Jena 6's Mychal Bell: Pressure led to suicide try

CNN ^ | 1/15/2009 | Sean Callebs

[Red in Blue PA]

MONROE, Louisiana (CNN) -- Mychal Bell says he felt pressure to be perfect after his part of 2006's "Jena 6" assault case was over. When police alleged last month that he wasn't, the Louisiana teen took his Christmas money and sought a gun to kill himself.

Mychal Bell says he's strived to do well after Jena, and last month's shoplifting allegations devastated him.

1 of 3 Distraught after being arrested on suspicion of shoplifting and battery, the 18-year-old Bell says, he pointed the gun at his head and pulled the trigger.

The gun misfired, and he aimed at his chest and tried again. The bullet ripped through his body, and he fell to the floor of his grandmother's home in Monroe on December 29.

"It just got to the point where I just couldn't take it anymore," Bell, who is recovering from the wound, said in an interview to be aired Thursday night on CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360."

[Red in Blue PA]

Top story on CNN.

Unbelievable!

[top 2 toe red]

...and what is the lesson here that CNN is trying to drum into our heads? ... that no one should have ever accused this poor, sensitive boy of any wrong doing? Gawd!

[Mark was here]

He should have used a rope.

[Nervous Tick]

>> “It just got to the point where I just couldn’t take it anymore,”

Well, don’t be a QUITTER, boy! Try again!

Third time’s a charm.

[pepperhead]

Quick, someone turn up the pressure on Bell again!

[TC Rider]

Once again a victim of racism.

/s

[JimC214]

Just remember it’s not crossing the stream. It's riding down the river. Reference to cutting ones wrists.

[martin_fierro]

Fumb Duck.

[rhubarbk]

Mychal,

If at first you don’t succeed . . . try try again!

[ßuddaßudd]

What a loser! I feel pressure everyday to work and pay taxes to support low-lifes like Mychel (isnt that a girl's name).
Hey punk, go ask you daddy for some advice about life...

[Lizavetta]

So he felt pressure to be perfect, which in his mind meant stop shoplifting and committing battery on others.

Pressure to not be a thug equals pressure he cannot live under.

And this is written up like a serious news story.

[maggief]

We’ll hear from Bell again.

[OldSmaj]

...go ask you daddy for some advice about life...

Well, he would...but...there's about 8 different possible candidates for "daddy", so...

Damn that pressure.

[OldSmaj]

We’ll hear from Bell again.

Future Dallas Cowboy?

[ßuddaßudd]

LOL

[Julia H.]

Look at all of the comments. His family’s devastated, yet FReepers can’t resist to get another dig in a “punk thug n*gg*r”. Well, I’m pretty much done here. Feel free to continue. You are the only one who has contributed the phrase "punk thug n*gg*r" to this thread. No one was looking for your permission to continue, but thanks anyway.

[sadiebella]

I thought the charges were excessive and I can imagine the whole thing was difficult for everyone involved, particularly the (actual) victim. But there is a HUGE difference between being “perfect” and staying out of trouble. No sympathy here. His misery is the result of his own bad decisions.

[HungarianGypsy]

Reading the article and his attempts and not killing himself, it seemed to me like maybe a higher power has some good he would like the boy to stay around and accomplish.