The media has made this worse than it really is. I live about 35 miles from Jena and know what this town is like. The six youths did wrong and need to be punished. The mistake made, was trying Michael Bell as an adult. Then it snowballed from there. But people like Jessie Jackson and Rev Al are just making it worse as they usually do.
Just think what would be happening if the victim was black and the attackers white. Everyone is taking up for the attackers. What about the VICTIM?

Jim - Did you really ask "what about the victim?"! Do you think it is ok to hang nooses from trees? I certainly don't think violence is an answer, but how would you react to that type of extreme racism.

I hope this case continues the conversation of race in America. We are not an equal society. We never have been.

Jane

You have to be here to know what is going on. The victim of the attack had nothing to do with the nooses. Again the media does not seek all the answers, just the ones to make their story. The noose were wrong, but six people beating someone unconcis because they are mad, give me a break.

Jim

What about the black kid that got jump on by white teens or what about the DA threating the black children stating "I can be your best friend or your worst enemy... I can take away your lives with a stroke of my pen," or what about went the black students at the convenience store were threatened by a young white man with a shotgun. They wrestled the gun from him and ran away. While no charges were filed against the white man, the students were later arrested for the theft of the gun. But when the tables turn everything is cool.

Jim if you believe this is ok then you have a serious problem as well

I do think that the Jena 6 should be punish but 9 months in prison is long enough.

Curious Jim,

If you are in Louisiana, how did you come across this blog?

Also I was wondering if you could elaborate on 2 of your comments: "I live about 35 miles from Jena and know what this town is like." And: "You have to be here to know what is going on."

What is the town like, and what are we missing?

Everything I have read makes me feel that the students did something wrong in reaction to a horrible environment of oppressive racism. What I have seen leads me to believe they are only people being punished in a series of heinous acts, that their actions were the results of a scary boiling pot of hate and injustice.

However, if we are missing something, if this isn't the way things are in LA, please let us know.

"The principal called the noose incident a 'prank'..."

A prank? The display of a prop obviously intended to intimidate by making reference to a well-established (and not long distant) practice of lynching is being defended as a PRANK?

That's vile.