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ORIGINAL: Alumbrado
The news 'coverage' holds up a copy of the school handbook and states that the maximum penalty allowable for fighting is a 3 day suspension. 

Then they try to insinuate that a felony conviction and sentence in a criminal court is somehow a violation of that 'maximum'.
What does that help ? (Besides ratings)

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On Thursday, August 31, 2006, a small group of black students asked if they could sit under a tree on the traditionally white side of the Jena High School square. Why they felt it necessary to ASK is something else entirely. The students were informed by the Vice Principal that they could sit wherever they pleased. The following day, September 1, 2006, three nooses were found hanging from the tree in question. Two of the nooses were black and one was gold: the Jena High School colors. On Tuesday night, September 5, 2006, a group of black parents convened at the L&A Missionary Baptist Church in Jena to discuss their response to what they considered a hate crime and an act of intimidation, though no laws were broken by hanging these nooses. When black students staged an impromptu protest under the tree on Wednesday, September 6, 2006, a school assembly was hastily convened. Flanked by police officers, District Attorney Reed Walters warned black students that additional unrest would be treated as a criminal matter. According to multiple witnesses, Walters warned the black student protestors that, “I can make your lives disappear with a stroke of my pen.” This was widely interpreted as a reference to the filing of charges carrying a maximum sentence of life in prison. On Thursday, September 7th, police officers patrolled the halls of Jena High School and on Friday, September 8th, the school was placed on full lockdown. Most students, black and white, either stayed home, or were picked up by parents shortly after the lockdown was imposed. The Jena Times suggested that black parents were to blame for the unrest at the school because of their September 5th gathering had attracted media attention. Principal Scott Windham recommended to an expulsion hearing committee that the three white boys responsible for hanging the nooses in the tree should be expelled from school. On Thursday September 7, 2006, asserting that the nooses were merely a silly prank inspired by a hanging scene in the television min-series "Lonesome Dove," the committee opted for a few days of in-school suspension. The names of the three students were not released to the public for reasons of confidentiality. On Thursday, November 30, 2006, the academic wing of the Jena High School was largely destroyed by a massive fire. Officials strongly suspect arson. Throughout the following weekend, Jena was engulfed by a wave of racially tinged violence. In one incident, a black student was assaulted by a white adult as he entered a predominantly white partly held at the Fair Barn (a large metal building reserved for social events). After being struck in the face without warning, the young black student was assaulted by white students wielding beer bottles and was punched and kicked before adults broke up the fight. It has been reported that the white assailant who threw the first punch was subsequently charged with simple battery (a misdemeanor), but there is no documentary evidence that anyone was charged.Shortly after the lunch hour of Monday, December 4, 2006, a fight between a white student and a black student reportedly ended with the white student (Justin Barker, later arrested for having a rifle with 13 bullets in his truck in the school parking lot) being knocked to the floor. Several black students reportedly attacked the white student as he lay unconscious. Because the incident took place in a crowded area and was over in a matter of seconds eye witness accounts vary widely. Written statements from students closest to the scene (in space and time) suggest that the incident was sparked by an angry exchange in the gymnasium moments before in which the black student assaulted at the Fair Barn was taunted for having his “ass whipped.” Justin Barker, the victim of the attack, is close friends of the boys who have admitted to hanging the nooses. Within an hour of the fight, six black students were arrested and charged aggravated battery. According to The Jena Times, at least a dozen teachers subsequently threatened a “sick-out” if discipline was not restored to the school. According to the Alexandria Town Talk, District Attorney Reed Walters responded to the teachers' threat by upping the charges on the six boys to attempted second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit second-degree murder—charges carrying a maximum sentence of life in prison.

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It's about whiteness.

When you're white, you're less likely to get charged and, if you do get charged, you more likely to get charged with a less weighty crime.

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This case is just ONE OF MANY where the criminal justice system is trying to run some Black males into prison over some bullshit!

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Barker was taken to the hospital with injuries to both eyes and ears as well as cuts. His right eye had blood clots, said his mother, Kelli Barker Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2007/US/law/09/04/bell.jena.six/?imw=Y&iref=mpstoryemail 

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JENA, La. (AP) — Prosecutors on Tuesday reduced the attempted murder charges against two more teenagers among the "Jena Six," a group of black high school students who were arrested following an attack on a white schoolmate.
Five of the teens were originally charged with attempted second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder, carrying sentences of up to 80 years in prison. The sixth faces undisclosed juvenile charges. http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hEDGACsk9ZRgdFmzTA-FtR5-3LdQ

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ORIGINAL: Mercnbeth

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It's about whiteness.

When you're white, you're less likely to get charged and, if you do get charged, you more likely to get charged with a less weighty crime.

Blaakmaan,
Really? So if the incident at Duke occurred at the Alpha Phi Alpha rush party instead of at the lacrosse club bash the result would have been the different?

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This case is just ONE OF MANY where the criminal justice system is trying to run some Black males into prison over some bullshit!

Definition of "bullshit":

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Barker was taken to the hospital with injuries to both eyes and ears as well as cuts. His right eye had blood clots, said his mother, Kelli Barker Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2007/US/law/09/04/bell.jena.six/?imw=Y&iref=mpstoryemail 

If you and I, (assuming you are black) tested and got the same score on the LA Fireman's test - you would be hired first because of your race? That's considered 'politically correct'. You don't believe this sort of  legislated discrimination generates any "PC Whiplash"?

If you earn a high position at a Fortune 500 company do you like the idea that there are some people, you'll never know which ones working and doing business with you, who believe that you got your position as a result of some EEO hiring promotion program?

If you kick my ass when you see me - you're the better man and potential can get arrested for assault. If I happen to kick your ass - I'm all of the above but also potentially guilty of a 'hate crime'.  Any problem with that?

Either you want to equality or you need and want to be more equal by law.

btw - The "concurrent sentence" comment was a sarcastic method of addressing an irrelevant tangent point made by the reporter in the news segment and cited as incongruous by a previous poster.

Update:

quote:

JENA, La. (AP) — Prosecutors on Tuesday reduced the attempted murder charges against two more teenagers among the "Jena Six," a group of black high school students who were arrested following an attack on a white schoolmate.
Five of the teens were originally charged with attempted second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder, carrying sentences of up to 80 years in prison. The sixth faces undisclosed juvenile charges. http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hEDGACsk9ZRgdFmzTA-FtR5-3LdQ

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ORIGINAL: Online4Abuse
Very well worded, alot nicer than I was thinking of being.  In this country racisim is a big problem.  The way I see it is that in the black world all racism is white on black, yet the reality is that a big majority of this rasicm (both personal and political and judicial) is black on white.  If these boys had been white and attacked a black kid at 6 to 1 and didnt see a court room all, hell would have been paid.  Call out Al and the NAACP!  But since its black on white its all "oh they are just kids" lets slap them on the wrist and let them go.  Personally, it doesnt matter.  With the anti-bullying legislation in place, every kid who attacks another in school is attacking out of anger and hate and should therefore be charged criminally.  Ask me the same question 6 years ago or so and my answer would have been different.  Times change...its the fact of life in America now days (probably everywhere else too, but I dont live there so I cant speak for it).  Many many years ago if someone would have suggested we put metal detectors in the schools people would have laughed them out of the building, today people are begging for more to be put in.  No amount of arguing on the matter will make what happened any nicer, nor will it turn back time and undo it.  All children, black white asian mid eastern ect, need to be taught that if you cant get along and keep your personal feelings within a controllable level then you will be punished by the court system (though personally I advocate getting rid of jails all together and implimenting a public caneing system). 

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You don't believe this sort of legislated discrimination generates any "PC Whiplash"?

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ORIGINAL: Blaakmaan

Damn!

Don't any Black people post on this site???  Aren't there any Black people on CM.com (other than the ones who are pining for a white dom or sub or switch or whatever)?

Yes, I've been following the Jenna 6 story.  It's been in the news for some time now, although I will admit I didn't hear about it last year, either.  Apparently it just started getting big coverage in the last few months.

http://www.freethejena6.org/

This case is just ONE OF MANY where the criminal justice system is trying to run some Black males into prison over some bullshit!

This very much reminds me of the case of Genarlow Wilson, a Black male, who was charged with RAPE (!) in North Carolina, but convicted only of  AGGREVATED CHILD MOLESTATION (!) for engaging in an act of CONSENSUAL oral sex with a 15-year-old white girl when he was 17.  He was sentenced to ELEVEN YEARS in prison (of which TEN YEARS is MANDATORY)!  His sentence is under appeal.

The full story:

http://www.wilsonappeal.com/
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/21/opinion/21thu4.html?ex=1324357200&en=d3a8cf6d030c60b7&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Now, you tell me.  When have you EVER heard of a WHITE teenager being charged with or convicted of ANYTHING for an act of consensual oral sex with another teenager?  I know I have NEVER heard of such a thing, and I have also never heard of a Black teenager being charged with such a thing for consensual oral sex with another Black teenager!

It's about whiteness.

When you're white, you're less likely to get charged and, if you do get charged, you more likely to get charged with a less weighty crime.

When you're not, you more likely to get charged, and if you are, it's more likely to be the weightiest charge the DA can dig up!

And, pardon me, but how in the world can a school suspension and a prison term "run concurrent"???

"PC Whiplash Effect" (whatever the hell THAT is supposed to be...) my ass!