... hoping that this stuff didn't go on any more and that we learned to be more civil but I guess that is not the case. People out there still don't realize how ignorant and naive they are. I do believe and hope that this will open people's eyes a little, and show that racism still is a factor in our society and hopefully it will be a cause for more people to fight to stop it.
The tragedies in Jena, Louisiana are sickening to just hear about. After watching the video, I now understand how much racism there is around our country. I did not realize that it was so blatant and obvious. The white students that hung nooses should be prosecuted for what they did. If doing such a thing is not illegal, it should be. The African American students were merely sticking up for themselves after probably relentless physical and verbal abuses. There should be consequences for the actions of both sides of this issue though. However, the African American kids should not have been tried as adults, nor been tried for attempted murder. The white kids should have been sent to court as well. I think the best way to resolve this issue is for the trial to take place and be presided over by a neutral town, county, or state. There will be no way that impartiality can be found in a small town where racism runs rampant and everyone knows everyone.
I am actually very glad that the Jena Six have been shown so much support. The flooding of people into the small town of Jena that has been predicted is a good sign. This shows that there are much more people that feel that racism is not tolerated. It shows that the civil rights movement of the 1960’s was not entirely in vein. However, the racism that is appearing in this small town and maybe going under the radar elsewhere is, in essence, a slap in the face to the civil rights movement.
Our nation as a whole will need to show that this is an isolated incident and that we have done nothing but progressed in our struggle of equality for everyone.
I felt really disturbed after reading the article on Jena, and I was also very infuriated. It is too obvious that the African students were being mistreated and deserved much better. It started when an African American student requested to sit underneath a tree that was once forbidden to Blacks about 40 years ago. The student was given permission by the teachers, however a group of White students hung nooses in the tree before the student arrived. There was also a 2nd incident in which a White student was taunting a group of 6 Blacks, resulting in violence. They didn't harm the white student as severely, though they still got arrested and are following an astronomical bail. The only penalty the white students faced for hanging a noose in the tree on the Black student was a couple days of OSS. However those Black students got into much more trouble when compared to the penalty the White students faced for hanging the noose in the tree. This depicts that even though our country has changed and given more rights to other races over the years, there is still a considerable amount of segregation. It just amazes me, the way that some people think today, and how it still hasn't changed after nearly 200 years! I'd figure by now everyone in the nation would get the message that it's ridiculous to abuse citizens because of their skin color, but this article sends the message that apparently not everyone has learned this yet.
After Viewing the clip on the Jena 6 I was out raged. I was discusted by the way that they were treated and the fact that they were even tried for attempted murrder. If they had the tried the 6 african americans then the white kids that put up the nooses in the trees should also because nooses signify death because you are hung untill you die. This insident is a perferect example of how their is still racial discrimination in the world today, and even if they dont want to admit that thier is that racial discrimination it is very visiable to the rest of the world that it is their. If nothing happeneds to the white kids then it is sending them a message saying that they are above the law and they can do what ever they want and get away with it. All the kids that were involved with this insident need to pay or not pay you cant make only some pay(africian americans) while others get off with just a slap on the wrists(white kids).
After watching the video clips on the Jena six in Louisiana, I felt that the six African American students were treated unfairly, and the white students should have had a greater punishment. The only thing the African American students did was ask to sit under a tree. It is in so many ways not right that the white students got a simple suspension for hanging nooses in a tree and the African American students went to court for simply sticking up for themselves. The African American students could have severely hurt the white students but chose not to because they knew it wasn't right. It really hurts me to hear that people are still so racist towards each other. I feel that we should all be treated equally, despite the color of our skin, or the religion we follow.
After watching the Jena 6 video and watching the news about it I think that the six African American teenagers that got charges of attempted murder should have got lower charges. I think that the white students that hanged the nooses from the tree should have got a higher suspension than three days because this causes the fighting and the thought in the town mind that the town is still racist toward blacks. I believe that the court system is also wrong because a fight with no weapons can not be attempted murder. The white teenage who was the victim was only in the hospital for two hours. So if their was an attempted murder the victim would be in the hospital much larger than that. Also, their was six students verses one and six can kill one person so they did not want to kill him but teach him a lesson for saying racial words to the six African Americans.
The teachers of the school said that all students went under the tree which can not be the case when a black student asked if he could sit under the tree and then there are nooses on the tree. So the white students are threatening the black students so they won’t go under the tree. The nooses also represent the kkk. The town of Jena is racist and this is bad because the United States is a free country and everyone should be treated fairly.
After watching and listening to the disturbing situation that is currently ongoing in Jena,Louisiana, I feel deeply disappointed that something of this nature still occurs. Its obvious that there will be people in the world that hold racist judgements against certain groups, but at this day and age one would like to think that national stories about it would have subsided. First off, the white students who placed the nooses in the shade tree should obviously have received a much stronger penalty for such an intimidating and unlawful crime. Now, after the African American students were harrassed, i do not blame them for standing up and doing something about it. I obviously do not condone fighting in any way, but if the white students in this community have the audacity to place nooses in a tree, then they most likely can lay down very hurtful and racist remarks to the small African American population in the school. As for the Jena Six's charge of attempted murder, the idea that these students intent was to kill this teen is absurd and if so, then why wouldnt the white students be charged with "attempted" murder by placing nooses in the tree which symbolize and could possibly hang a student from them? All in all, the story is most definitely a disturbing one in which the public needs to take notice. I am proud of the fact that so many protesters showed up at the rally and fought for justice. I can only hope that this story is resolved the proper way and peace comes out on top.
I think that the six African Americans were punished a little harshly, but saying that they were treated way unfairly is a little over the top. When six people regardless of race gender or otherwise beat up one person, it is hardly a fight. It was exactly what they were tried for, aggravated assault. As for the three kids who hung the nooses, they also got the punishment that they deserved. But comparing something as that which may be and act of racism, but six black kids beating up one white person, is a clear act of racism. And should be treated as such.
Jena Six Videos
What I heard about in the Jena Six videos I found extremely upsetting. I found it easy to understand, or to believe, that students could get into a quarrel, but over something so unbelievable was upsetting.
Students at schools bully each other all the time, fighting about stupid things and it’s all unnecessary, they just make each other feel bad and themselves powerful. With what happened in Jena seems like an over reaction that took an even worse turn. I think what happened could have been avoided, not just the national attention, but the whole event period. The adults in the area are teaching their kids that blacks aren’t worthy and below them, and it’s coming out in the schools, affecting the lives of so many kids.
The whole incident was blown out of proportion and then not handled correctly. Hanging the nooses was a threat on life and was only penalized with a three-day suspension. I can’t blame the black students for getting riled. And I find it ridiculous that they’re being sent to jail for a fistfight.
It’s really hard to explain what the Jena Six event really means to me or how it’s affecting my opinions of people. It disgusts me and worries me that people can still act that way. I’m also slightly more upset with the adults who were brought in on the case, no matter what role they played. They’re supposed to be adults, not horrible examples for their kids to follow. Looking at what happened makes me think that. I bothers me to think that these people feel they’re Americans, but they treat each other so horribly.
This whole Jena 6 trial has caused a ruckus among people in the United States for good reasons. It is clear that this is the product of a deep seeded racism that the people of Jena know think of as the norm. These people don’t think that they are racists and they feel that what is happening to these young black students is what they have coming. It is sad that these people have been so brainwashed with the hate and racism from their parents that they don’t even see the problem. It makes me think about racism, and how people think its ridiculous that it still survives, but it makes perfect sense. De-segregation happened one generation ago for a good number of people in the United States. Some of these people grew up with racist parents that would rant about lynching blacks, or use the names “nigger” or “boy” with no regard. Seeing that this racism has only recently been deemed wrong there are people that feel the direct effects of racist people. Seeing the unfairness of the accusation made in Jena makes me wonder how long racism will linger in the minds of Americans.
after watching the news about the Jena 6, I am dissapointed in our country. I think it is not right and unfair to punish the 6 for a fight. The students who hung the nooses were only charged with suspensions while the Jena 6 are charged with attempt of murder and serious jail time. Why is it that racism is almost accepted, but fighting is not. In my opinion the racism is worse then fighting. The Jena 6 were only fighting for what they believe in, while the students that hung the nooses were just being mean. There is no reason in the world to be racist. What is the point of hanging a noose from a tree. There is no point. I also feel that having one student go to jail is also racism. The jury was all white, so there was obviously some racism in the jury. I think it is wrong that racism still exists and it should be taken care of.
After watching the videos and news reports about the Jena Six i believe that the 6 African american students are not being treated fair at all. I feel as though the white students intimidated the fight and that they started the whole thing by being racist and not allowing a black person to sit under there shade tree. Everyone is considered equal today.. and people should be alloud to sit where ever they want when ever. The black students should not have been charged with attempted murder just for fighting someone.. when the white students hung a noose which and only got a 3 day suspension. to me it looks like there is a way bigger difference in punishment for two crimes that arent that different from each other. It also seems that this town clearly has a racial problem still which is not right.
Listening to the two news reports made me realize that the Jena six are being unfairly accused after three white students hung nooses out of a tree that was supposed to be for whites only. When the nooses were seen six black boys retaliated against a white they thought was involved. The black students were charged with assault and attempt to murder; while the white students just had to serve a three day suspension. Reed Walters, District Attourney said he wished he could have prosecuted the white students who hung the nooses. Many people were traveling to Jena Louisiana for a day of protest. The town started to beef up security while town businesses closed for the day of protest because they just didn't know what would happen. I believe that the Jena Six were unfairly accused and should not have to be in jail. I think that the white students that hung the nooses should have gotten more than a three day suspension because i believe that the nooses were posed at a kind of threat to these black students attempting to scare them not to sit under the tree. The black boys should be suspended not in jail. The jury just happened to be an all white jury and i think putting them in jail was a racist act and these people should learn to settle their differences.
I think the whole Jeneva issue was ridiculous in the fact that the white southern people could not understand that they were in the wrong. It is not a prank to hang nooses from a tree after not just African American people ask to sit underneath it but for anyone. It is also ridiculous to charge the black kids with attempted murder when they got into a fight. I’m not saying it’s right for people to fight or to even have it be five against one. I just think that the accusations were to the extreme for the African American students and they were too lenient on the white students. This issue also makes me upset because it means not only have we not grown out of racism it also means we are not a United Nation because of a silly idea, that the color of our skin makes us better or worse than other people.
After watching both videos about Jena Six, I am extremely shocked and appalled of the events in Jena, LA. These events show that the prejudice in America has barely progressed since the time of the Civil Rights Movement. It is hard for me to believe that the town of Jena, LA, and probably many other towns all over the United States, are still so racist. The fact that the school in Jena still has a shade tree for whites only and shops that still have “whites only” signs is mind-boggling. It is even more inconceivable that the people of Jena don’t even recognize the horrible racism that exists.
I do feel that the six African American students are being treated unjustly. It is incredible that one of the six African American students was charged with attempted murder while the white students were only suspended from school for three days or committing a major hate crime. These students should have received much more of a punishment.
If anything good will come out of these events, I hope that people in America will become more aware of the racism that still exists after hearing about the events in Jena. Hopefully, people will realize that racism is still alive and strong and might try to become more tolerant of others’ differences.
After watching the videos on the Jena six I feel that this whole thing is somewhat blown out of proportion. Yes it was wrong for the white students to hang the nooses around the tree and I think that the white kids should have gotten a more severe punishment than what they did. As for the black kids I think that there was a better way to handle the problem than to go and beat up the kid that hung the nooses. I think that it is extremely unfair to keep the black kid in jail until they await a final decision for him. And for the townspeople to say that Jena isn’t a raciest town is a complete lie, and they should be ashamed of themselves. And it bothers me that the school didn’t try and prevent this whole thing from happening before such as not doing anything about only white kids being able to sit under the tree. The school should have stepped up and did something. It also bothers me that after all America has accomplished from letting women vote, to ending slavery, to integrating blacks and whites in public places, we to this day are still fighting racism.
The Jena Six scandal is a joke. I do not understand how six people could get arrested and tried for murder in this case. First of all, it could just be the New England in me, but I think seperation between races especially in high school is rediculous. Everyone is made equal, so there shouldn’t be any specific place you have to eat lunch, sit, or even shop, like there is in Jena. It almost makes me embarassed to be white because this is simply a dispute about race. The kids that hanged the ropes from the “white” tree should have been punished more than just a lame slap on the wrist and 3 days suspension. What they did should be considered a hate crime because its not just coincidence that it happened after a black student asked to sit under it. As for the beating, there is no way that there was attempted murder by 6 black kids on one white kid. He was out of the hospital with a concussion and mere bruises, no collapsed organs, hospital stays, not even a broken bone. If six people wanted to kill one person, they would be able to get more than just a few bruises on him. Its also rediculous that their bail is so high when they live in a lower class southern town. Im pretty sure that 6 high school kids wouldn’t run away when they were on trial in such a over-dramatized situation. I think that the prosecutor and towns people are all full of crap when they say that there is no racism in their town when they still have stores that are for whites only. They should try the kids with the ropes for hate crimes, lower the charge of the 6 to assault, and get out of the pre-civil rights era that their in and become one town like the rest of the country.
After finding out more about the Jena Six story in Jena, Louisiana, I am left with a few different opinions. First of all, the six African American teenagers were treated unfairly and should not have faced attempted murder charges. They did rough the white kid up a little bit but he did deserve it. Two wrongs do not make a right, but who wouldn't have done what the "Jena 6" did. They were being threatened and were standing up for themselves, but that also does not mean that they should get away with what they did. No matter what the white students did to them, they should still face the consequences. Micahel Bell (one of the six) was eventually charged with aggravated assault, as oppossed to attempted murder, and that seems to be a proper charge against the African American teenagers. The white students, particularly the ones who hung the nooses from the tree at school, should have been punished a lot more than they were. A three day suspension is nothing, they should have faced expulsion and even charged with a hate crime. This is leaving a bad example to future students, showing that they can get away with doing something as cruel as that. I believe that in Jena, Louisiana this really has to be about race. It's sad to see that prejudice is still present in this nation, but apparently it is. I am not saying that one group should be punished and the other should not, but both should face the consequences of their actions and it should have nothing to do with race. Some people, and apparently many people in the southern United States, really need to grow up and realize times are changing and it is the 21st century, when racial prejudice should cease to exist.
Billy Colwell
After watching the Jena Six Videos, am completely shocked and appalled by what this country has come too. But truly, the country isn’t to blame for what happened to the six African Americans in Jena. The town of Jena is. They are being tried for attempted murder, for just “roughing up” a white kid, who hung a noose on a tree near the school. There have been worse fights in this high school that kids have not been tried for attempted murder. Michael Bell, who was the first to be tried out of the Jena Six, was faced with Aggravated Assault not Attempted Murder. I do agree that the six kids should face charges, but not such that can land them in jail. This thing that really ticked me off was the fact that the white students who hung the noose got away with a three-day suspension. They could be tried for so much more. And after hearing what the people of Jena (well at least the white people) had to say I must say that Jena still hasn’t passed the 1960’s. They are what other countries call, Americans, fat, lazy, and racist. They are showing a horrible side of our country, which has changed the world’s eye to look down on us. We must not let this idiotic racist town get away with what they are doing, and we must let the Jena Six free.
After seeing both reports on the Jena 6, i could not believe that our court system could even think that this was fair. No matter what race you are, you can clearly see that this was a hate cime, and intentionaly ment to threaten the African American students. This makes me think that even today, in these times that America still has not come as far as we would think. We demand the respect of every other country in the world, but we cant respect the people who are living on our own soil. I think that the white student should be charged with expolsion and jail time for a hate crime, but ruining 6 other kids lives for something that they did not do is unjust.
After watching both of the two news reports about the Jena 6 in Louisiana, I was very shocked about all the media regarding racism between blacks and whites. Even though there may be racist people living in the town of Jena, I don't feel that the case has to do with racism. I believe that the Jena 6 got charged with a crime that they did commit, which was "Aggravated Assault". There were six black kids beating up one white kid and they could have killed him if they beat him hard enough. I dont agree that the white kid was right in taunting them, and if he was, then he probably deserved to be beaten up, but not to the point where it was life-threatening. I also feel that the punishment for the white kids hanging the ropes in the trees was not the correct punishment. They were basically taunting anyone who wasn't supposed to be near the tree and threatening their life and for this I believe the hangers of the ropes should have been expelled. A three day suspension is not the proper punishment for hanging ropes in a tree and sending out threatening messages, through its action.
After watching and reading about the events that happened at the high school in Jena, Louisianna i can honestly say im shocked. I feel like the white students got off so much easier than the black students. Hanging nooses on trees is an extremely horrible way of saying to black students "you are not welcome". The three students who did this only got a 3 day suspension which is not a just punishment for their actions. The six black students that beat up one white kid were arrested and were expelled school. In our town if kids get into a fight like this you would get suspended for 5 days maybe 10. Considering the white student didn't have any broken bones or other severe injuries, i have to say being charged for attempted murder, and maybe being sentenced to 20-100 years in prison is completely irrational.
After watching both video reports on the Jena six, I am left stunned by the coarse this has taken. It seems as though the school and the town of Jena has made mistake after mistake throughout the process this controversy. It’s sometimes hard to believe that there are still numerous accounts of racism in today’s society that sometimes we overlook. There are many white people down south who still oppose African Americans for whatever reason. How can you blame these black students to act in the way they did? Their classmates were suspended only 3 days for hanging the nuses! How is it fair to say that these six students are now facing attempted murder for just beating up someone who wasn’t even seriously hurt? Beatings happen all the time in today’s society, and you never see it taken to this extreme. I feel as though this issue is very racist towards these 6 African American students, and if enough pressure it put towards this controversy, I believe the students will eventually be let off.
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