Conviction of "Jena 6" Teen Overturned

As a person who came of age; who was shaped and formed -- the Bluesmen would say made -- by the area of New York City Colin Powell speaks of -- the South Bronx of the 1950s, I can tell you he is absolutely correct in this view of how one approaches racialist power structures. We were / are just not intimidated. We know what it is to be in a diverse society free of fear.

This is a huge advantage, as one does not have to waste time adjusting to skin color or religious background or even eating habits when attempting to shape and live in a better world: A world in which only honesty can set one free.

After reading your link to his interview with Walter Isaacson, I will say Brother Powell has carried his self admirably in his years of service; however there is no way he can shuffle around his UN performance under Mr. Bush, the junior.
I think it was the (one?) time the powers-that-be called in its chits.

watching his briefing to the world, me and a bunch of others watching through the television, all sniggered out loud as his mouth was saying things his being did not believe -- and neither did we.

You see, another of the many other things one picked up in those formative years in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx was the ability to detect (as a famous television Col. would say): Cow pies!

Sent by anthony | 12:35 AM | 9-18-2007

How is this not a hate crime? 6 on 1 sounds like gang violence to me. and racist to boot.What kind of message are we sending if we let these young men get away Scott free? Because your black you can run roughshod over anybody without concern for their rights? Although i agree the nooses were a BAD IDEA. They didn't pose an impending threat all by themselves. Are we going to start trampling everyones rights now except the blacks? This is reaching the point of absurdity now.If it was 6 white kids on 1 black kids al shapton would be screaming HATE CRIME from the top of his lungs.We will never have truly equal rights as long as this kind of racism exists? Black or white don't make you right.How bout a little equality in prosecution as well!

Sent by Racismsucksblackorwhite | 11:27 PM | 9-18-2007

In regards to the person Racismsucksblackorwhite. Obviously you have not been following the case. Its not the point that we are black and we think that we can be "roughshod over everybody". Before the black kids ever jumped on the white kid, one black kid was jumped by several white kids at a party beforehand. The white kid ask him his name and then began to beat him while his friends and his sister helped (all white). Nothing happened to them. The police came and broke up the fight just told the black kid to make his way back to his side of town like there was no problem. Im not saying that what these boys did was right but it is not fair to them for that type of punishment. What ever happened to the white kid being charged for the sawed-off shotgun. From what I know thats legal everywhere and nothing is being charged to him. They even gave the kids a robbery charge of 500 dollars because they took the shotgun from him after the white boy was about to shoot them with it. What was they suppose to do? What leave the shotgun and run so the white kid can just shoot them in the back. Come on be reasonable. And then the guy went to the hospital for minor bruises. Black kids bruises go to the nurse and then home on suspension for several days just because he got beat up. Be for real.

Sent by JSU | 2:05 PM | 9-19-2007

Until we have true dialogue about matters of race in this country, we will never be free of the type of crime surrounding the Jena 6. It is lack of action in the face of wrong doing which caused this issue, and continues to make America a place saturated with racial inequality. As long as we as a society continue to act as if this type of racism no longer exists, it will continue. How can you change what you won't admit to?

Sent by Prof. Alsbrook | 2:09 PM | 9-19-2007