I got two words for Al: Tawana Brawley.

Just cause Al Sharpton is an asshole doesn't mean that there's nothing to the case. The 6 initially got charged with attempted murder in addition to battery. The 16-year old who was convicted was then tried as an adult and sentenced to up to 15 years in prison (a conviction which was thrown out by the Louisian appeals court). The motivations of those prosecutorial decisions are, at best, a little suspect given the circumstances. (Links to some factual reports at instapundit)

Yeah, I'm gonna have to side with Alceste here. During the back and forth fighting that occurred for weeks after the black kid sat under the "white tree," a white kid threatened a group of black kids with a gun and wasn't charged. Indeed, the black kids who took said gun away from him were charged.

I hate to say it, but there are still plenty places in Louisiana where it might be "safe" for a black man ... but only as long as he knows his place. (Of course, the same could be said for certain neighborhoods on Staten Island and Long Island, but still.)

'An uneducated' ass-clown... His early retirement wouldn't offend me...

My quick thoughts are on my blog, mainly because it's easier than posting the same opinions over and over again. Click my name!

Karol, you know, we don't disagree on much. Unfortunately, this is one of those times where we heartily disagree. Well, other than the part about Al and Jesse being a**hats. When you have a prosecutor who has repeatedly and demonstrably shown favoritism towards one class of citizens over another, there's an issue. The gun was just one example--suffice to say there was a multi-opponent on black student engagement that went the other way and, strangely, no one was talking about "attempted murder" at that point.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm heartily of the opinion that jumping someone 6:1 is not only cowardly, it is _worthy of criminal punishment_. However, attempted murder? When a guy's up and going to functions the next day? Uh, no.

Do you number yourself amongst "the people that separate us, who cause the racial problems" when you are deriding the followers of a different religion to your own?

Anyone want to bet that if the roles were reversed that $harpton would be screaming 'hate crime'? Six cowardly black students attack 'one' white student. That is a hate crime or they will have to do away with that 'scream' from now on. I'm tired of $harpton and Je$$ie, so tired I pray they both die a violent death at the hands of Six black criminals they helped keep out of prison.

See, and that's the problem with "hate" crime versus just, you know, _crime_.

Beating someone's a** should result in jail time. However, it's a much harder hill for this prosecutor to climb when there's already been a fair amount of a** beating and intimidation (without much penalty) yet as soon as it's a white victim, suddenly we're looking for attempted murder charges.

What ticks me off is that, yes, because the usual race baiters have shown up now there can't be an intelligent discussion about it. Similarly, because Jackson and Sharpton are to dignity what whores are to chastity, this is not going to really effectively change anything in that town.

A proper response would have been to make sure _every single black person over 18_ was taken down to the county clerk's office and registered to vote. On camera. In such a manner that it was clear that the community intended to vote against the current prosecutor next election should the attempted murder charges not be toned down.

Instead, you have people saying, "Hey, we should _free_ these thugs." Free? No. Treat equitably--yes.

Alceste is right.

And why aren't you calling for the kids who "jokingly" put up nooses to be charged with anything?

See, that's the problem--apparently "jokingly" putting up nooses isn't illegal in Louisiana.

Now, with that being said, people should really be asking why the school board and superintendent overruled the principal on the expulsion. Who are these kids' parents? What are their places in society? I'm willing to bet that just as much as there's race involved (which there is) there's also questions about have and have-nots in addition to "old families" in the town.

On the flip side, I agree with Jason Whitlock:

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/columnists/jason_whitlock/story/284511.html

James beat me to the Whitlock story. Jason Whitlock will usually give up the facts that are being covered up. Sadly, many blacks consider him an Uncle Tom because he doesn't play up the race card.

Joe, it is not a crime merely to put twisted hemp fibers over a tree branch. The nooses hurt *no one*, which is why the prosecutor said he couldn't find any law under which the white students could be charged. Should they have been kicked out of school? Unquestionably. But that's a disciplinary matter, not a criminal one.

Attempted murder does not take into consideration what happened to the victim. It's intent: if you put a gun up to someone's head, with the intent to kill, but the gun misfires and the victim isn't injured, that's still attempted murder. Now, did the Jena Six intend to kill? I don't know. I don't have enough facts.

However, none of the news stories I've read (mainly AP) have mentioned the white kid with the gun. Not until I read about it here was I aware. So what I find curious is that none of the race-baiters have mentioned it even once, at least in the news accounts I've read. Why not? That's far more solid evidence of bias than "the white kids weren't charged for the nooses."

I'm with Scrapiron here. If this had been six white kids beating up a black, "Reverend" Al, "Reverend" Jesse, the NAACP, NoI and all other race hustlers would be screaming for severe punishments. I say, execute these little pieces of shit now, and save society from their future crimes. If they do this as teenagers, to someone who didn't provoke them, what will they do as adults? (Notwithstanding they're already considered adults under LA law.)

I think the issue with the race baiters and the kid with the gun is that, upon further review (i.e., when the cops arrived), the gun was found to be unloaded. For some strange reason, people seem to think pointing an _unloaded_ weapon at someone demonstrates lack of ill intent rather than utter stupidity. (Because, hey, if you point an unloaded weapon at the cops and the cops still blow you away, it's a righteous shoot--so obviously the status of the weapon vice the intent of the display doesn't matter.)

But Perry, you bring up precisely the problem I have with highlighting this case for "racial justice." Provocation does not excuse the jumping. The people in the Civil Rights movement were _assaulted_ (sometimes fatally) on several occassions--and they did not respond by ambushing their assailants, but chose dignity and publicity as their weapons.

Sorry, these six kids _should be jailed_. That's the problem that everyone wants to cover up. Free the Six? For what, being stupid? How about, "Make sure the Six get a free trial?" (Of course, that would involve people, you know, showing up for jury duty.) How about making sure the prosecutor realizes his continued employment may be determined by how he reacts to public pressure?

But, hey, that probably doesn't fit on a placard...not to mention requires three or four more brain cells than Jackson has.

James = smart.

Ah, the gun was unloaded? That justifies self-defense, or police shooting you, but in the end, that's only "menacing" (which I believe NYS/NYC law sets as a misdemeanor if it's not a deadly weapon involved, and an unloaded gun is not deadly) and thus a far cry from attempted murder. Attempted murder, after all, requires an ability to kill.

What gets me, James, is the race-baiters who have said the kids should be freed "so they can go back to school." So they beat up an innocent kid, three months after the nooses, and they should just be let go so they can go back to school? And these are the same people who say that the white students should have been jailed for the nooses?

I would have thought good old disturbing the peace would have covered the nooses.

Thanks Ari, but I'm not smart--just raised by a set of parents who actually believed in equality and personal responsibility.

In the end, this is just messed up all around. I agree with what a columnist said: "The best thing anyone intelligent can do is _move away_."

"And I hope people that separate us, that cause the racial problems between us, rot. That means you, Al Sharpton."

Ah, I see. The existence of a "whites only" tree in the school yard is Sharpton's fault. Treating the hangings of nooses, in a land where lynching has a rich and storied history, as just a prank is not a problem.

Racism is just a fantasy cooked up by the Sharptons of the world, eh?

Here is a rather more complete version of the events - from a good rightwing source...

http://instapundit.com/archives2/009597.php

Joe,

No, but look at the way Sharpton's going about "righting this wrong." Strange, I have yet to hear or see the good Reverend Sharpton confront the real things that are wrong. White only trees? Folks, there are de facto white only neighborhoods--but that's _not_ what's wrong with race in this country.

What's wrong, at least in my humble opinion, is that people can't _talk_ about race. Idiots like Sharpton are the reason--because like the drunken lout at the party, every conversation about race has to be held at multi-decibel level, and the other half _cannot_ be right in any way. Then you've got idiots like Jesse Jackson casting aspersions about Obama "acting white" because, golly gee, he doesn't rush right out there to denounce what's happening.

Sorry, but as to racism being real, no one's denying that. The folks Karol (and, incidentally, myself) want to see rot are those who think that grievance mongering and demanding preferential treatment are the way to solve it.

The way you solve racism is by being a freakin' good person, period. No, that doesn't solve the David Dukes of the world, but short of death you weren't going to convince them anyway. What it does solve is that if you're the only black, white, yellow, purple person an individual meets rather than sees on TV, odds are they will say, "Hey, purple people are kinda cool...".

Al Sharpton is about as interested as being a good person that people meet as I am in becoming a gun control advocate.

Did someone leave six ropes in the tree to be used at a later date on the Jena six, legally. Attempted murder while comitting a hate crime. Death penalty demanded by $harpton, that is if the perps were white and the victim black. Seems like $harpton never learns, He tried to hang the white guys (who never comitted a crime) in N.C. without a trial but don't want a trial for actual criminals. Maybe he's some kin of Mad Jack Murtha. There's alway been a saying involving a woodpile.

I think Sharpton would garner more respect if he caused a massive wave of voter registration to the end of removing this D.A. from office.

Perry's comment pretty much sums it up:

"Now, did the Jena Six intend to kill? I don't know. I don't have enough facts."

And then in the same damn comment:

"I say, execute these little pieces of shit now, and save society from their future crimes."

James, the "whites-only tree"

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=3638431

Joe, perhaps you need a remedial English course to understand the difference between my two phrases, or did you merely confuse yourself by quoting them out of context?

I don't have enough facts as whether they wanted to *murder* the victim, but the undeniable fact is that they beat him up severely. Much has been made of the victim attending a school function later that night, which must have been quite an important event considering he was suffering from a *concussion* and an eye *swollen shut*. Those weren't just love taps they gave him.

They're punks, and society can do itself a favor by eliminating them from our gene pool. Athletes, probably football players also? Well great, maybe they'll grow up to be the next Michael Vick, taking out their natures on animals instead of people.

So what are you saying, Joe, the kids should be freed and allowed back in school? You seem overly concerned about hemp fibers that harmed no one, when the real weapons were feet.

Perry:

You are in favor of executing minors charged with (not even convicted of) beating someone up.

I think you need way more than remedial English classes.

I never said we should execute them without trial. Give them a fair trial, convict them, and send them off to the gallows. Then again, NO ONE has denied that these punks beat up the teenager.

What do you not understand about "society can do itself a favor by eliminating them from the gene pool," or is that beyond your limited reasoning abilities? Your sainted Mychal Bell was already on probation for battery, so when do you think it's appropriate to do something about his propensity for crime? When he goes on a shooting spree at a mall?

You still didn't answer my question. Or can we take your silence as affirmation that you DO want kids to be able to beat others up severely, then just walk? I guess it's all fun and games to you, even if someone loses an eye, huh.

Well, thanks for clarifying that your ideal world is one where thugs can run rampant. In mine, kids who aren't brought up right will have their behavior tempered by the fact that, if they violate the rest of us, then we're going to do them in.

Oh, by the way, some bleeding hearts want to point out that Bell has been jailed for a really long time.

http://pursuingholiness.com/2007/08/19/the-jena-6-update-on-mychal-bell/

Boo frigging hoo. The longer he's jailed, the more it keeps him from harming others -- particularly other black people. Statistically speaking, you know, blacks are far more likely to be harmed than other blacks, and vice-versa.

"I say, execute these little pieces of shit now, and save society from their future crimes."

The biggest waste in this case is that the nooses were empty!