Someone hangs a rope from a tree, and that gives 6 young men the right to try and beat another young man to death? Sharpton wants charges brought against the ones who put the rope in the tree, but there is obviously nothing illegal against putting a rope in a tree no matter how disgusting it's intent is. The black protesters say that they should not be charged for the beating, and that it is racist to do so. But they seemed to have no problem prosecuting the white guys that kidnapped and raped the black girl in Virginia. If they tried to beat that young man to death, they should be charged for it, no matter what their skin color is.

THe students who put the ropes in the tree should have been expelled. That kind of imagery is a horrible thing, particularly in the deep South. Just suspending them was a mistake.

But I have no respect for race baiters like Al Sharpton, who makes every issue he barges into worse. The Jena 6 deserve fair punishment for their acts, and race should have nothing to do with it. We need the same standards for everyone---and we need hypocrites like Sharpton and Jackson to stay out of these matters...they inflame everything they get involved with.

A timeline of events has been provided for your reviews so you can draw your  own conclusions about what is right and what is wrong.  

August 31, 2006- A black student asks and is given permission to sit under the "white tree."
-September 1, 2006- Three nooses in school colors are found hanging from the "white tree."
-September 7, 2006- The 3 students responsible for hanging the nooses were found. The principal recommends them for expulsion.  The superintendent  later overruled the decision, calling it a prank.
-(no confirmed date available)- The DA and several police officers came out to the school for an impromptu assembly after several reports of "trouble" at the school. The DA told the students if they didn't stop making a fuss about the "innocent prank… I can be your best friend or your worst enemy. I can take your lives away with a stroke of my pen."
-December 1, 2006- A black student, Robert Bailey, attends a "white party," is beaten and has a bottle broken over his head. 1 person was later charged with simple battery for the beating and received probation.
-December 2, 2006- A fight is reported at the Gotta Go convenience store outside of Jena. Investigators say three students beat a man and took his shotgun. The students, one of whom was Robert Bailey- the victim of the beating at the party the previous night, say the man, who was also at the party, pulled a sawed off shot gun on the students. They wrestled the gun away from him and ran away. (The students were later charged with theft of the firearm, second-degree robbery, and disturbing the peace.)
-December 4, 2006- White student, Justin Barker, was allegedly with the students responsible for hanging the nooses, saying racial slurs and taunting Robert Bailey about being beaten up at the party on December first. Later, he was knocked unconscious (either by the first punch or from hitting the ground), punched, and kicked while he was down by a group of black students. An ambulance was called. Barker was conscious by the time it arrived. He was taken to the hospital, treated and released within three hours for injuries to his ears, face, and eyes. Barker was well enough to attend a school ring ceremony later that night.
-December 5-6, 2006- Six black students are arrested and charged with aggravated second-degree battery. They were: Robert Bailey Jr, age 17. Bail amount: $138,000. Theo Shaw, age 17. Bail amount: $130,000.  Carwin Jones, age 18. Bail amount: $100,000. Bryant Purvis, age 17. Bail amount: $70,000. Mychal Bell, age 16. Bail amount: $90,000. An unnamed minor.
-December 7, 2006- The DA announces charges against all six have been upgraded to attempted second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit second-degree murder.  It was later announced that Mychal Bell  will be charged as an adult.
-May 10, 2007- The victim of the Dec. 4 fight, Justin Barker, is arrested for bringing a gun onto the Jena High School campus. The gun was found in his truck.
-June 25, 2007- Mychal Bell's trial begins. The District Attorney reduced the charges against Bell to second-degree aggravated battery and conspiracy to commit aggravated battery, both of which are still felonies. (In the state of Louisiana, for something to be considered aggravated battery a deadly weapon must be used. The District Attorney said the deadly weapons in this case were the shoes he was wearing.)
-June 26, 2007- The 6 person jury selected is an all-white jury. There are allegations that all of the jury members knew a witness expected to be called during the trial. One jury member was a high school classmate of the District Attorney, another is friends with the mother of the victim, Justin Barker.
-June 27, 2007-Bell was represented by a court appointed public defender, Blane Williams. The public defender did not call a single witness.  
-June 28, 2007- The jury deliberated for fewer than 3 hours and found Bell guilty on the charges of second degree battery and conspiracy to commit second degree battery.  He could face up to 221/2 years in prison.
-August 2007- Civil rights groups and activists such as the American Civil Liberties Union, Rev. Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, and Martin Luther King III get involved. They visited Jena, held rallies, and helped Bell get new representation for an appeal before he is supposed to be sentenced.
-August 24, 2007- A judge denies Mychal Bell bond because of four previous incidents, including two previous simple battery charges, he has on his record.
-August 29, 2007- "Free the Jena 6" T-shirts are banned from being worn at Jena High School.
-September 4, 2007- A judge vacated the conspiracy to commit aggravated battery charge against Bell. It will be handled in juvenile court. The second-degree aggravated assault charge remains. Bell will now only face a maximum of 15 year in prison.
-The charges against Carwin Jones and Theo Shaw were also reduced.
-September 14, 2007- A state appeals court in Louisiana throws out the only remaining conviction against Mychal Bell, saying that he should not have been tried as an adult on the charge of aggravated battery.  Bell remains in jail.

I heard the musical artist/actor, Mos Def, was in this movement as well.  I would like to hear what he has to say about all this.  And I also heard David Bowie donated $10,000 to a fund set up by NAACP to help pay attorney fees.  Is that true?

For this District Attorney to be so obviously racist he must be a democrat.

After reading the history and facts of this case I will agree that there is a definite inconsistency in the way this town's justice system works.  I think that is happening in a great deal of towns and cities all throughout this country.  I believe that this issue should be addressed as a VERY urgent and serious matter.  But even after all that is said there is no way I would say that these boys should be let off.  They committed a very serious crime and should get a just punishment.  Letting them off because the case was not handled properly at the beginning will not help them learn their lesson.  This story I think has been handled VERY poorly by both the media and the parties involved with the rally.  No one is asking or saying that what the boys did was wrong and that how the young people were treating each other in this town was also wrong.  In listening to all of the interviews and commentary on this story I have not heard one reporter ask that question.  

Steven in Panama, you missed the point. It is not about the 6 students not receiving punishment. It's about fair/equal treatment. The noose hangers, who incidentally committed an act that represent hate - not a prank, received a slap on the wrist from the school - not the legal community. These 6 boys not only were sanctioned by the school by being expelled (not suspended), but they were also given criminal charges. Don't tell me you think that's fair and equal treatment.

Comment by Steven has a point in the 20's he would be right as was with Emmitt Till there was no crime in which a White beat a Black but death to a Black who insulted, harmed, looked the wrong way or even say hello to a White.

The town of Jenna was lost in getting rid of racism. Kids have fights in every school for some reason but I only listen to the news reports. After reading the posted detail of this case and I did see the victims walking and smiling on TV something is wrong. This case shows we have work to do with racism in America. Like any country we're guided by our leaders and we how have leaders that wont our past horror to return. We invade Iraq and tell those people to be Democratic like the US, what a poor example of how American Freedom and Justice is shown.
One good thing comes out of all of this is knowing God treats every human equal not like the United States of America who is still prejudice.

If they can find something in the hate crimes laws to charge the white students with, then by all means they should be charged. But then again those black students did beat the white student, wether their intent was to kill him or not, I don't know, but they should still be charged and not allowed to get away with something like that. Again, if they can find something in the hate crimes bill, that says it's illegal to hang a noose from a tree as an expression of racism, they should also be punished to the fullest extent of the law. I don't know all the details of the hate crimes bill so I don't know whats illegal. When everyone finishes their investigations of all the events, and if they find something not right, someone should definatly have to answer for it.

The district attorney speaks of justice and accountability.. whoms justice and accountability? Surely not the person to make a threats of use of shotgun? Surely not the smalls fights that went on in and around the school nor at public places where the residents blacks have complained? And surely not when he served as counsel to the school board and use his influence to reduce the school principal decision from expulsion to suspension? And, as he want to have accountability, the last time I reseached LA statute, hanging a rope was not a prank.. it was intemendation and threat.. So, again whose accountability are we seeking?

I BELIEVE THAT ALL INVOLVED SHOULD BE CHARGED ACCORDINGLY. EVEN THE MAN WHOM DREW THE RIFFLE ON THE THREE AND GOT IT TAKEN AWAY FORM HIM. ALL MUST PAY FOR THEIR OWN ACTIONS... THAT DA SHOULD BE EXPELLED AND NOT ALLOWED TO RETAIN HIS POSITION. (I CAN TAKE YOUR LIVES WITH THE STROKE OF A PEN) HE NEEDS TO EAT HIS WORDS.

fully agree with some of these posters. While this is a horrid Incident, I have to wonder what the Almighty NAACP would do If it were a black kid that was beaten and the white kids were not punished as they should have been. In my eyes the NAACP is more Racist than the people they claim are. I am by no means disrespecting black people, white people or Purple people to me people are people and when we get rid of the NAACP and all those who want to beat a dead horse that is over 115 years old and let people grow and live and learn instead of keeping the hatred alive then we may have hope. You do not see the Jewish people beating to death the issue of the Haulicost, which is in my opinion much worse, or the Native Americans complaining about we as Americans whether black or white or purple taking their land. The NAACP needs to grow up and realize that they are not the lone horse, there are plenty of nationalities done wrong and they are the only immature group that has not gotten over it and move past it as they should.

It seems that the people protesting in Jena are the same people that would have been up in arms if it had been 6 white boys that weren't arrested for beating up a black boy. They would be demanding not only attempted murder but also hate crimes.

  Martin Savidge's lead-in report on the evening news tonight did absolutely nothing to clarify the case for viewers, but it served well the interests of the marchers and their leaders.
   Not once did Savidge say that the charges against the Jena Six, while clearly excessive, resulted from those six attacking and beating unconscious one white teenager last December.
   Instead, Savidge related the charges entirely to "a fight" between white and black students about nooses hung in a tree, implying that this nooses-in-a-tree incident --- which had occurred four months earlier in August --- was the incident that triggered the beating that resulted in charges against the Jena Six.  And the networks wonder why they are losing ratings and credibility.    

This is not about race it is about Justice and accountability.  The Bible read, 2 Corinthians:5:8-9, We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;  Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.  And the Peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.  They all should be punish for their behavior.    

I believe the Jena 6 were over charged but again six on one was a mass attack. I am from the south very close to this small town. Racism does exist, it exist both ways.  I would not advise a white tean to go sit in the area of our local high school where the "black" students hang. If I did I am fairly sure there would be some repercussions. This protest by the black students can not be compared to civil right protest of the past. This was not about equal rights, they were not wanting to eat at a public lunch counter or use a water fountain. They wanted to sit under a tree that a certain group thought of as their place.  They went to a party apparently uninvited. This was more about a territorial (power) issues and could have as easily happen between rivals of the same race. They sat under that tree to stir up emotions, no other reason. That is where this all started. The nooses were inappropriate and racist. The school should have handled it better but it was NOT direct violence.  The legal system has overcharged the young men but their intentions and behaviors have not been admirable. They should not be glorified. By all means Protest the unfairness of their charges but do not make the beating victim the villain and act as if the Jena 6 are heroic.  

just jessy and al doing their race-pimp thing,,nothing new....

the facts have been laid out in front of you people and all you can say is 6 0n 1 is not a fair fight.  how do you think the black people felt when the DA tells them that I can take your life away with the stroke of a pen, when a "sawed-off" (which in and of itself is illegal and a federal crime ) shotgun is pulled on you and you get arrested? How would you feel if you were "attacked" by 3 others and a bottle is broken over your head and nothing is done? Were the black people to wait until someone is killed before they stand up for themselves. If you believe that the nooses had nothing to do with the attack you're crazy and a racist.....this ain't the 60's anymore America had a chance to get her act together concerning equal rights under the law we already marched gotten jailed beat up and persecuted and prosecuted by the establishment and you want us to sit back and turn the other cheek AGAIN!!! Nah it don't work like that. Just like you CAN'T yell FIRE in a crowded movie theatre,or BOMB on a plane you CAN'T hang nooses from a tree and think there will be no consequences for that you are looking to frighten and intimidate, but here's the kicker those youngsters didn't know they were supposed to be scared they got angry.  All of this could have been avoided if it was handled properly from the start. When will you learn all black people want is to be treated fairly we don't want special treatment just fair treatment, but to most white folk, from what I have ascertained from most of the blogs on this subject fair and equal treatment to blacks is considered special treatment

This is in response to Steven from panama city. It wasnt simply rope hanging from a tree. It was a hate crime and should be charged as such. And the boy that you claim was beat to death, was not. In fact he walked away from the hospital that very same day after being touched up in the Emergancy room. That same night he went to a Ring Ceremony at his high school. If you think that is close to death you may want to re consider your definiton of death. And what about the white boys in Jena who beat up one of the "jena six?" Only one, of many was charged with Battery.

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