I’m not even sure how to start this post, as I joined
this site particularly to respond to this thread. I
decided that it was time that there was a dose of the
facts.

Once upon a time, a school assembly was held to
discuss dress codes at Jena High School. An assembly
was held for the boys, and one for the girls, as the
dress codes do have some differences. As a joke during
the boys’ assembly, a black boy, who is known to
always joke around, asked the principal, “can we sit
under the tree.” There are no boundaries as to where
anyone can or cannot sit at the school. That tree was
a twig when I went there. It grows right smack in the
middle of the school square. Kids tend to congregate
in areas with their friends. Some congregate under the
tree, on the benches, around the “casket,” and other
areas of the school. Blacks and whites are welcome at
any one of those locales. People tend to congregate
where they feel comfortable. That usually is where the
majority of their friends are. However, there is
nothing saying that they cannot go elsewhere. Same is
the case here.

The square at Jena High School has been known for the
center of school spirit and/or pranks for many years.
I’ve seen everything from “funerals” of opponent
football teams to the tree and surrounding area
covered with toilet tissue. Jena High School is known
for themed activities surrounding football games. This
particular week, JHS was playing a team in which the
mascot is Cowboys! Hence, the nooses in the
tree…”hang’em high!” Not for one moment did the
thought of racism cross my mind or the majority of the
others. It was football season. We were playing the
cowboys. The kids, girls and boys, wore boots to
school and had a western themed pep rally! Nooses =
cowboys and horse theives in my world. Maybe I’ve
watched too much Gunsmoke, but racism was not even a
thought. Due to the reaction of ADULTS in the black
community, not the kids at the school, the boys were
suspended. The entire punishment for those boys was
never published because of the confidentiality of the
issue. However, the boys were suspended. They and
their families were required to go to counseling. The
boys had hours of community service. The boys and
their families continue to receive threatening phone
calls, but yet no one has addressed that issue.

In the wee hours of a Thursday morning, arsonists set
fire to Jena High School. The main building burned.
Blacks and whites, alike, wiped tears as their Alma
Mater was for the most part gone! Nothing has been
proven to be related to the noose incident or any
other racially motivated activities.

The weekend after the school burned, a private party
was held in Jena. Invited guests were black and white.
However, some uninvited guests showed up at the party
and wanted to come in. A fight ensued between a white
boy and a black boy. This fueled fights that took
place over the weekend.

A white young man was leaving from a convenience store
that is located on the outskirts of town. As he was
leaving, black boys “jumped” him. He did have a gun in
his truck, as do many of the males that hunt in this
part of the world. When he went to get his gun, the
black boys took the gun from him. Police were called.
Black boys were arrested for stealing the gun and
attacking him. He was not involved at the incident at
the party, nor was he even at the party.

The following Monday, the kids returned to JHS, the
first day after the fire. Emotions were still askew
due to the fire. Everything that was “normal” was not
“normal” any more. There was no intercom system.
Classes were moved all over the remaining part of the
school. It was chaos, but controlled for the most
part.

The students stayed in the gym area during their lunch
break. When the bell rang for them to head back to
class, one of the “Jena six,” cornered a freshmen
white boy in the lobby of the gym. He was trying to
get the boy to fight him. The freshmen boy was clad in
blue jeans and red wing boots, hence the typical “red
neck.” Another black boy, the very SAME one that asked
about sitting under the tree, pulled one of the “Jena
six” away from the boy and told him that there would
be none of that fighting there.

However, that wasn’t enough for same boy. As the
students were returning to class, same “Jena Six” boy,
pulled the hood of his sweatshirt up over his head and
pushed the victim down into a concrete wall. When the
boy hit the concrete, he was knocked unconscious. It
was at this time, that five other boys, joined in and
continued to stomp and kick the boy as he lay
unconscious on the ground. Guess what…the SAME boy
that asked can we sit under the tree, was doing
everything that he could to pull them off of the
victim. The color of his skin is also black! A friend
of the victims managed to lay over the victim until
teachers could get there to break the fight up.
Remember, there was no intercom system, no way to call
for help! The victim was unconscious when he the
ambulance arrived. Hospital records will verify that.
Thank God, he ended up not being hurt any worse than
he was.

On same night of the incidence, the junior class had
their ring ceremony at a local church since the
auditorium of the school was burned. The victim was a
junior and was able to attend the ceremony. His face
was swollen and bruised, but yet he was able to walk
up and get his ring. The audience applauded as his Mom
placed the ring on his finger. One of the Jena six,
was also at this ring ceremony the same night.

So the question that many are asking is was he hurt
badly enough for the “Jena Six” to be charged with
attempted murder? I, for one, am not sure of exactly
what the statutes or guidelines are for determining
charges. However, the extent of one’s injuries does
not have a thing to do with that. Think about it, one
could shoot at someone and miss, and never harm a hair
on their head. That’s just something to think about.

Oh by the way, since there’s already one thing to
think about, here is yet another. Think about the
“black” girl that was consoled by her “white” friends
the day after the fight. She was having to be consoled
because some of the blacks, the color of her own skin,
were threatening her, stating that she was the one
that turned them in. Ask the media to find that girl
and her Mom. There just may be a different twist on
everything.

This is an unfortunate situation for everyone
involved, the kids, their families, the school, and
the community. The community has come together on more
than one occasion with prayer meetings for unity and
harmony in the community. There are consequences for
behaviors. I hope that you will join with us in
praying for consequences to be just.

The moral of this whole story is, do not believe
everything that you here in the media. Remember, there
is more than one side of the story. Unfortunately, the
side that is most news worthy is the one that makes
the news.

Please remember our community in your prayers.

another note:

Al, MLK III, and Jesse got what they wanted. Mychal Bell will now go to Juvenile Court. Once there, the judge will most likely sentence him to juvenile prison till he is 21 for his crimes committed and probation violation. Now, most of the out of towners say that Jena is racist. I disagree somewhat and here is why. When Mychal’s own mama threw him out of there house he went and lived with a white football coach and slept in his WHITE friends house. His so called father, lived in Dallas, TX. The only reason his mama took him back in was for the money and car, a 2007 Jaguar paid for bye Jesse and AL, and the only reason his father is here (if that is his real father) was for the money and his new 2007 Cadillac Escalade. So, who is the real victims here? Everybody that pays taxes to buy their high dollar vehicles. Or maybe the people that sent in donations thinking they were going to pay for their attorneys but the attorneys are working pro bono, so you know who’s getting the money. There’s a video playing on myspace showing Robert Bailey covered with one hundred dollar bills, laughing about “HIS” donations. These people are making heros out of 6 thugs. What does that tell everyone? That you can do whatever you want to and get by with it.

What the three white students did in hanging nooses in a tree was wrong, no question about that. It was offensive on many levels and not to just black people. I, as a white person, am offended that these children would be so willing to show their ignorance, and the kind of upbringing they have had. As a parent of one of these three, I would be embarrassed that now everybody in the world, especially with the news coverage Jena has received, now know how ignorant my child really is. But isn’t what the 6 black students done worse? Wasn’t it a little extreme? I mean, 6 on 1 and all at the same time? How is that “turning the other cheek” or even “doing unto others as you would have them do unto you”? Don’t even get me started about Sharpton or Jackson or any of those other politicians, who want and need the media coverage like a narcotic. If it was the other way around, 6 whites on 1 black, they would be screaming not only for the one to be tried in an adult court but all of them to be tried in an adult court and convicted and their heads handed to them on a silver platter.

Mr Sharpton and Mr Jackson like to rage about the offenses against the black race. They like to scream about government accountability. But what about every person, regardless of race, creed, color and religion, taking responsibility for their own actions.

Lets look at this both ways. The news is showing 6 blacks on 1 white and the blacks are screaming racism, correct me if I am wrong? Okay lets flip it, say it was 6 whites on 1 black (wouldn’t they (the blacks) be screaming again that this was white on black crime!? So either way you look at it the African citizens are going to want this dropped and put down as racism. White, Red, Black, Yellow, Green I don’t care what color you are, you do the crime you serve the time, price, and humility that goes with that crime along with your family!

I don’t understand how in 2007 everyone is still using racism as a factor in any crime. There are good and bad in every race, every race has those that make poor choices. Race is the trump card used to get sympathy, or leniency.

If you look up the stats I do believe that most would agree that for the past 4 decades there has been equil opportunity for all to get a high school and graduate school degree. (to get these degrees you do have to apply yourself) And that if you are a female of African decent and a lesbian your are more apt to be hired into a well paying job, because that is 3 minority slots that the business can fill with one person.

But if you want to hand someone the trump card, hand it to a TRUE NATIVE the True first people AMERICAN INDIANS the Red Man! They are the ones that have had all taken from them.

Enough on those two. Here are some of my views about what happened in Jena and how I see things in Louisiana. I grew up in Louisiana and lived here for most of my life, except for my years in the service, where I lived in a couple of cities where the black/white ratio was basically even. First of all, I do believe that the 3 boys that hung the noose should have been treated much more harshly and I think that the Jena 6 should haven’t been charged with attempted murder, the assult charges seem fair to me. The ring leader of the Jena 6 has a history of violent offenses, so he should have been charged with a much harsher crime as compared to the other Jena 6 defendents and the white boy that cracked the head of the black boy with a bottle. That is the way things work, the more crimes the harsher the punishment. You can’t compare the noose incident to the attack on the boy at school. If so this opens blacks to attacks all the time when they try to intimidate whites and threaten them, which happens often as large groups of black youths gather. I have been threatened, cursed, called racist names, hundreds of times since I have worked and lived in majority black (all black areas). Whites are much more likely to be attacked/killed by blacks in all our country, especially in majority black cities/areas. Just look at the facts. Blacks are much more vocal against whites than vice verse. Blacks will protest and riot in support of known admitted criminals, especially if they were convicted of crimes against whites or cops, while they don’t seem to care about crimes they commit against their own. Why don’t we see protest during drive bys that kill innocent children, or drug dealers driving around in Mercs or Escalaids while passing out drugs to their kids. Why don’t we see that? Because Al Sharpton or Jessie Jackson can’t get anyone to pay them off to stop those protest. When blacks speak out against the victim mentality or against what Sharpton/Jackson spew, they are usually attack by blacks as being white or Uncle Toms. How are blacks ever going to feel that they are equals unless they stop seeing themselves as victims.

Blacks had all the opportunities I had growing up. I am from a upper poor class family. My family instilled the value of education, equality, hard work and morals. My grandfather was often called a “n lover” when he moved here in the 1930’s since he treated blacks that worked for him at the paper mill as equals. That didn’t happen much back then. When he died the black men that worked for him came to the funeral in the 60’s and told my family of their appreciation and respect of my grandfather, this didn’t happen often during that time either. So I guess you can say I saw a different way then most whites during my early years. This is what I have observed while growing up here in Louisiana.

I went to the same schools as the blacks all my life. We had black and white teachers along the way. Blacks had the same opportunities as I did through high school, many had more since many blacks where I come from were wealthier than my family. Going to college, blacks were given more opportunities than I was. Blacks were able to apply for college scholarships that I couldn’t while being able to apply for all the same scholarships that I did. Blacks had a greater chance at getting into college than I was given, since many colleges held spots for minorities only, while allowing them to compete for all the other spots available. When entering the service, I once again witnessed the reverse discrimination that currently exist. Blacks had better opportunities for advancement since the service was trying to rectify past inequalities. Too bad for those of us that never benefitted. When I returned to the state after the service I saw reverse discrimination once again, due to the government jobs preference given to blacks. Why? I went to the same schools and the same service as blacks?

What I am trying to get you to understand is that if everyone would treat each other with equality and compassion, then none of these problems would exist. People that work hard and live an honest life would rise to the top while people that slack off, and live off the system would continue to flounder. Equality for everyone, not just one group.