A dissenting view on Jena
Kansas City Star sports columnist Jason Whitlock creates a stir with this take on the Jena 6 case.
Writes Whitlock, who is African American: "There was no 'schoolyard fight as a result of nooses being hung on a whites-only tree.
"Justin Barker, the white victim, was cold-cocked from behind, knocked unconscious and stomped by six black athletes. Barker, luckily, sustained no life-threatening injuries and was released from the hospital three hours after the attack.
"A black U.S. attorney, Don Washington, investigated the 'Jena Six' case and concluded that the attack on Barker had absolutely nothing to do with the noose-hanging incident three months before. The nooses and two off-campus incidents were tied to Barker's assault by people wanting to gain sympathy for the 'Jena Six' in reaction to Walters' extreme charges of attempted murder."
I commend Whitlock for not blindly jumping in the Jena bandwagon without critically considering all of the facts. He raises some pertinent issues, which some people already have used to ignore the basic fact that black kids had to ask permission, in 2007, to gather under a whites-only tree on a public school campus. I don't think that was Whitlock's intent.
The culture surrounding the tradition of the schoolyard tree is still wrong and should have been dealt with more forcefully and sensitively by school officials and the Jena school board. The resulting national controversy would never have occurred.
As for the assault of Justin Barker, it, too, was despicable.
People are searching for absolute right and wrong narratives in this case. That rarely happens in real life. There are definitely blacks and whites in the Jena turmoil, literally and figuratively. There are also grays.
My take:
The tree tradition was wrong and should never have been sanctioned, tacitly, or otherwise. That black students even had to ask for permission to gather under the tree is disturbing in and of itself.
The noose incident was ignorant and mean-spirited and hurtful and should have been more severely punished.
The Jena school board dealt with the incident callously and clumsily.
The punishment should fit the crime in the assault of the white student. No more. No less.
And somebody down there ought to deal with the root causes of this story, an undercurrent of racial friction and backward attitudes that have no place in the 21st century.
.
Comments (8)
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Whitlock is pretty much correct. The actual facts of the case in Jena have been lost in the Jackson/Sharpton circus that follows many of these "incidents" when they're re-shaped by activists into a symbol.
The "permission" myth is one of the many pieces of misinformation about this. Allen, for you to state that the student "had" to ask permission is just another example of media and others perpetuating misinformation and contributing to the confusion and racial hysteria about this event. The question was raised in a "jocular" fashion at an orientation assembly. The principal responded that he could sit anywhere he wished.
I feel this has been blown out of proportion, misreported by the media, and sensationalized by the ghouls who profit from racial discord (Jackson/Sharpton).
Posted on September 22, 2007 10:18 AM
It's evident that a criminal assault was committed in Jena, Louisiana. The problem is with the Louisiana legislature not the District Attorney. The DA prosecute the cases in a court of law, the law is what it is. I also think school administrators should have done a better job BEFORE it got to this point. Suspensions should have been in order when the first noose was hung. Jena school officials were well aware of the history of this "tree" that white only students socialized underneath. I think the city of Jena is much like most small towns in the south,the inability to embrace diversity;inability to engage in proper dialogue with the disenfranchised and think outside the box. Lets make no mistake here,this is not a MLK Jr. moment. The good Dr. would never advocate an all out physical assault on another human being. I would like to see Black leadership spend more time helping Black people overcome economic hardships,creating business opportunities so we can become self reliant; educating our black youth about our history, and eradicating Jim Crow laws that some municipalities overtly and covertly practice.
It really frustrates me when I see "Pimp PhDs", and "Pimp Pasters" play on the emotions of youthful and simple minded people. I hope all that took the drive to Jena, both black and white realize that there's plenty of work to do.
Posted on September 22, 2007 12:53 PM
Could someone help me understand what the tree had to do with a beating?
Posted on September 22, 2007 8:42 PM
From what I can gather, it is not clear that the assault was directly related to the tree incident.
Posted on September 23, 2007 12:42 AM
Allen,
From what I've read my thoughts pretty much echo yours. Local politricksters be they school board members or local government are too focused on profit and loss to understand that quality of life issues must come first.
As I think you know I was a victim of black on white violence at Dudley High School in 1970. The young black men responsible for my beating were at that time neighbors and classmates of yours and had themselves previously been victims of white on black violence.
I was not one of their attackers but looked very much like one of their attackers and shared the same last name and the same 70s white boy style hair cut. (And I never liked the guy they thought I was and went on later to beat him up myself.)
I'll admit that a lifetime of PTSD has made it sometimes hard for me to remain open minded towards our black citizens but I remind myself daily that I grew-up and remain neighbors with some of the best neighbors anyone could ask for and most of them are black. I don't remember the names and faces of those who were convicted on my behalf but if I were to meet them today I would let them know they're forgiven. While the nightmares remain I can only think they fight their own demons just like me and I wish them the best.
Myself. my attackers and the parties in Jena, La. are all victims of politricksters who are out of touch with reality and have little regard for anything that doesn't add to their personal wealth.
Sadly, even after everything Greensboro has been through our "leaders" are no better than those in Jena.
Posted on September 23, 2007 10:44 AM
Myron Johnson,
Have you ever read about the Duke rape case. Seems to be that these where white men, be railroaded by a jackass named Nifong. His goal was to get black votes. The same liberal media wanted to hang these guys at sun up, are the same ones that want these punks to go free. Hanging nooses may be childless, however it hurts no one.
jerks trying to kill a person is just plain wrong. These punks need 20 years in jail. There is a lot of info out there that liberal media, does not want you to know.Did you notice how quick the liberal media, shut up about Nifong . This jackass got off scott free. Along with the Durham police dept, and the 88 nuts at Duke.The only people that got hurt where the young men accused. In case you have not noticed the liberal media is still after these young men.Off to golf I am about to get PO. God Bless Fox News.
Posted on September 24, 2007 6:03 AM
Mr. Doug Johnson,
I simply don't understand the correlation between Nifong and "Jena 6".Perhaps when you're done playing golf and sipping lemonade you can explain the two.
Posted on September 24, 2007 9:13 AM
Oh my gosh. Allen, I think I actually agree with you!
Posted on September 24, 2007 10:30 PM