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The Jena 6 are Free!

by Alan Bean 06-29-2009 | 3:15pm
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The Jena 6 and Justin Barker are now free to move ahead with their lives. The terms of the plea agreement were revealed in the course of a two-hour court hearing at the LaSalle Parish courthouse. Each of the five remaining defendants in this case pleaded "no contest" to the misdemeanor charge of simple battery. Each will be placed on non-supervised probation for one week and must pay a $500 fine and in most cases an additional $500 in court costs. In addition, a civil suit filed by the family of Justin Barker was settled when the Jena 6 defendants (including Mychal Bell) agreed to pay the Barker family an undisclosed settlement. Attorneys are not allowed to reveal the details of the settlement, but a reliable source has disclosed that the payment was approximately $24,000.

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The picture above was taken on the LaSalle courthouse steps moments after the settlement brought a two-and-a-half year legal fight to a satisfying conclusion. Pictured (left to right) are Corwin Jones, 20, Jesse Ray Beard, 18, Bryant Purvis (20), Robert Bailey (19), Theo Shaw (20), and, in the second row, yours truly (56). Judge Thomas Yeager was clearly impressed that all five of the defendants who appeared before him today are enrolled in college. Two of them tell me they are considering law school.

I will explain how we got to this point in a later post, but the short answer is that we were able to recruit skilled and dedicated attorneys (some of whom are pictured to the left). The legal fight never attracted much media coverage, but everyone familiar with the American criminal justice system knows it is virtually impossible to achieve a positive outcome in a morally and factually ambiguous case without highly trained legal professionals.

The legal fight began in earnest when the Southern Poverty Law Center agreed to secure the services of the best defense attorney in Louisiana; they did some checking and called up Jim Boren of Baton Rouge. Jim's involvement opened the door to pro bono talent from law firms in Chicago and New York City. In addition, several regional attorneys lent their talents to the project.

Alan Bean is the executive director of Friends of Justice. Click here to read his blog.

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by: teachesinjena

07-14-2009 @ 10:22am

But the nooses had NOTHING to do with the Jena 6. The noose incident was investigated by local, state, and federal officials and all came to the same conclusion. FYI, US District Attorney Washington is African-American and was called everything but an Uncle Tom by the Black Cacuas during a Congressional hearing.

by: Hannity2

06-29-2009 @ 7:38pm

Blue,

As far as anyone knows, the victim didn't have anything to do with the nooses. Your logic has a dangerous conclusion. Basically you are saying that these six young men were justified in kicking their lone victim senseless because other people who shared his race committed offenses against other black students. Would they have been justified in killing him or just beating him?

by: JoannaCW

06-29-2009 @ 9:20pm

I don't think it helps to argue about whose violence was worse. I think that we're each responsible for addressing the cruelty and injustice shown by our own people, whoever we perceive those to be.

by: RedBishop

06-29-2009 @ 11:36pm

Hannity,

BlueDeacon is right. In your naive obsession with so-called facts, you've overlooked something more important: narrative. We in the mainstream media have created a narrative that will help you (and your conservative bully boys who are still so fixated on your precious "facts") understand why these things happen in the first place.

And don't give me any of that "liberal media bias" nonsense. Like my esteemed colleague Blue, I've worked in the media for a very long time. And let me tell you, I would be able to recognize my own bias as easily as I could recognize a plank in my own eye.

The issue here isn't who violently assaulted whom. The REAL issue is who created the environment that made the actions of Jena Six justifiable, or if you ask me, necessary. The real enemy here is George Bush in his continuation of almost 30 years of Reagan-era policies that have forced young men like the Jena Six to take the defensive actions that they did.

To call what they did "violence" is to do violence to the word violence.

The only crime here is our failure to properly honor the courage of the Jena Six. Everyone here seems to forget how much damage one unarmed man can do to a group of six so-called assailants who are kicking him. Hasn't anyone here ever seen a Jean-Claude Van Damme movie? Just a movie, you say? Well, you may see those movies as mere entertainment, but I promise you, they're as genuine as Alan Bean's concern for justice!

by: alanbean

06-30-2009 @ 1:08am

Red Bishop: I have never heard anyone associated with the Jena 6 case justify the beat-down at the high school. Although Justin Barker's life was never in danger, he was beaten unconscious--probably by the initial blow that dropped him. Christians can't justify violence without denying their Savior, and the Jena 6 have made no attempt to justify what happened to Mr. Barker. Some have claimed that they weren't involved, but that is another matter. Did Barker engage in provocative behavior? Probably, but that doesn't justify a violent response. Was Barker closely associated with the boys who hung the nooses in early September, 2006? Most definitely. What happened at the high school on December 4, 2006 was the culmination of several months of steadily escalating violence that would have been averted if the school superintendent and the local district attorney had called a hate crime by its proper name. The decision to charge the Jena 6 with attempted murder was a bizarre over-reaction. If DA Reed Walters hadn't been opposed by Friends of Justice, some of these kids would have spent over a decade in prison. Their lives would have been destroyed. Instead, they all have a chance to get an education and make a positive contribution. Hopefully Mr. Barker will do the same. The behavior of the noose hangers was reprehensible, but they were only reflecting the racist assumptions of the surrounding culture. The young men who assaulted Robert Bailey (one of the Jena 6) at a high school dance a few nights before the beat-down at the high school demonstrated that the social environment had become utterly toxic. No one behaved well. What makes the assault on Barker "necessary"? Can violence ever be redemptive? Is that what Dr. King taught? Is that the way of Jesus? The tragedy at the high school nearly destroyed the lives of six young men. But thanks to the efforts of community organizers, parents, supportive people across the nation, groups like Color of Change, Friends of Justice and the Southern Poverty Law Center and, finally, a team of skilled and dedicated attorneys, justice has been served and a measure of redemption has come to Jena, Louisiana. For that, I give thanks.

Alan Bean
Friends of Justice

by: Eric77

06-30-2009 @ 12:56pm

Thank you for this response to RedBishop. I was going to respond to his deeply flawed comment about violence being neccessary in this instance, but you did a better job than I ever would have been able to do.

by: WaveTossed

06-30-2009 @ 1:29am

"The decision to charge the Jena 6 with attempted murder was a bizarre over-reaction."

I agree. I don't think that anyone is trying to justify the beating on Justin Barker. However, White kids have done similar sorts of assaults on Black kids and were not charged or else got slapped in the wrist, whereas the Black kids were initially charged with attempted murder. The problem is the inequity of justice.

I just came back from Philadelphia, Mississippi. Here those of us in the 1960s civil rights movement had a memorial march for all of the martyrs who were slaughtered during that time and no justice was done; the murderers were let off scott-free due to racist justice.

Here is a website of the original notice of this event (the article was written before the event happened). We had the march and it went just as the notice said.

http://www.crmvet.org/anc/0906ms.htm

by: RedBishop

06-30-2009 @ 2:53am

Mr. Bean,

I believe you slightly misunderstand my post. I'm on your side. Like you, I don't believe Mr. Barker suffered any trauma after he was rendered unconscious.

And a mea culpa is indeed in order. From my first perusal of your article, it was unclear to me that an actual "beat-down" at the hands of the Jena Six even occurred. I thought they merely pled "no contest" as part of a plea agreement (I'll admit, I'm not an expert on the law) and I wrote my post accordingly. But even if a "beat-down" did occur, I'm not sure it changes my stance on this matter.

Mr. Barker was an embodiment of the toxic environment that had been created when the DA and school superintendant refused to call a hate crime a hate crime. It's a terrible thing, indeed, when hatred and violence are ignored or much worse, are excused or justified. What choice did these young men have?

Am I concerned about the slight overreaction of the Jena Six? Sure, I'm just as concerned as you are. Am I far more concerned about the bizarre overreaction of the prosecutors? Absolutely!

Like you, I look forward to the future contributions of all of these young men. And like you, I look forward to a future where racial tensions aren't exploited by ideologues and hucksters who gravitate to such incidents to forward their own reputations and agendas.

And on that point, I think we can all agree.

by: SisterMarie

06-30-2009 @ 10:09am

RedBishop, tmcool, JoannaCW, alanbean:

Thanks for steering the conversation regarding this topic back to a constructive vein.

by: teachesinjena

07-14-2009 @ 10:26am

But their plea agreement the statement said that Justin Barker did nothing to deserve what happened that day. As far as not prosecuting the noose incident as a hate crime, it was not directed at any individual or group and as such, did not meet the criteria to be classified as a hate crime. That conclusion was reached by local, state, and federal authorities.

by: teachesinjena

07-14-2009 @ 12:26pm

But their plea agreement the statement said that Justin Barker did nothing to deserve what happened that day. As far as not prosecuting the noose incident as a hate crime, it was not directed at any individual or group and as such, did not meet the criteria to be classified as a hate crime. That conclusion was reached by local, state, and federal authorities.

by: teachesinjena

07-14-2009 @ 12:22pm

But the nooses had NOTHING to do with the Jena 6. The noose incident was investigated by local, state, and federal officials and all came to the same conclusion. FYI, US District Attorney Washington is African-American and was called everything but an Uncle Tom by the Black Cacuas during a Congressional hearing.

by: teachesinjena

07-14-2009 @ 10:22am

But the nooses had NOTHING to do with the Jena 6. The noose incident was investigated by local, state, and federal officials and all came to the same conclusion. FYI, US District Attorney Washington is African-American and was called everything but an Uncle Tom by the Black Cacuas during a Congressional hearing.

by: Hannity2

06-29-2009 @ 7:38pm

Blue,

As far as anyone knows, the victim didn't have anything to do with the nooses. Your logic has a dangerous conclusion. Basically you are saying that these six young men were justified in kicking their lone victim senseless because other people who shared his race committed offenses against other black students. Would they have been justified in killing him or just beating him?

by: JoannaCW

06-29-2009 @ 9:20pm

I don't think it helps to argue about whose violence was worse. I think that we're each responsible for addressing the cruelty and injustice shown by our own people, whoever we perceive those to be.

by: RedBishop

06-29-2009 @ 11:36pm

Hannity,

BlueDeacon is right. In your naive obsession with so-called facts, you've overlooked something more important: narrative. We in the mainstream media have created a narrative that will help you (and your conservative bully boys who are still so fixated on your precious "facts") understand why these things happen in the first place.

And don't give me any of that "liberal media bias" nonsense. Like my esteemed colleague Blue, I've worked in the media for a very long time. And let me tell you, I would be able to recognize my own bias as easily as I could recognize a plank in my own eye.

The issue here isn't who violently assaulted whom. The REAL issue is who created the environment that made the actions of Jena Six justifiable, or if you ask me, necessary. The real enemy here is George Bush in his continuation of almost 30 years of Reagan-era policies that have forced young men like the Jena Six to take the defensive actions that they did.

To call what they did "violence" is to do violence to the word violence.

The only crime here is our failure to properly honor the courage of the Jena Six. Everyone here seems to forget how much damage one unarmed man can do to a group of six so-called assailants who are kicking him. Hasn't anyone here ever seen a Jean-Claude Van Damme movie? Just a movie, you say? Well, you may see those movies as mere entertainment, but I promise you, they're as genuine as Alan Bean's concern for justice!

by: alanbean

06-30-2009 @ 1:08am

Red Bishop: I have never heard anyone associated with the Jena 6 case justify the beat-down at the high school. Although Justin Barker's life was never in danger, he was beaten unconscious--probably by the initial blow that dropped him. Christians can't justify violence without denying their Savior, and the Jena 6 have made no attempt to justify what happened to Mr. Barker. Some have claimed that they weren't involved, but that is another matter. Did Barker engage in provocative behavior? Probably, but that doesn't justify a violent response. Was Barker closely associated with the boys who hung the nooses in early September, 2006? Most definitely. What happened at the high school on December 4, 2006 was the culmination of several months of steadily escalating violence that would have been averted if the school superintendent and the local district attorney had called a hate crime by its proper name. The decision to charge the Jena 6 with attempted murder was a bizarre over-reaction. If DA Reed Walters hadn't been opposed by Friends of Justice, some of these kids would have spent over a decade in prison. Their lives would have been destroyed. Instead, they all have a chance to get an education and make a positive contribution. Hopefully Mr. Barker will do the same. The behavior of the noose hangers was reprehensible, but they were only reflecting the racist assumptions of the surrounding culture. The young men who assaulted Robert Bailey (one of the Jena 6) at a high school dance a few nights before the beat-down at the high school demonstrated that the social environment had become utterly toxic. No one behaved well. What makes the assault on Barker "necessary"? Can violence ever be redemptive? Is that what Dr. King taught? Is that the way of Jesus? The tragedy at the high school nearly destroyed the lives of six young men. But thanks to the efforts of community organizers, parents, supportive people across the nation, groups like Color of Change, Friends of Justice and the Southern Poverty Law Center and, finally, a team of skilled and dedicated attorneys, justice has been served and a measure of redemption has come to Jena, Louisiana. For that, I give thanks.

Alan Bean
Friends of Justice

by: Eric77

06-30-2009 @ 12:56pm

Thank you for this response to RedBishop. I was going to respond to his deeply flawed comment about violence being neccessary in this instance, but you did a better job than I ever would have been able to do.

by: WaveTossed

06-30-2009 @ 1:29am

"The decision to charge the Jena 6 with attempted murder was a bizarre over-reaction."

I agree. I don't think that anyone is trying to justify the beating on Justin Barker. However, White kids have done similar sorts of assaults on Black kids and were not charged or else got slapped in the wrist, whereas the Black kids were initially charged with attempted murder. The problem is the inequity of justice.

I just came back from Philadelphia, Mississippi. Here those of us in the 1960s civil rights movement had a memorial march for all of the martyrs who were slaughtered during that time and no justice was done; the murderers were let off scott-free due to racist justice.

Here is a website of the original notice of this event (the article was written before the event happened). We had the march and it went just as the notice said.

http://www.crmvet.org/anc/0906ms.htm

by: RedBishop

06-30-2009 @ 2:53am

Mr. Bean,

I believe you slightly misunderstand my post. I'm on your side. Like you, I don't believe Mr. Barker suffered any trauma after he was rendered unconscious.

And a mea culpa is indeed in order. From my first perusal of your article, it was unclear to me that an actual "beat-down" at the hands of the Jena Six even occurred. I thought they merely pled "no contest" as part of a plea agreement (I'll admit, I'm not an expert on the law) and I wrote my post accordingly. But even if a "beat-down" did occur, I'm not sure it changes my stance on this matter.

Mr. Barker was an embodiment of the toxic environment that had been created when the DA and school superintendant refused to call a hate crime a hate crime. It's a terrible thing, indeed, when hatred and violence are ignored or much worse, are excused or justified. What choice did these young men have?

Am I concerned about the slight overreaction of the Jena Six? Sure, I'm just as concerned as you are. Am I far more concerned about the bizarre overreaction of the prosecutors? Absolutely!

Like you, I look forward to the future contributions of all of these young men. And like you, I look forward to a future where racial tensions aren't exploited by ideologues and hucksters who gravitate to such incidents to forward their own reputations and agendas.

And on that point, I think we can all agree.

by: SisterMarie

06-30-2009 @ 10:09am

RedBishop, tmcool, JoannaCW, alanbean:

Thanks for steering the conversation regarding this topic back to a constructive vein.

by: Hannity2

06-29-2009 @ 2:54pm

Are you willing to put up a picture of the victim after he had been beaten and stomped by these guys into unconsciousness?

And that Mychal Bell definately should be commended. That was what his 5th convinction for a violent crime? And those are only his convictions. Who knows how many other he committed.

It's definately a safer place now that he is out.

We are all sinners living by God's grace. But let's not make hero's out of a group of guys who almost beat someone to death ganging up on him 6 to 1.

Of course on this site the only way they would get condemned is if they beat up an abortion doctor. Then Jim would tells us to shun them.

by: tmccool

06-29-2009 @ 3:45pm

The court's decision is right and there is very little that is right about what happened in Jena. Racial tensions were covered up or ignored. Bad behavior by young people. Town officials that decided the law of men was good enough, refusing to do what was truly right for all the residents of Jena. Rage that turned to violence. No hands are clean in Jena. The court did the right thing, for the sake of Jena.

by: Jeffrey_Warren

06-29-2009 @ 5:16pm

You failed to adhere to each of the first three commitments in the code of conduct. Please clean it up.

by: Hannity2

06-29-2009 @ 5:20pm

By speaking the truth?

by: BlueDeacon

06-29-2009 @ 5:30pm

No, by ignoring the context.

by: Hannity2

06-29-2009 @ 5:35pm

And what part of what I said was out of context???

by: BlueDeacon

06-29-2009 @ 5:58pm

Do you know the entire story?

by: Hannity2

06-29-2009 @ 6:12pm

Yes, I do know the entire story. It still doesn't justify the beating that the victim took.

by: BlueDeacon

06-29-2009 @ 6:20pm

You thus answered your question -- you don't. In fact, the real story is the disparate punishment the black students received vis-a-vis white students who had committed similar acts.

by: Hannity2

06-29-2009 @ 7:12pm

Who are the 6 white students who beat up the one black student until he was unconscious, repeatedly kicking him over and over again in the face and head?

by: BlueDeacon

06-29-2009 @ 7:20pm

Where were the nooses that black kids left for white kids in a tree where the black kids hung out? That was the impetus for the situation we're addressing.

by: Hannity2

06-29-2009 @ 2:54pm

Are you willing to put up a picture of the victim after he had been beaten and stomped by these guys into unconsciousness?

And that Mychal Bell definately should be commended. That was what his 5th convinction for a violent crime? And those are only his convictions. Who knows how many other he committed.

It's definately a safer place now that he is out.

We are all sinners living by God's grace. But let's not make hero's out of a group of guys who almost beat someone to death ganging up on him 6 to 1.

Of course on this site the only way they would get condemned is if they beat up an abortion doctor. Then Jim would tells us to shun them.

by: tmccool

06-29-2009 @ 3:45pm

The court's decision is right and there is very little that is right about what happened in Jena. Racial tensions were covered up or ignored. Bad behavior by young people. Town officials that decided the law of men was good enough, refusing to do what was truly right for all the residents of Jena. Rage that turned to violence. No hands are clean in Jena. The court did the right thing, for the sake of Jena.

by: Jeffrey_Warren

06-29-2009 @ 5:16pm

You failed to adhere to each of the first three commitments in the code of conduct. Please clean it up.

by: Hannity2

06-29-2009 @ 5:20pm

By speaking the truth?

by: BlueDeacon

06-29-2009 @ 5:30pm

No, by ignoring the context.

by: Hannity2

06-29-2009 @ 5:35pm

And what part of what I said was out of context???

by: BlueDeacon

06-29-2009 @ 5:58pm

Do you know the entire story?

by: Hannity2

06-29-2009 @ 6:12pm

Yes, I do know the entire story. It still doesn't justify the beating that the victim took.

by: BlueDeacon

06-29-2009 @ 6:20pm

You thus answered your question -- you don't. In fact, the real story is the disparate punishment the black students received vis-a-vis white students who had committed similar acts.

by: Hannity2

06-29-2009 @ 7:12pm

Who are the 6 white students who beat up the one black student until he was unconscious, repeatedly kicking him over and over again in the face and head?

by: BlueDeacon

06-29-2009 @ 7:20pm

Where were the nooses that black kids left for white kids in a tree where the black kids hung out? That was the impetus for the situation we're addressing.

by: teachesinjena

07-14-2009 @ 12:26pm

But their plea agreement the statement said that Justin Barker did nothing to deserve what happened that day. As far as not prosecuting the noose incident as a hate crime, it was not directed at any individual or group and as such, did not meet the criteria to be classified as a hate crime. That conclusion was reached by local, state, and federal authorities.

by: teachesinjena

07-14-2009 @ 12:22pm

But the nooses had NOTHING to do with the Jena 6. The noose incident was investigated by local, state, and federal officials and all came to the same conclusion. FYI, US District Attorney Washington is African-American and was called everything but an Uncle Tom by the Black Cacuas during a Congressional hearing.

by: teachesinjena

07-14-2009 @ 10:26am

But their plea agreement the statement said that Justin Barker did nothing to deserve what happened that day. As far as not prosecuting the noose incident as a hate crime, it was not directed at any individual or group and as such, did not meet the criteria to be classified as a hate crime. That conclusion was reached by local, state, and federal authorities.

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by: Hannity2

06-29-2009 @ 2:54pm

Are you willing to put up a picture of the victim after he had been beaten and stomped by these guys into unconsciousness?

And that Mychal Bell definately should be commended. That was what his 5th convinction for a violent crime? And those are only his convictions. Who knows how many other he committed.

It's definately a safer place now that he is out.

We are all sinners living by God's grace. But let's not make hero's out of a group of guys who almost beat someone to death ganging up on him 6 to 1.

Of course on this site the only way they would get condemned is if they beat up an abortion doctor. Then Jim would tells us to shun them.

by: Hannity2

06-29-2009 @ 2:54pm

Are you willing to put up a picture of the victim after he had been beaten and stomped by these guys into unconsciousness?

And that Mychal Bell definately should be commended. That was what his 5th convinction for a violent crime? And those are only his convictions. Who knows how many other he committed.

It's definately a safer place now that he is out.

We are all sinners living by God's grace. But let's not make hero's out of a group of guys who almost beat someone to death ganging up on him 6 to 1.

Of course on this site the only way they would get condemned is if they beat up an abortion doctor. Then Jim would tells us to shun them.

by: tmccool

06-29-2009 @ 3:45pm

The court's decision is right and there is very little that is right about what happened in Jena. Racial tensions were covered up or ignored. Bad behavior by young people. Town officials that decided the law of men was good enough, refusing to do what was truly right for all the residents of Jena. Rage that turned to violence. No hands are clean in Jena. The court did the right thing, for the sake of Jena.

by: tmccool

06-29-2009 @ 3:45pm

The court's decision is right and there is very little that is right about what happened in Jena. Racial tensions were covered up or ignored. Bad behavior by young people. Town officials that decided the law of men was good enough, refusing to do what was truly right for all the residents of Jena. Rage that turned to violence. No hands are clean in Jena. The court did the right thing, for the sake of Jena.

by: Jeffrey_Warren

06-29-2009 @ 5:16pm

You failed to adhere to each of the first three commitments in the code of conduct. Please clean it up.

by: Jeffrey_Warren

06-29-2009 @ 5:16pm

You failed to adhere to each of the first three commitments in the code of conduct. Please clean it up.

by: Hannity2

06-29-2009 @ 5:20pm

By speaking the truth?

by: Hannity2

06-29-2009 @ 5:20pm

By speaking the truth?

by: BlueDeacon

06-29-2009 @ 5:30pm

No, by ignoring the context.

by: BlueDeacon

06-29-2009 @ 5:30pm

No, by ignoring the context.

by: Hannity2

06-29-2009 @ 5:35pm

And what part of what I said was out of context???

by: Hannity2

06-29-2009 @ 5:35pm

And what part of what I said was out of context???

by: BlueDeacon

06-29-2009 @ 5:58pm

Do you know the entire story?

by: BlueDeacon

06-29-2009 @ 5:58pm

Do you know the entire story?

by: Hannity2

06-29-2009 @ 6:12pm

Yes, I do know the entire story. It still doesn't justify the beating that the victim took.

by: Hannity2

06-29-2009 @ 6:12pm

Yes, I do know the entire story. It still doesn't justify the beating that the victim took.

by: BlueDeacon

06-29-2009 @ 6:20pm

You thus answered your question -- you don't. In fact, the real story is the disparate punishment the black students received vis-a-vis white students who had committed similar acts.

by: BlueDeacon

06-29-2009 @ 6:20pm

You thus answered your question -- you don't. In fact, the real story is the disparate punishment the black students received vis-a-vis white students who had committed similar acts.

by: Hannity2

06-29-2009 @ 7:12pm

Who are the 6 white students who beat up the one black student until he was unconscious, repeatedly kicking him over and over again in the face and head?

by: Hannity2

06-29-2009 @ 7:12pm

Who are the 6 white students who beat up the one black student until he was unconscious, repeatedly kicking him over and over again in the face and head?

by: BlueDeacon

06-29-2009 @ 7:20pm

Where were the nooses that black kids left for white kids in a tree where the black kids hung out? That was the impetus for the situation we're addressing.

by: BlueDeacon

06-29-2009 @ 7:20pm

Where were the nooses that black kids left for white kids in a tree where the black kids hung out? That was the impetus for the situation we're addressing.

by: Hannity2

06-29-2009 @ 7:38pm

Blue,

As far as anyone knows, the victim didn't have anything to do with the nooses. Your logic has a dangerous conclusion. Basically you are saying that these six young men were justified in kicking their lone victim senseless because other people who shared his race committed offenses against other black students. Would they have been justified in killing him or just beating him?

by: Hannity2

06-29-2009 @ 7:38pm

Blue,

As far as anyone knows, the victim didn't have anything to do with the nooses. Your logic has a dangerous conclusion. Basically you are saying that these six young men were justified in kicking their lone victim senseless because other people who shared his race committed offenses against other black students. Would they have been justified in killing him or just beating him?

by: JoannaCW

06-29-2009 @ 9:20pm

I don't think it helps to argue about whose violence was worse. I think that we're each responsible for addressing the cruelty and injustice shown by our own people, whoever we perceive those to be.

by: JoannaCW

06-29-2009 @ 9:20pm

I don't think it helps to argue about whose violence was worse. I think that we're each responsible for addressing the cruelty and injustice shown by our own people, whoever we perceive those to be.

by: RedBishop

06-29-2009 @ 11:36pm

Hannity,

BlueDeacon is right. In your naive obsession with so-called facts, you've overlooked something more important: narrative. We in the mainstream media have created a narrative that will help you (and your conservative bully boys who are still so fixated on your precious "facts") understand why these things happen in the first place.

And don't give me any of that "liberal media bias" nonsense. Like my esteemed colleague Blue, I've worked in the media for a very long time. And let me tell you, I would be able to recognize my own bias as easily as I could recognize a plank in my own eye.

The issue here isn't who violently assaulted whom. The REAL issue is who created the environment that made the actions of Jena Six justifiable, or if you ask me, necessary. The real enemy here is George Bush in his continuation of almost 30 years of Reagan-era policies that have forced young men like the Jena Six to take the defensive actions that they did.

To call what they did "violence" is to do violence to the word violence.

The only crime here is our failure to properly honor the courage of the Jena Six. Everyone here seems to forget how much damage one unarmed man can do to a group of six so-called assailants who are kicking him. Hasn't anyone here ever seen a Jean-Claude Van Damme movie? Just a movie, you say? Well, you may see those movies as mere entertainment, but I promise you, they're as genuine as Alan Bean's concern for justice!

by: RedBishop

06-29-2009 @ 11:36pm

Hannity,

BlueDeacon is right. In your naive obsession with so-called facts, you've overlooked something more important: narrative. We in the mainstream media have created a narrative that will help you (and your conservative bully boys who are still so fixated on your precious "facts") understand why these things happen in the first place.

And don't give me any of that "liberal media bias" nonsense. Like my esteemed colleague Blue, I've worked in the media for a very long time. And let me tell you, I would be able to recognize my own bias as easily as I could recognize a plank in my own eye.

The issue here isn't who violently assaulted whom. The REAL issue is who created the environment that made the actions of Jena Six justifiable, or if you ask me, necessary. The real enemy here is George Bush in his continuation of almost 30 years of Reagan-era policies that have forced young men like the Jena Six to take the defensive actions that they did.

To call what they did "violence" is to do violence to the word violence.

The only crime here is our failure to properly honor the courage of the Jena Six. Everyone here seems to forget how much damage one unarmed man can do to a group of six so-called assailants who are kicking him. Hasn't anyone here ever seen a Jean-Claude Van Damme movie? Just a movie, you say? Well, you may see those movies as mere entertainment, but I promise you, they're as genuine as Alan Bean's concern for justice!

by: alanbean

06-30-2009 @ 1:08am

Red Bishop: I have never heard anyone associated with the Jena 6 case justify the beat-down at the high school. Although Justin Barker's life was never in danger, he was beaten unconscious--probably by the initial blow that dropped him. Christians can't justify violence without denying their Savior, and the Jena 6 have made no attempt to justify what happened to Mr. Barker. Some have claimed that they weren't involved, but that is another matter. Did Barker engage in provocative behavior? Probably, but that doesn't justify a violent response. Was Barker closely associated with the boys who hung the nooses in early September, 2006? Most definitely. What happened at the high school on December 4, 2006 was the culmination of several months of steadily escalating violence that would have been averted if the school superintendent and the local district attorney had called a hate crime by its proper name. The decision to charge the Jena 6 with attempted murder was a bizarre over-reaction. If DA Reed Walters hadn't been opposed by Friends of Justice, some of these kids would have spent over a decade in prison. Their lives would have been destroyed. Instead, they all have a chance to get an education and make a positive contribution. Hopefully Mr. Barker will do the same. The behavior of the noose hangers was reprehensible, but they were only reflecting the racist assumptions of the surrounding culture. The young men who assaulted Robert Bailey (one of the Jena 6) at a high school dance a few nights before the beat-down at the high school demonstrated that the social environment had become utterly toxic. No one behaved well. What makes the assault on Barker "necessary"? Can violence ever be redemptive? Is that what Dr. King taught? Is that the way of Jesus? The tragedy at the high school nearly destroyed the lives of six young men. But thanks to the efforts of community organizers, parents, supportive people across the nation, groups like Color of Change, Friends of Justice and the Southern Poverty Law Center and, finally, a team of skilled and dedicated attorneys, justice has been served and a measure of redemption has come to Jena, Louisiana. For that, I give thanks.

Alan Bean
Friends of Justice

by: alanbean

06-30-2009 @ 1:08am

Red Bishop: I have never heard anyone associated with the Jena 6 case justify the beat-down at the high school. Although Justin Barker's life was never in danger, he was beaten unconscious--probably by the initial blow that dropped him. Christians can't justify violence without denying their Savior, and the Jena 6 have made no attempt to justify what happened to Mr. Barker. Some have claimed that they weren't involved, but that is another matter. Did Barker engage in provocative behavior? Probably, but that doesn't justify a violent response. Was Barker closely associated with the boys who hung the nooses in early September, 2006? Most definitely. What happened at the high school on December 4, 2006 was the culmination of several months of steadily escalating violence that would have been averted if the school superintendent and the local district attorney had called a hate crime by its proper name. The decision to charge the Jena 6 with attempted murder was a bizarre over-reaction. If DA Reed Walters hadn't been opposed by Friends of Justice, some of these kids would have spent over a decade in prison. Their lives would have been destroyed. Instead, they all have a chance to get an education and make a positive contribution. Hopefully Mr. Barker will do the same. The behavior of the noose hangers was reprehensible, but they were only reflecting the racist assumptions of the surrounding culture. The young men who assaulted Robert Bailey (one of the Jena 6) at a high school dance a few nights before the beat-down at the high school demonstrated that the social environment had become utterly toxic. No one behaved well. What makes the assault on Barker "necessary"? Can violence ever be redemptive? Is that what Dr. King taught? Is that the way of Jesus? The tragedy at the high school nearly destroyed the lives of six young men. But thanks to the efforts of community organizers, parents, supportive people across the nation, groups like Color of Change, Friends of Justice and the Southern Poverty Law Center and, finally, a team of skilled and dedicated attorneys, justice has been served and a measure of redemption has come to Jena, Louisiana. For that, I give thanks.

Alan Bean
Friends of Justice

by: WaveTossed

06-30-2009 @ 1:29am

"The decision to charge the Jena 6 with attempted murder was a bizarre over-reaction."

I agree. I don't think that anyone is trying to justify the beating on Justin Barker. However, White kids have done similar sorts of assaults on Black kids and were not charged or else got slapped in the wrist, whereas the Black kids were initially charged with attempted murder. The problem is the inequity of justice.

I just came back from Philadelphia, Mississippi. Here those of us in the 1960s civil rights movement had a memorial march for all of the martyrs who were slaughtered during that time and no justice was done; the murderers were let off scott-free due to racist justice.

Here is a website of the original notice of this event (the article was written before the event happened). We had the march and it went just as the notice said.

http://www.crmvet.org/anc/0906ms.htm

by: WaveTossed

06-30-2009 @ 1:29am

"The decision to charge the Jena 6 with attempted murder was a bizarre over-reaction."

I agree. I don't think that anyone is trying to justify the beating on Justin Barker. However, White kids have done similar sorts of assaults on Black kids and were not charged or else got slapped in the wrist, whereas the Black kids were initially charged with attempted murder. The problem is the inequity of justice.

I just came back from Philadelphia, Mississippi. Here those of us in the 1960s civil rights movement had a memorial march for all of the martyrs who were slaughtered during that time and no justice was done; the murderers were let off scott-free due to racist justice.

Here is a website of the original notice of this event (the article was written before the event happened). We had the march and it went just as the notice said.

http://www.crmvet.org/anc/0906ms.htm

by: RedBishop

06-30-2009 @ 2:53am

Mr. Bean,

I believe you slightly misunderstand my post. I'm on your side. Like you, I don't believe Mr. Barker suffered any trauma after he was rendered unconscious.

And a mea culpa is indeed in order. From my first perusal of your article, it was unclear to me that an actual "beat-down" at the hands of the Jena Six even occurred. I thought they merely pled "no contest" as part of a plea agreement (I'll admit, I'm not an expert on the law) and I wrote my post accordingly. But even if a "beat-down" did occur, I'm not sure it changes my stance on this matter.

Mr. Barker was an embodiment of the toxic environment that had been created when the DA and school superintendant refused to call a hate crime a hate crime. It's a terrible thing, indeed, when hatred and violence are ignored or much worse, are excused or justified. What choice did these young men have?

Am I concerned about the slight overreaction of the Jena Six? Sure, I'm just as concerned as you are. Am I far more concerned about the bizarre overreaction of the prosecutors? Absolutely!

Like you, I look forward to the future contributions of all of these young men. And like you, I look forward to a future where racial tensions aren't exploited by ideologues and hucksters who gravitate to such incidents to forward their own reputations and agendas.

And on that point, I think we can all agree.

by: RedBishop

06-30-2009 @ 2:53am

Mr. Bean,

I believe you slightly misunderstand my post. I'm on your side. Like you, I don't believe Mr. Barker suffered any trauma after he was rendered unconscious.

And a mea culpa is indeed in order. From my first perusal of your article, it was unclear to me that an actual "beat-down" at the hands of the Jena Six even occurred. I thought they merely pled "no contest" as part of a plea agreement (I'll admit, I'm not an expert on the law) and I wrote my post accordingly. But even if a "beat-down" did occur, I'm not sure it changes my stance on this matter.

Mr. Barker was an embodiment of the toxic environment that had been created when the DA and school superintendant refused to call a hate crime a hate crime. It's a terrible thing, indeed, when hatred and violence are ignored or much worse, are excused or justified. What choice did these young men have?

Am I concerned about the slight overreaction of the Jena Six? Sure, I'm just as concerned as you are. Am I far more concerned about the bizarre overreaction of the prosecutors? Absolutely!

Like you, I look forward to the future contributions of all of these young men. And like you, I look forward to a future where racial tensions aren't exploited by ideologues and hucksters who gravitate to such incidents to forward their own reputations and agendas.

And on that point, I think we can all agree.

by: SisterMarie

06-30-2009 @ 10:09am

RedBishop, tmcool, JoannaCW, alanbean:

Thanks for steering the conversation regarding this topic back to a constructive vein.

by: SisterMarie

06-30-2009 @ 10:09am

RedBishop, tmcool, JoannaCW, alanbean:

Thanks for steering the conversation regarding this topic back to a constructive vein.

by: Eric77

06-30-2009 @ 12:56pm

Thank you for this response to RedBishop. I was going to respond to his deeply flawed comment about violence being neccessary in this instance, but you did a better job than I ever would have been able to do.

by: Eric77

06-30-2009 @ 12:56pm

Thank you for this response to RedBishop. I was going to respond to his deeply flawed comment about violence being neccessary in this instance, but you did a better job than I ever would have been able to do.

by: teachesinjena

07-14-2009 @ 10:22am

But the nooses had NOTHING to do with the Jena 6. The noose incident was investigated by local, state, and federal officials and all came to the same conclusion. FYI, US District Attorney Washington is African-American and was called everything but an Uncle Tom by the Black Cacuas during a Congressional hearing.

by: teachesinjena

07-14-2009 @ 10:22am

But the nooses had NOTHING to do with the Jena 6. The noose incident was investigated by local, state, and federal officials and all came to the same conclusion. FYI, US District Attorney Washington is African-American and was called everything but an Uncle Tom by the Black Cacuas during a Congressional hearing.

by: teachesinjena

07-14-2009 @ 10:26am

But their plea agreement the statement said that Justin Barker did nothing to deserve what happened that day. As far as not prosecuting the noose incident as a hate crime, it was not directed at any individual or group and as such, did not meet the criteria to be classified as a hate crime. That conclusion was reached by local, state, and federal authorities.

by: teachesinjena

07-14-2009 @ 10:26am

But their plea agreement the statement said that Justin Barker did nothing to deserve what happened that day. As far as not prosecuting the noose incident as a hate crime, it was not directed at any individual or group and as such, did not meet the criteria to be classified as a hate crime. That conclusion was reached by local, state, and federal authorities.

by: teachesinjena

07-14-2009 @ 12:22pm

But the nooses had NOTHING to do with the Jena 6. The noose incident was investigated by local, state, and federal officials and all came to the same conclusion. FYI, US District Attorney Washington is African-American and was called everything but an Uncle Tom by the Black Cacuas during a Congressional hearing.

by: teachesinjena

07-14-2009 @ 12:22pm

But the nooses had NOTHING to do with the Jena 6. The noose incident was investigated by local, state, and federal officials and all came to the same conclusion. FYI, US District Attorney Washington is African-American and was called everything but an Uncle Tom by the Black Cacuas during a Congressional hearing.

by: teachesinjena

07-14-2009 @ 12:26pm

But their plea agreement the statement said that Justin Barker did nothing to deserve what happened that day. As far as not prosecuting the noose incident as a hate crime, it was not directed at any individual or group and as such, did not meet the criteria to be classified as a hate crime. That conclusion was reached by local, state, and federal authorities.

by: teachesinjena

07-14-2009 @ 12:26pm

But their plea agreement the statement said that Justin Barker did nothing to deserve what happened that day. As far as not prosecuting the noose incident as a hate crime, it was not directed at any individual or group and as such, did not meet the criteria to be classified as a hate crime. That conclusion was reached by local, state, and federal authorities.