Racial incident at school overwhelms Louisiana town

Baltimore Sun ^ | May 20, 2007 | Howard Witt

[amchugh]

The trouble in Jena started with the nooses. Then it rumbled along the town's racial fault lines. Finally, it exploded into months of violence between blacks and whites.

Now the 3,000 residents of this small lumber and oil town deep in the heart of central Louisiana are confronting Old South racial demons many thought had long ago been put to rest.

Advertisement One morning last September, students arrived at the local high school to find three hangman's nooses dangling from a tree in the courtyard.

[rogue yam]

You think they lied about these incidents occurring or about who was likely at fault?

This is a really stupid question at this point. Have you read the thread?

[amchugh]

Sorry, I posted that before I read the whole thing.

[GodfearingTexan]

every time i see CNN do a story on Jena I come away wanting the boys to do even more time in prison. I don’t know why. I guess I’m just a bad person.

[Lee'sGhost]

“I grew-up in Louisiana and understand how things work there and in the rest of the South”

Do NOT equate North Carolina with Louisiana.

[BearCub]

yes placing a noose in a tree to intimidate black students is an act of violence

No it's not, it's speech. "Hate Speech" for sure, but simply speech. It is not an act of violence.

Beating a kid unconscious and stompnig on him when he's on the ground - now that's an act of violence.

But who cares? The two incidents weren't directly connected (i.e., the beating wasn't in response to the nooses). More likely the nooses are being used to rationalize violent felonious behavior by the six.

[trumandogz]

I have no idea how it is to be a black man and have someone display a noose with its implied suggestion. I imagine that I would be offended, scared and outraged.

However, my wife and daughter are Jewish and I know how they would feel if someone were to place a swastika in front of our house. I would be livid and wanting blood however I have the maturity to resist such violence.

However, my 16 year old son may not have such resistance.

Thus, there is no difference between the noose and the swastika.

[BearCub]

I can understand that you would be offended, scared and outraged. That is an appropriate response to someone else's offensive expression (putting it on your property or in front of your house also changes things a bit).

If your 16 year old son reacted inappropriately (by, say, rounding up five of his friends and committing attempted murder), then he could expect to be punished for that.

But as I said, the nooses and beating aren't directly related. Certainly both are symptoms of the underlying racial tension.

[dfwgator]

Unacceptable: Colored person.

Tell that to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

[MEGoody]

I have to wonder what impact the reaction of Nagin and certain citizens of New Orleans after Katrina has to do with this. His/their blaming racism when their own stupidity was mostly at fault, and Nagin’s talk of a ‘chocolate city’ didn’t do a thing to foster good relations between races.

[dfwgator]

IMHO you can only eradicate racism by education.

Not as long as there is $$$ to be made by perpetuating race as an issue.

[MaxMax]

One might consider this to be a result of the constant Race indoctrination
being demanded on students. Sometimes if you push too hard people will
push back.

[trumandogz]

I am in no way excusing the violence of the black kids who attacked that white kid.

What I am saying is that I understand that being kids they may not be able to have the self control that an adult should have.

And yes, if my son would attack a person in a violent manner for placing a swastika in our yard he would have to pay the legal price. I would hope that my boy has that self control.

[Mr. Jeeves]

There is a reason why whites in the northeast (and possibly other parts of the country), avoid towns with large or growing black populations. Aside from "group affinity" there is the knowledge that we will face some sort of hostility. No thanks.

California, too. Aside from white liberals who like visit black neighborhoods to eat authentic "Southern" cuisine and prove how committed to diversity they are. Then when they get targeted and mugged because of their race, they blame it on Bush's drastic cuts in social programs. ;)

I have Asian friends who are literally scared to go beyond the San Francisco city limits because they think they are going to be beaten up by white rednecks (those biker bars in Danville and Woodside are notorious.) And they don't want to live near majority black neighborhoods, either.

Voluntary racial segregation is alive and well in America.

[Age of Reason]

The point of the episode was to show the futility of racism...

I don't get it.

How does that show the futility of racism (whatever that is)?

[Old Professer]

OK, you brought this up today but the article is now deep in the Sun’s archives; there is an article dated today in the same paper.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-jena0920,0,1213888.story

[Old Professer]

This might turn out to be an interesting day, now MTV is reporting on the gathering.

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1570135/20070920/index.jhtml

[CajunConservative]

http://www.thejenatimes.net/home_page_graphics/home.html

The damn nooses incident had nothing to do with the six kids ganging up on the one kid. The FBI and DOJ investigated and found NO evidence to support the allegations by the race pimps.

[CajunConservative]

http://www.thejenatimes.net/home_page_graphics/home.html

[CajunConservative]

http://www.thejenatimes.net/home_page_graphics/home.html

Read the time line of events please.

[montag813]

In the North there are plenty schools where say the school have 60% black students and 40% white. I GUARANTEE that the 40% of white folk are too darned scared and too darned smart to be violating in social space established by the 60% of the black students.

In NYC most of the schools have stairwells which white students are not permitted to use. There are no signs posted. Your first inkling of this "rule" is a punch in the face, followed by a "stompin'", which is par for the course with blacks (as in this case).