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In their racially motivated mob attack, a white victim suffered a severe head injury. They deserved 10 years in prison for that, particularly since they had prior offenses.
Hanging a noose on a tree is very offensive, and so are vocal racial slurs, but neither is in the same category as a gang attack that causes physical injury.
You were wrong to go there and defend them on the grounds that the charges against them were excessive. I don't agree that the charges were excessive at all. As for the boys who got probation, were they involved in physical gang violence? Did they have prior police records? That sort of thing matters.
I see your point about what the news chose to focus on. I don't argue with you on that. However, even the majority of peaceful protesters were doing something I consider very egregious. That's just my opinion and obviously you don't agree.
I sure don't. And I'm glad you see my point, because my personal decision to travel to Jena was certainly NOT the point.
Perhaps some other day we can discuss your definition of a "severe" head injury. I didn't know a concussion fit into that category. I won't disagree that what happened to Justin Barker, who apparently hadn't done anything to anyone, was atrocious. But it wasn't attempted murder. If it was, every kid in every HS fight in America must be charged with the same.
On another note, it's impossible to discuss how Blacks and Whites "defend" or don't defend their accused and convicted criminals without opening up a much larger discussion about judicial disparity. Are you sure you're ready for all that, ma'am?
I agree. It's very troubling to think that no matter how many good Blacks there are in the world, there will always be more sensation and emphasis placed on the bad Black folks. I just don't understand why so many people allow one or some of us to speak for ALL of us.
I also work and interact with many White people and to think that some hold these same ideas is, as you say, troublesome.
ChocLot, you are one of the people I enjoy talking to so I hope we can continue.
I think part of the problem with why we have this perspective is because when we see, for example, Bill Cosby give a speech asking for changes in the way black people allow their children to speak or behave, he gets lambasted. And honestly now I have to ask, was it just a few black people who criticized (and continue to criticize) him?
Well finally we agree on something. I have the exact same situation with black friends and coworkers. There is a spirit of cooperation and fun, and then I come to CD and see the stuff posted here and wonder if these people secretly think these kinds of things. It is very discouraging.
For what it's worth, I do appreciate being able to talk to black people on CD who really try to have a conversation.
Same here. I'm not here to argue or bicker. Debate, maybe. But I don't like to hurl insults and stuff like that. It's not productive and it's childish.
I agree. It's very troubling to think that no matter how many good Blacks there are in the world, there will always be more sensation and emphasis placed on the bad Black folks. I just don't understand why so many people allow one or some of us to speak for ALL of us.
I also work and interact with many White people and to think that some hold these same ideas is, as you say, troublesome.
That's the part that hits me the hardest.
Judge me by the company I keep... that's fine with me. But don't judge me by company I've never even met, just because they happen to be the same complexion as me.
I sure don't. And I'm glad you see my point, because my personal decision to travel to Jena was certainly NOT the point.
Perhaps some other day we can discuss your definition of a "severe" head injury. I didn't know a concussion fit into that category. I won't disagree that what happened to Justin Barker, who apparently hadn't done anything to anyone, was atrocious. But it wasn't attempted murder. If it was, every kid in every HS fight in America must be charged with the same.
On another note, it's impossible to discuss how Blacks and Whites "defend" or don't defend their accused and convicted criminals without opening up a much larger discussion about judicial disparity. Are you sure you're ready for all that, ma'am?
To be fair to you and to myself, I need to go review the details of the story again before I say much more. What I remember is that he had nothing to do with anything, was simply jumped by a mob, and at my last reading of the news, he was in the neuro wing of the hospital. Is it really clearly not attempted murder when a gang of attackers kick and stomp at someone's head? Seriously, now, you are going to get ME laughing. That's pretty serious and the boy could have died. I'm an ex trauma ICU nurse so I know something about head injuries. It doesn't matter to me if the attackers weren't actively thinking "I'm gonna kill this sucker"; what matters to me is that they kicked and stomped at someone's head, and that can kill a person or leave them with devastating injury.
This is not about a fist fight between two boys. So I don't think you should dismiss this as just like any other HS fight in America. If there are mob attacks on a single victim at White Mormon Highschool in Utah, I would still be in favor of a stiff sentence. You don't have to believe that since you don't know me, but it's the truth. I hate violent criminals with a passion.
Ummm, for the record, those who rallied didn't rally on behalf of "the blacks." There's no such organization, and there's no such spokesperson.
This thread is very telling... and it's telling something some of you don't even realize it's telling.
Oh please! Considering I do not know all the names of the rapist I am reduced to saying the blacks. By the way it was rally on behalf of the "black rapist" not "the blacks".
Uh no. The quote said "the blacks made it a racial issue."
And I'm stating that "the blacks" (whatever that's supposed to mean anyway) didn't make it anything.... Less than 100 people, from what I saw, showed up to make some noise. It is unfair, at best, (disgusting, at worst) to assert that "the blacks" are some national organization represented by one group of 100 people or one loud-mouthed person.
Deplorable!
I will tell you what is deplorable! Your inability to see what these blacks that came to rally for the rapist blacks HURTS the black race, not that you would care about that. You seem more interested in trying to twist things. It wasn't a mixed representation of the community, only blacks. Do you think some will use this to disparage all blacks? If you do not, you are blind.
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