Incident in Jena,La.

[MidGe]

Are you saying that in the USA it is alright to have "whites only" trees or any areas?

I don't know how it can be made any clearer than that.

[tomdemaine]

[ QUOTE ]
Are you saying that in the USA it is alright to have "whites only" trees or any areas?

I don't know how it can be made any clearer than that.


[/ QUOTE ]

It's not particularly noble but anyone can designate their house a whites only area. It's a dumb thing to do but it's not illegal to be dumb, one thing that you personally should be pretty thankful for.

[MidGe]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Are you saying that in the USA it is alright to have "whites only" trees or any areas?

I don't know how it can be made any clearer than that.


[/ QUOTE ]

It's not particularly noble but anyone can designate their house a whites only area. It's a dumb thing to do but it's not illegal to be dumb, one thing that you personally should be pretty thankful for.

[/ QUOTE ]

I am sure that in the US like most other countries, you can let in your house whoever you wish.

I still believe, maybe wrongly, if so, please correct me, that apartheid is not condoned, or tolerated, but is actually unlawful, in the US in any government building an should not be implemented or tolerated in Jena's school either regardless of how many hicks pupils or staff, and hicks and rednecks is all they could be considered to be, wish it were so.

[RedBean]

Question for everyone advocating that the charges are just......why wasn't the option of second degree battery given to the jury:

§34.1. Second degree battery

Second degree battery is a battery committed without the consent of the victim when the offender intentionally inflicts serious bodily injury.

For purposes of this article, serious bodily injury means bodily injury which involves unconsciousness, extreme physical pain or protracted and obvious disfigurement, or protracted loss or impairment of the function of a bodily member, organ, or mental faculty, or a substantial risk of death.


I'd even concede this to be a more fair charge against defendants, with the option of simple A&B as a lesser option.

(2nd deg Batt. carries a 5 year max, fwiw...)

BUT NOT EVEN this was offered to the jury.

The DA chose NOT to go this route, and instead argued sneakers were a "dangerous weapon" because the aggravation of a "deadly weapon" carries a 15 year max, only after initially charging attempted murder, which requires intent and carries a 30 year max.

[MidGe]

just saw the latest on the news. The "white only" tree in Jena has been cut down by the school authorities.

I guess it is one way to deal with this offensive form of racism. I simply think there are better ways. The hicks will simply find another tree like any dog would.

PS I still think that most posters are missing the fact that the causal chain in the OP, started with the white only tree, NOT the nooses (which was the third or four step).

[W brad]

Obama Hopes Could Rest on Jena Case

"Yesterday, Mr. Obama was taunted by a veteran civil rights advocate, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, who made disparaging remarks about the senator for his failure to take the lead on the issue and said he was "acting like he's white," according to a report in a newspaper in Columbia, S.C., the State.

Rev. Jackson's remarks, which he later said he could not remember uttering, have rekindled a controversy from early in Mr. Obama's campaign over similar comments from black leaders who said he "wasn't black enough." Mr. Obama is the son of a white woman from Kansas and a black man from Kenya.

"If I were a candidate, I'd be all over Jena. Jena is a defining moment, just like Selma was a defining moment," Rev. Jackson said.

[Taso]

[ QUOTE ]
Are you saying that in the USA it is alright to have "whites only" trees or any areas?

I don't know how it can be made any clearer than that.


[/ QUOTE ]

This was not an official, or even unofficial school policy. This is simply the way the students chose to act. Whites would hang out under the tree, the black kids would be wherever they hang out.
If the white students choose not to spend time with the black students, or vice versa, that is there decision, it isn't government endorsed segregation. Another example of this, from the same incident; apparently when the students were called into an assembly, the white kids sat together, and the black kids sat together. You cannot force people to spend time together.

And before you go calling me a hick or a racist, I've lived in two places in my life; New York and Philadelphia. I have several friends that are black, and some 2+2 members could attest to that.

Edit: By the way, Jesse Jackson said he totally endorses Obama, and doesn't question his "blackness" on CNN this morning.

[CutCreator]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Are you saying that in the USA it is alright to have "whites only" trees or any areas?

I don't know how it can be made any clearer than that.


[/ QUOTE ]

This was not an official, or even unofficial school policy. This is simply the way the students chose to act. Whites would hang out under the tree, the black kids would be wherever they hang out.
If the white students choose not to spend time with the black students, or vice versa, that is there decision, it isn't government endorsed segregation. Another example of this, from the same incident; apparently when the students were called into an assembly, the white kids sat together, and the black kids sat together. You cannot force people to spend time together.

And before you go calling me a hick or a racist, I've lived in two places in my life; New York and Philadelphia. I have several friends that are black, and some 2+2 members could attest to that.

Edit: By the way, Jesse Jackson said he totally endorses Obama, and doesn't question his "blackness" on CNN this morning.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree with this. The problem here is while there needed to be more media coverage of this, once Jackson and Sharpton get involved it becomes a circus and the attention gets puts on other issues that are not as important.

i make it a point to ignore sharpton and jackson so i am not aware of what they are saying. i assume they are outraged over the district attorneys charges. the racial thing is a fact of life and im not sure what they can do about it.

racists are un-evolved ignorant morons. i do not associate with racists. however its not illegal to be racist and while i disagree with racism, people should have the right to believe what they want to in this country, even if its stupid.

[Uglyowl]

I am so confused... this story/ protests make no sense to me. At least they have the new OJ case next month to have school walkouts.

Maybe I am just missing a huge piece of the story.

[Dennisa]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Are you saying that in the USA it is alright to have "whites only" trees or any areas?

I don't know how it can be made any clearer than that.


[/ QUOTE ]

This was not an official, or even unofficial school policy. This is simply the way the students chose to act. Whites would hang out under the tree, the black kids would be wherever they hang out.
If the white students choose not to spend time with the black students, or vice versa, that is there decision, it isn't government endorsed segregation. Another example of this, from the same incident; apparently when the students were called into an assembly, the white kids sat together, and the black kids sat together. You cannot force people to spend time together.

And before you go calling me a hick or a racist, I've lived in two places in my life; New York and Philadelphia. I have several friends that are black, and some 2+2 members could attest to that.

Edit: By the way, Jesse Jackson said he totally endorses Obama, and doesn't question his "blackness" on CNN this morning.

[/ QUOTE ]

Taso, I agree with you most of the way, but tell my why the 3 White students who placed the nooses on the trees should not be kicked out of the school?