HHammerhead's Blog

I've seen a few comments/blogs on the board already and I'm surprised at most of what I'm seeing.   All of the recent news coverage on this event has been coverage of protesters making the trip to Jena to join others in protest of the trials taking place.  A majority of the blogs here seem to be from those disgruntled at the attention that the case is getting.

It occurs to me that we have two guilty parties here.  We have a group of white students that are guilty of uttering racial slurs and taunting at least, and guilty of intimidation and threats at worst.  I don't know the specifics of the situation nor the exact events that led to the beating.   Someone else mentioned that there were three months between the threats and the beatings.  At any rate, the group of black students appear to be guilty of assault and battery, maiming by mob, and perhaps even attempted murder if the beating went to that extent.   Was the white kid that was beaten part of the group that was taunting? 

There are two significant questions here.  Are the crimes committed by party A (the white students) being investigated and prosecuted?   Are the crimes committed by party B (the black students) being investigated and prosecuted?

It appears that the crimes of white students are not equal to those of the black students.  The utterance of words, even veiled threats do not merit physical violence.  We have a system to address wrongdoing.  We've seen how the radical Muslim world reacts when Muhammad is portrayed in a cartoon.  You don't swat a fly with a sledgehammer.  The black students should have gone to the appropriate authorities instead of taking matters into their own hands.  The deep south in general, and Louisiana specifically, is a different world, I know that.  They still should have spoken with their mouths not with their fists.

The guilt or innocence of one case does not hinge on the guilt or innocence of the other.  Both parties can be guilty and prosecuted separately.  Why are so many rushing to claim the innocence of the Jena 6?  If any of the white students had been discliplined for their racist taunts and threats, would we now be hearing cries of racism?  Maybe the white students were disciplined.  I don't know.  It seems to me that the disclipine for hate speech would be less severe than the discipline for assault and battery, maiming by mob or attempted murder.  

Call it what you will.  It looks like two crimes were committed in Jena, Louisiana.  Justice should be served on all sides.