Thank goodness for NPR for reporting the ENTIRE facts behind the Jena 6. CNN reported only that a white student was beaten, but never mentioned that there was a noose and that a black student was also harrassed. This whole mess is a disgrace to America. We are all people and we are all the same in the great makers eyes. We ought to wipe that horrible DA out.

Sent by Heidi | 6:31 PM ET | 09-21-2007

Wonder what Marshall McCluhan would have to say about the fairly new technology of cyberspace, the word coined by sci-fi writer William Gibson back in 1982.

Would McCluhan call the internet a hot or a cold medium? Is the internet a participatory medium, or is the internet a medium for the observer who doesn't personally get involved?

As for meeting members of the opposite sex, the internet takes participation. No doubt about that aspect of cyberspace. As for politics? From my experience, for every left wing blogger, there is a right wing blogger.

The in-between commentors, there's equal amounts of passion on both sides of the fence. Except that the majority of bloggers and commentors are being so passionate in expressing their opinions, they are not listening to one another.

The internet tends to keep people from face-to-face contact. Unless, of course, it's meeting a member of the opposite sex.

Hence, as a great political unifier, I get the feeling that political cyberspace does not unify as mightily as most bloggers and commentors seem to believe.

Modern technology has truncated the human attention span. Let's say that of the majority of blogs, the average reader takes in the first two lines before formulating a personal opinion, and starts commenting without having read the entire blog, to the end. If a blog is more than three paragraphs, the average reader moves past and onto something more simplistic.

Consequently, as for unifying a political opinion among the bloggers and commentors, the internet is really all not that participatory. Even though many are participating. The original purpose of unifying and coalescing thought is lost in the shuffle.

Which leaves the subliminal message response. The messages that are delivered below the conscious level. Those are the messages that more than likely strike a nerve more than the overt messages.

The subliminal medium is the massage.

Fred call

Sent by fred call | 7:33 PM ET | 09-23-2007

The US Attorney has determined that the beating of the white student had NOTHING whatsoever to do with the noose incident. Media reports that suggest such a linkage do so with their services given over to racebaiting hucksters.

Sent by Bob Holmgren | 3:09 AM ET | 09-24-2007

This was a retort by someone on the internet I thought worthy of sharing: "And please...I am not going to spend any time defending my opinion. If you are offended by what I think, just do a 180 degree turn, read all the words backwards and you will eventually see the way you came in."

Not bad retort at all. Nice way to show someone the door. In other words, read like an Arab. From right to left. Maybe that's why Da Vinci wrote backwards?

I came to the conclusion that one of the largest purpose the internet serves is for the FBI and the CIA to keep tabs on everyone in the antiwar movement. I mean, there's hardly anything covert about the internet. Whatever the Intellectual Left antiwar marchers have as a plan, they announce it to the world. Before the protesters even arrive, the police are there with barricades waiting for them. It makes it easy for the Neoconservatives to plot and plan left wing antiwar movements. Move the antiwar marchers around like chess pieces. That way the neoconservatives know beforehand the protest parade route and how many protesters will be attending.

I mean, George the Elder did run the CIA before becoming vice president, ya know. I'm sure George the Junior has learned some familial lessons on how to use the internet for political purposes.

It's pretty much a waste of time to argue a point over the internet. People have arrived with their opinions and prejudices already in place. They aren't looking for change. They aren't looking to compare opinions. They are only looking for an argument. I can become a polygamist and have plenty of that. It's much easier to record prejudices like a continual electronic poll. The graph chart plots what the people's moods are that particular hour. Then it's time to make up the next news headline. Either al Qaeda is stronger, because congress needs to appropriate more money for the war effort. Or al Qaeda is weaker, because congress needs to convince the public the money they appropriated last week is going to good use.

Then sit back and listen to everyone blog and comment while making up the next hour's worth of news headlines. Blogs with racial overtones are one of the quickest ways of doing an hourly survey.

Fred call aka bigbro

Sent by fred call | 8:21 AM ET | 09-24-2007

It seems like everyone is missing the issue about race and injustice because the complete story of what occurred in Jena is still not being told.

I keep waiting for someone to mention that before the Jena6, there was a fight between a white and black boy. The white boy broke a bottle on top of the black boy's head and walked away. Police did not arrest the white boy for attempted murder. There was another incident where 2 black boys had a shot-gun drawn on them by a white man at a convenience store. They disarmed the white man, dropped the gun and ran away. When seeking help from authorities about the incident, they did not get it. There was a peaceful demonstration of the black students at the high-school under the infamous white tree. The local DA was called and instead of being fair about the issue, told the black kids to disassemble and that he could ruin their lives if he wanted. Finally the Jena6, immediately arrested and charged as adults for beating up a white kid.

It appears the degree of punishment differs based on your race in Jena. This is the point. Whites committed crimes too, but have not seen the court system for their bad deeds.

Sent by iknewit | 3:39 PM ET | 09-24-2007