Posted on 10/16/2007 8:53:15 AM PDT by TornadoAlley3
(AP) WASHINGTON Democratic lawmakers said Tuesday the Jena Six case shows the government needs to do more to combat racism far beyond a small Louisiana town where charges filed after a school fight garnered national attention.
"Racial discrimination in the criminal justice system is not unique to any one place, but is found in cities and towns north and south throughout our nation," House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers said as he opened a hearing into the Jena case.
In Jena, six black teenagers were charged with the beating of a white student. The incident happened after nooses were hung from a tree on a high school campus there -- a symbol of the violence of the segregation era.
Since the Jena case made headlines, there have been a number of other nooses found in high-profile incidents around the country -- in a black Coast Guard cadet's bag, on a Maryland college campus, and, last week, on the office door of a black professor at Columbia University in New York.
Donald Washington, the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Louisiana, told the committee the Department of Justice has opened investigations into noose-hanging incidents in five states.
"A hanging noose is a powerful symbol of hate and racially motivated violence and it can in many circumstances constitute the basis for prosecution," said Washington, adding that in the Jena case, officials decided not to prosecute because the white students who had hung the nooses were juveniles.
Sheila Jackson Lee, a Texas Democrat who has traveled to Jena, charged the federal government has failed for years to fully enforce civil rights laws.
"Shame on you," said Jackson Lee.
The senior Republican on the panel, Lamar Smith of Texas, said, "more than anything what we need is an effort to reduce racial tension... What we do not need is stoking racial resentment."
New York-based civil rights activist Al Sharpton was scheduled to appear before the committee, but flight problems delayed him.
In prepared remarks submitted to the committee, Sharpton urged Congress to expand hate crime laws to deal more forcefully with noose-hanging incidents like the one in the Jena Six case in order to squelch what he called a sharp rise in racism.
Last week, one of the Jena Six, Mychal Bell, was sentenced to 18 months in jail after a judge determined he violated the terms of his probation for a previous conviction.
Racial tensions began rising in Jena in August 2006 after a black student sat under a tree known as a gathering spot for white students. Three white students later hung nooses from the tree. They were suspended by the school but not prosecuted.
More than 20,000 demonstrators gathered recently in Jena to protest what they perceive as differences in how black and white suspects are treated.
Well, the Government can start by prosecuting hate crimes against whites.
Huh! They lied? I would never imagine that:)
It is good to know that we have solved all the real problems of the World, and now the US Congress can concern itself with the racism felt by African American youth as they stomp white kids for fun.
Dems are great about going from the specific to the general when it suits them.
jbunch of nappy-headed phony congressmen
No one seems to address the fact that the majority of blacks in prison are guilty; only the fact that there are less whites incarcerated. Ergo, racism.
Like Durham, Congressman? I notice you all never held a hearing on that. And how about Ramos and Compean? While we're on the subject of prosecutorial misconduct, I mean....
Like Durham, Congressman? I notice you all never held a hearing on that. And how about Ramos and Compean? While we're on the subject of prosecutorial misconduct, I mean....
They going to legalize beating up whites?
Anybody want to guess which party most of the real lynchers belonged to?
I’m losing my sense of humor on this. The Democrats lie, then use the lie as the basis of public policy. Not good for the country.
That noose incident at Columbia seems to be vanishing down the media memory hole. Something’s suspicious about this. Everyone was howling “racism” until it was suggested that some security cameras might have filmed the perpetrators, and then suddenly everyone got real quiet.
I came to the conclusion a long time ago that most of the Federal government doesn’t represent me or my interests anyway.
Racism among whites against blacks is like comparing the number of boulders in a sand pile - the answer is that there are always few, but rare. Comparing racism among blacks against whites is the other way around. If anyone wants to debate this all I have to say is OJ, 90%+vote for Democrat and Katrina.
How can you classify six Black kids kicking one White kid as “beating up”? Now make a donation to the OJ Simpson Defense Fund.
As a coworker joked...hey I didnt see Jena 1-5, and does she still have the nice implants?
Yes, we must battle racism. We must stop excusing black people from nearly beating someone to death because someone else decided to put some nooses up.
There is no civil right to gang up on white people and beat them unconscious. This episode illustrates the complete moral bankruptcy of many so-called black leaders and institutions. True leaders must now step forth.
Seem to remember an instance or two of blacks being caught as the ones setting fire to black churches, a black serviceman scrawling racist words on his barracks door (to make it look like "racist" whites had done it), etc.
I suspect, this is the case here.
I forgot about that one ;D!
“Three white students later hung nooses from the tree. They were suspended by the school but not prosecuted.”
They couldn’t be prosecuted because they didn’t commit a crime. Ask Donald Washinton, U.S. Attorney in New Orleans (and an African American) who investigated the incident.
Sorry, that’s Donald “Washington” not Washinton
With several years of media instruction on 'spin' behind us, we have apparently become a people who believe that anything can be turned into a statement that agrees with our beliefs.
The concept of 'lying' has almost entirely disappeared from our culture.
“a school fight”
I don’t think 6 on 1 could be considered an after school fight.
It certainly wouldn’t if six white kids attacked a single black kid.
(and WTF is it with “site unavailable?)
Are you freakin' kidding me??? Is Janet Reno still AG? WTF!!!
All I see is a lot of black people and liberals trying to instigate racism(the noose at Columbia) while practicing it(Jena 6 stomping a white kid). They’re absolutely shameless. The ironic thing is that hate crime legislation is used almost exclusively towards whites, despite the fact that black on white violent crime dwarfs white on black violent crime. Blacks are much more aggressive and racist towards whites today. It’s a real shame that after all that white Americans have done to integrate and educate and give blacks multiple opportunities that blacks would repay the gesture with genuine, overt racism.
It seems to me that nonviolent “hate crimes” do more to anger minorities than instill fear in them. While some could argue that striking fear into the heart of another requires special protection by the law, no one should be protected from something that makes them angry.
I think you’ve hit the nail on the head. Whether you’re terrorized depends solely upon whether an act presents a real threat. The Jena 6 just used the noose as an opportunity to violently express the racism they feel inside.
Just like they did for the Duke Lacrosse players.
Just like they did for the Duke Lacrosse players.
No, officials decided not to prosecute because they could not find any statute that had been broken. In other words, as offensive as that act might have been, it did not violate any law. The black thugs, on the other hand, most definitely DID commit a heinous crime when they beat this kid senseless.
LOL!
Disgraceful is too mild a word.
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