Sunday September 2, 2007, 4:24 pm
Noted, and all the monies donated gone into the pockets of the so-call "in charge groups"

Sunday September 2, 2007, 4:30 pm
In July, National Public Radio's "All Things Considered" did a long story on the Jena Six. I was flabbergasted that such a thing could have gone on in 2006/2007. Sadly we are not as far along the road to a color-blind society as we should be.
Thank you, Lauren, for these very important posts.
noted.

Sunday September 2, 2007, 5:00 pm
Greed is definitely the green eyed monster here. They make me sick for their lack of compassion. Thanks Lauren.

Sunday September 2, 2007, 5:01 pm
Tim, I hear you. This is more than 40 years after the Civil Rights Movement... But time seems to have stood still for these folks.

Sunday September 2, 2007, 6:52 pm
Thank you Lauren for this post. I agree with you all. Nothing but pure greed. Sigh

Sunday September 2, 2007, 9:57 pm
If anyone is interested (PLEASE) snag the code below and place on your page. It will show the tree logo and an info link. Blessed Be


FIND OUT MORE

Sunday September 2, 2007, 10:00 pm
OOPS! That didn't work. It will NOT show the logo...hahahaha...be patient I am just learning to link in the comments here.

Logo code without link;

Sunday September 2, 2007, 10:01 pm
GRRRRRRRRR...send me a note and I'll message it to you

Monday September 3, 2007, 12:04 am
Unbelievable how even in the face of such hardship people still don't give a damn about anyone else.

Monday September 3, 2007, 1:06 am
I'm not following some of the comments here. Maybe I'm not reading the right article? Well any way, the one I read was a good nutshell review of the "Jena 6".

Thank you, this needs to be read. Gives good condensed overview!

Monday September 3, 2007, 10:46 am
Less than a week ago I watched as my 11 year old granddaugher was playing in a local restaurant play area and a little girl (approx 5) latched onto her. Holding hands they played together. My granddaughter helping her new little friend to climb higher knowing she was safe. Reaching the top and seeing how proud this little girl was and then as she threw her arms around my granddaughters neck in a huge hug was such a wonderful site. By the way, my granddaughter is white and her beautiful little friend was black. Color was not an issue nor should it ever be. Prejudice and bigotry is a choice that people make. It is so easy to make the right choice!

Monday September 3, 2007, 11:28 am
Jena 6 and down the line we may find cases that make our flesh crawl. We find ourselves in a quandry or perplexed to reslove the matter. No matter the outcome, our judicial process has gone to hell in a handbasket. The problem will never be corrected until slavery is removed from our United States Constitution as punishment for crime. Instead, our nation should srive for the goal to render each of our citizens proper medical treatment to recover from whatever illness that affects either one's mind or emotions.

Monday September 3, 2007, 12:01 pm
Petition signed, letter sent, and I'm considering going to support the Jenna 6-this is absolutely ridiculous in the 21st century. Gail, color isn't an issue unless the parents make it one early on and train their children in hatred and prejudice against one race or the other. It's time to stop and stand strong against racism wherever it appears. Noted. Shared.

Monday September 3, 2007, 12:28 pm
Here's a link to stories about the Jena six that aired on NPR as Tim noted --

News & Notes, July 5, 2007 -- Searching for Justice in Jena 6 Case:
Six black teens have been charged with the beating of a white high school student in the rural town of Jena, La. Jordan Flaherty, a journalist living in New Orleans, and Caseptla Bailey, the mother of one of the defendants, give an update on the case.

All Things Considered, July 30, 2007 -- Beating Charges Split La. Town Along Racial Lines:
As at hundreds of other high schools across America, black and white students at Jena High School in Jena, La., rarely sit together. The white students gather under a big shade tree in the courtyard, while black students congregate near the auditorium. But last year, a few days into the first semester, a new student, a freshman African American, asked the principal at an assembly, if he, too, could sit under the tree. He was told he could sit anywhere he liked.

Morning Edition, August 10, 2007 -- 'BET' Gets Thumbs Down Award From Journalists:
The cable TV channel Black Entertainment Television receives a "Thumbs Down" award from the National Association of Black Journalists at its annual convention. Its critics say BET has too much low-brow entertainment, portraying blacks in the worst possible way.

Monday September 3, 2007, 1:15 pm
Gail wrote: "Less than a week ago I watched as my 11 year old granddaugher was playing in a local restaurant play area and a little girl (approx 5) latched onto her........"

We can learn from the kids. They don't come with toxic feelings, but I suspect just plain acceptance of what IS.
I did something similar to this when I was about 4 ot 5 years old. My Mother said that I hugged a little black boy at party I was taken to. I asked her why, and she said she thought I felt he needed a hug for some reason. (She's 90 years old and still remembers this incident to this day. We talked about it a couple weeks ago.) That sounds like something I would do! The point is, hatred is taught. -- By adults(?).
Later, when I was teen, I had been taught that prejudice isn't right. I believed this, and dated a Mexican boy. All hell broke lose!
That was confusing to me. I was learning that there are limits to this -- what I considered unqualified acceptance of everyone --. I was supposed to think this way, and speak this way, but never, never actually act this way! I was raised in the North, so geographical area has nothing to do with the attitude. It's only more hidden in the North States. But it's there. We haven't made anything like progress in this area, period. In the South, kids are openly taught that they are superior to the blacks, yes, even to this day. Don't wonder at what happened in Jena; the kids are taught that way.
But this Jena situation is a reminder that the KKK, cross burning, and lynching is still with us, and apparently re-emerging. Here in my state, on the Canadian border, the KKK is coming out boldly again.
I lived in the south for 3 years, 1960's, and got a full taste of racism while there. Remember Selma?
I lived in the Southwest for 17 years, and got another belly full of racism of another race. I also experience “punishment” for being friendly -- that's a no-no -- (treating them like I do everyone else) to Mexicans and Indians. I invited an Indian woman to my house, and all hell broke lose again. The neighbors were appalled that I would invite an “Injun” into my house. I told them to go to hell. It's my house. They tried to use “isolation” on me, but that doesn't work because I wanted them to leave me alone anyways. The Navajo woman repaid me by teaching me how to live on the desert, find food, water, and healing herbs. I was repaid well just simply for treating her like a human being, which she is.
After reading history, and what Caucasians have done in nations all over the earth, to all races, red, black, yellow, brown, and their own white, it's no wonder they hate whites.

Monday September 3, 2007, 2:05 pm
So noted and know that this is the legacy of America-- In my mind, in order to affect change, it is necessary to begin with oneself-- So, I am a work in progress--that is to say-- that I am learning each day how to love all aware beings (e.g., bugs, cats, dogs, cows, etc) in all shapes, forms, colors, religious beliefs, varying ages, varying sexual orientation (No, I do not mean freaks who abuse children, the elderly, or animals), etc- Begin with you and work your way towards understanding the concept of being "united as one America."

Monday September 3, 2007, 5:41 pm
Signed for the six, thx Lauran.

Monday September 3, 2007, 6:35 pm
Noted,too bad with all the technological advancements that have been made within the past 100 or so years,bigotry and racism haven,t gone the way of the dinosaur,I guess not till ALL mankind can grow past that stage.....

Monday September 3, 2007, 6:54 pm
This is absolutely ridiculous that this type of problem exists today. While I agree with Jennie that the parents have to make it an issue not to hate, children also have to be in a safe environment when their parents are not around,ie schools, churchs, daycare etc.

Signed and noted, thanks Lauren ch

Tuesday September 4, 2007, 2:06 am
I have a feeling none one on here lives in the area of which they are speaking, nor have visited.

Tuesday September 4, 2007, 6:02 pm
Murder by Tennis Shoe: The district attorney justified the attempted murder charge by classifying the tennis shoes the black students were wearing as deadly weapons. Apparently realizing how ridiculous this sounds, he reduced the charge from attempted second-degree murder to second-degree battery for Mychal Bell, the first of the six defendants to be charged. He has not yet reduced the charge for the other five defendants.
=========================================
I SIGNED THREE PETITIONS. BMT
=========================================
Get Active: The NAACP has gotten involved in the Jena Six response. Through its web site, you can:

1] Sign the NAACP petition calling on the governor and attorney general of Louisiana to get involved,

2] Sign the ColorOfChange petition asking Governor Kathleen Blanco (D-LA) to intervene, asking the district attorney to reconsider his actions, giving you the option of being updated on future Jena Six activism events (including rallies that are scheduled to be held in Jena), and providing a link where you can donate to the Jena Six defense fund.

3] Sign a separate petition calling for the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the circumstances surrounding the prosecution of the Jena Six.
================================================
This plays into the old, old stereotypes that Black people are "beasts", animals, less-than-human.

When white kids beat up black kids, they're just boys having their fun, "boys will be boys".
When black kids beat up on white kids, on the other hand, they're "DANGEROUS" and "BEASTLY" and "MURDEROUS". {The "lethal tennis shoes."} Like an out-of-control attack by a VICIOUS ANIMAL.

THAT explains why the sentencing was so out-of-proportion.
As long as such STEREOTYPES are flourishing, Racism will flourish also.
These white people, with this going on inside their heads, think they are doing a PERFECTLY REASONABLE THING.
They are PROJECTING the "beastliness" inside themselves, onto "the other".
There is a lot of teaching and educating that still needs to be done, on this issue.
As people here have indicated, a good way is for CHILDREN to really get to know "the other" and find out we are basically the same human beings. Starting early, before they get the stereotypes pounded into their heads.

Tuesday September 4, 2007, 7:29 pm
Thanks Lauren, signed and forward. It is 2007.......right? Sheeeesh...I thought maybe I time-shifted to 1807 or something. I'm beginning to wonder if the human race will EVER wake up.....na!

Tuesday September 4, 2007, 7:54 pm
Thank you Lauren for posting this article and BMutiny for the message on the petitions... I have signed all three and will crosspost!

There is no excuse for racial prejudice, but sadly we see it everywhere.
... even here on Care2. It is outrageous and unacceptable!!!

Tuesday September 4, 2007, 8:23 pm
Several ACTIONS to Take on Behalf of the Jena Six

Wednesday September 5, 2007, 3:48 am
I just LOVE the 'Murder by tennis shoe' line !

Do watch the Democracy Now ! films about this outrageous case !
Seeing and hearing the combative, letter writing mom explaining how she shook herself out of the initial devastation, is really worth it.

Seeing and hearing Mychael's dad repeating that this is what being Black is all about...It knocks the spots off you, if you thought that the Civil Rights Movement had put an end to insitutional racism.

And that librarian from Jena who 'innocently' claims that the nooses -as far as she can see - have nothing to do with racism...
and that contrasted with the mom, who tells it straight : everybody got the message about the nooses, except the racists with the gall to call them a 'prank' !

And then they play 'Strange Fruit' sung by Billie Holiday, and you say, my god ! we're back in the old South where nothing has changed since the beginning of the 20th century !

Democracy Now ! Two programs to watch:

The Case of the Jena Six: Black High School Students Charged with Attempted Murder for Schoolyard Fight After Nooses Are Hung from Tree
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/07/10/1413220&mode=thread&tid=25

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"A Modern-Day Lynching" - Parents of Jena Six Speak of Injustice, Racism in Sons' Prosecution
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/07/10/1413228&mode=thread&tid=25

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Wednesday September 5, 2007, 1:09 pm
noted....ty ty ty...seems i missed it...sorry

Wednesday September 5, 2007, 9:13 pm
I signed and used part of my song let those without sin cast the first stone we need to fix the us first never mind iraq

Saturday September 22, 2007, 9:09 pm
Neo-Nazi Group Publishes Addresses and Phone Numbers of Jena Six Families