Word: jena
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...recent tragic events in Jena, Louisiana have demonstrated the touchy dynamics that post-civil rights black leaders must contend with. Obama seemed to shy away from bold statements of racism concerning the Jena Six, saying it “isn’t a matter of black and white, it’s a matter of right and wrong.” Instead, he attempted to make it a national issue, and not just a black one: “It is not just an offense to the people of Jena or to the African-American community...
...absence of legal action after the noose-hanging, the situation in Jena escalated. When a white student assaulted one of the defendants, Robert Bailey Jr., with a beer bottle, he was charged with simple battery and given probation. The Jena Six have been charged with aggravated battery with a dangerous weapon, their sneakers. When a white man threatened Bailey with a gun, Bailey was charged with theft of the gun for trying to stop the attack...
...victim walked out of the hospital hours later. The 16-year-old boys, all without prior criminal records, were tried as adults in front of an all-white judge and jury. Under normal circumstances, the charges and sentence seem unnecessarily harsh. Set against the background of events in Jena, they raise the specter of racism...
...case of the Jena Six is full of hearsay and contradictory testimonies, but one thing remains clear: Justice in its truest sense has not been served. All details aside, the charges are indisputably harsh and the prosecution was, at best, tinged with racial bias, and, at worst, pursuing a vindictive agenda against black youths who dared step out of their place...
Cases of disproportionately harsh punishments against black defendants of dubious guilt are, thankfully, gaining increasing national attention. The black community in Jena has harnessed national outrage to sign petitions, write letters, raise awareness, and fundraise for a better defense for the six defendants. Their spirit of indignant activism lends hope that we can put an end to such violent abuses of justice that haunt our country...